Blog
So Grateful!
So Grateful We could not have had a better day to celebrate the GiveOrcas campaign with an Ice Cream Social at Cascade Lake. Cones, bowls, and rootbeer floats were enjoyed, grant checks were distributed and the Youth Philanthropy Awards were revealed. Each year, the...
We Did It! Wahooo!
We Did It! WaaaHOOOOOOOOOOO! Thank you, Orcas! The GiveOrcas campaign was a great success! More people than ever before contributed! All in all, 774 individuals donated, beating our previous record of 668! A whopping $311,778, fully funding 12 proposals and...
The Final Lap
The Final Lap We are down to the last two days of the GiveOrcas campaign. It has been a wild ride. Over 700 friends and neighbors have donated- a new record for Orcas! So far, $225,000 has been raised, two proposals have been fully funded and another 6 are at...
Onward!
The gathering for the Pea Patch pre-application meeting Onward! I am happy to report that we had our pre-application meeting with the County Department of Community Development (DCD) on Wednesday this week. It was a beautiful day and a hopeful meeting. The goal was...
The Dream Continues
A Draft Site Plan of the Collaborative Project The due diligence process is ongoing for the potential purchase of the 11 acres off of Pea Patch Lane in Eastsound. We have a pre application meeting scheduled in May with the County Department of Community Development....
One Person Can Make a Difference: Anita
Anita Holliday Kwiáht, Volunteer Can you share a little bit about yourself? I moved from Seattle to Orcas 31 years ago with my then-husband and our infant daughter, having lived in a few other states until my early thirties. I have had the good fortune to have...
Bridging The Gap
Bridging The Gap The economics of living on Orcas are complex. This week, the Orcas Community Resource Center (OCRC) distributed their annual report in which they cite that 13% of island households are living below the poverty level and up to 40% of island households...
Ready to Roll!
I am delighted to announce that OICF is fully staffed once again with the arrival of Tera Andaya. Tera launched her career at OICF this week and is already on a roll. As the Outreach and Support person, she is working on relaunching the Hive program. If you want to...
One Person Can Make a Difference: Bruce
Bruce Benton United Way of San Juan County, Board Member Can you share a little bit about yourself? I was born in Miami, Florida in 1942, where my father was stationed to train for World War II. He served as a Navy lieutenant in Antwerp, Belgium – known then as...
Ready, Set, RUN!
This coming November, there will be 16 commissioner positions on the ballot for Orcas. These include two seats each on the School Board, Park and Rec, the Port of Orcas, and the Orcas Health Care District. Both the SJC Fire District 2 (Orcas Fire Department) and the...