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| If our previous dispatch was about noticing what’s straining, this one’s about celebrating what’s sustaining! The tides keep shifting, the plans keep unfolding, yet the spirit of these islands endures—resilient, adapting, and alive.
Fall rains bring a quieter kind of work: the kind that happens around tables, in kitchens, and at community gatherings where neighbors roll up their sleeves and talk about what’s next. From the Olga Store to Island Rides, from the Grange to the inspiring efforts of the Orcas Island Community Foundation and Kwiaht, we’re simply in awe of the good work happening all around us. This season, we’re leaning into optimism—not the easy kind, but the kind earned through effort. The kind that comes from people doing what islanders do best: tending what they can, trusting what they can’t, and keeping each other afloat through whatever the fates deliver. |
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| So before the snow flies, here’s what’s happening across the islands—and how you can be part of it.
Community in Motion | Shared Momentum As we move into the darker months, the islands are anything but still. So many good things are in motion—each a thread in the larger fabric of community care. |
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| You can join as a Virtual Ambassador for their November 12–13 online fundraiser—help spread the word and help keep the doors open. Learn more: https://event.auctria.com/ |
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| Have you thought about volunteering with them? It’s a great way to support your neighbors and make a difference—one scenic drive at a time.
Learn More: https://islandrides.org/ And also keep up on OPALCO’s Renewable Energy Talks — building a brighter, island-powered future together: https://www.opalco.com/opalco- Orcas Island Community Foundation Their Holiday Campaign is right around the corner, and while we don’t yet know which organizations will be selected this year—the volunteer review teams are meeting throughout the week on a record number of requests—we encourage everyone to get ready to support a good campaign. OICF’s Spring Campaign was proof of what happens when this community leads with heart: even amid federal funding cuts, it saw the highest amount ever raised and supported. It’s a reminder that when we invest in one another, we strengthen the foundation that holds us all. Give local. Get Involved: https://oicf.us/nonprofits/ Kwiáht | Center for the Ecology of the Salish Sea The Grange Support and check out events: https://orcasgrange.org/ |
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| Every hour and idea helps keep the work moving forward and ensures that our projects stay grounded in real island experience.
That’s the good news: we’re a resilient community that believes in rural autonomy and neighbor-led solutions. So if you’re struggling, please reach out—community lunches are ongoing, the food bank is open, and help is here. And if you have a little extra to give, support the local organizations working quietly but powerfully on the ground. We’ve got this, together. And together, we’ll keep the work going—connecting ideas, projects, and people across the islands in ways that make resilience feel less like a buzzword and more like a shared practice. Support Island Stewards: https://www.islandstewards. A Path We Keep Taking A friend and I were talking recently about our upbringings—his here on Orcas, mine far away in another tourist town. I said something half-joking, that maybe “normal” here, just means we’ve all had unusual lives. And really, isn’t that what makes this place so special? Most of us came here from elsewhere, drawn by the same quiet rebellion—to live differently, to move against the mainstream. That shared instinct is our strength. We’re small in numbers, but high in expertise and perspective. The more we align that collective creativity toward common goals, the stronger these islands become. |
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| Each piece will appear on our Communications and Dispatch page and will also be submitted to The Orcasonian as a Guest Opinion—a chance to bring these conversations into the wider community dialogue.
We’re deeply grateful to The Orcasonian for continuing to uphold the power of local press. In a time when independent journalism is shrinking nationwide, our islands are fortunate to have a paper that keeps civic life transparent, invites public thought, and gives local stories a home. Supporting The Orcasonian means supporting the community’s right to stay informed, curious, and connected. Subscribe and Support: https://theorcasonian.com/ As we wrap up this season’s dispatch, we want to thank everyone who’s kept the conversation going—whether through surveys, emails, meetings, or quick words of encouragement in passing. If we’ve missed replying to you, please know your messages are received and appreciated. Every idea, question, and gesture of goodwill becomes part of the larger fabric that makes this community what it is. Stewardship is continuity—the same questions, met with new possibilities. We invite you to read, reflect, and respond: What has changed—and what hasn’t—since we first started asking what “enough” really means? In stewardship, P.S. The Pivotal ad highlighted the wonder of innovation, but also raised real questions about community consent, sound, and shared space. Good marketing captured the beauty of our islands — minus the roar that sent livestock running. Progress looks polished in an edit suite, but living here means hearing what doesn’t make the cut. (View the ad by clicking to the original post below) For now, we’ll keep our feet on the ground, our hearts in the work, and our eyes on the neighbors beside us. Across these islands, nonprofits and volunteers are putting in long hours right alongside us—and we’re proud to be in that good company. It’s a beautiful time to be alive in such a beautiful place. As we move into the winter dark, let’s shine brighter than ever—with community cheer, shared purpose, and the kind of care that keeps this place alive. |
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