Sunset in Olga

President Biden spoke of the need for unity during his inaugural celebration. It has me thinking about what unity means. It is more than accepting each other. True unity is our ability to recognize and act on our obligations to each other. It’s lending a hand when you can and reaching out for a helping hand when you need one. It’s creating a community in which we all feel that we have a place and a value. It is empathy and compassion.

We support the resurgence of unity through efforts that increase the sense of belonging. This is central to the work of The Community Foundation–in the economic recovery and resiliency work, in the emergency response funding, in the GiveOrcas campaigns, and in convening community members to noodle through issues, provide leadership, and gather the resources needed to make a difference.

Unity takes hard work and conscious effort. I believe we are up for it.

On a very positive note, the Seattle Foundation announced that they are able to fully match all the emergency response fund donations that OICF received since July! This will bring an additional $630,000 to the Community Emergency Response Fund (CERF). This is amazing support that will be used to continue to provide food, shelter, and essential supports through the coming year. I am deeply grateful to all who contributed and to the good efforts of the Seattle Foundation in supporting the entire state.

Onward!
Hilary