Mushrooms!
The Orcas Island Health Care District has reached an agreement with Island Hospital to manage a unified clinic for the community. It is anticipated that the savings realized by combining the two clinics will allow expanded services. Hopefully, the transition will go smoothly and this solution will prove to be wise. Rural healthcare is challenging and when you add being on a remote island to the equation only makes it more so. I am very grateful to our Health District Commissioners and staff for their efforts.
As many of you may recall, Bob Lundeen, one of OICF’s founders, was a big proponent of healthcare. Bob passed a few years ago and left the community the Bob and Betty Lundeen Endowment. The Lundeen’s identified support for the Orcas Library, the public school, senior citizens, and healthcare as the focus for their endowment grants. This year, OICF selected the Health Care District for the first $30,000 grant. They used the gift for building improvements. I believe Bob and Betty would be delighted to help.
OICF will host a meeting for nonprofits interested in participating in the 2020 GiveOrcas Holiday Catalog on Wednesday at 4 pm. The catalog will run December 1-15 and support numerous nonprofits serving our community. Please let us know if you would like to attend.
There is a work party planned tomorrow at April’s Grove plant trees. These trees are a gift from OICF in honor of our 25th Anniversary. I am looking forward to digging them in and watching them grow. Planting is always such a hopeful action–welcome during these days!
Hope you have a cozy weekend,
Hilary