We are all in this together

||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION |||

As the world watched the historic Artemis II mission around the moon this week, the awestruck crew shared unifying words for us, “ultimately, we will always choose Earth. We will always choose each other.” said Christina Koch. Victor Glover shared, “In all of this emptiness — this is a whole bunch of nothing, this thing we call the universe — you have this oasis, this beautiful place that we get to exist together,” reminding us that we are in this together, and only have one earth to take care of and live together on.

Many Orcas islanders are doing their part to choose each other and take care of this beautiful place. April is National Volunteer Month, and we’d like to celebrate and thank all of our Orcas Island volunteers that contribute their time and energy to make Orcas Island thrive. Here are just a few, making a big impact:

• Bill Symes is helping our community understand what oil spill preparedness actually looks like — and why it matters, while Becky Hawley consistently shows up to lead oil spill response efforts with Islands’ Oil Spill Association. Becky also lends her expertise to the OICF Capacity Building Committee and the GiveOrcas Community Grants Committee!

• Lynda Johnson makes sure books are in their proper place each Friday with a warm smile, while Mary Pugh works behind the scenes pursuing funding for the Orcas Public Library.

• Lynnette Wood has played an instrumental role in strengthening the Orcas Senior Center’s capacity to serve our Island seniors for many years.

• Tom McDonough has logged countless hours volunteering as a projectionist, running video recordings and operating show control for lights and sound (among many other things) at Orcas Center.

• Dave Shinstrom has been a pillar in the community for decades, and now contributes his time as a member of a small but mighty crew at the heart of Coates Cabinet, the Orcas Community Resource Center’s hygiene bank, along with delivering Meals on Wheels for the Senior Center.

• John Fleischer consistently ensures that schedules for Island Rides run smoothly and he approaches every ride with flexibility, patience, and attentiveness to clients’ needs.

Read more about each of these inspiring individuals on our website!

If you’re looking for a way to get involved, Earth Day Orcas has a variety of events happening throughout the month, and everyone is invited to participate in the Great Islands Clean-Up on Saturday, April 18. OICF is always here to help you connect with organizations and causes that speak to you. Please reach out anytime. 

GiveOrcas is Coming!

From May 12 – 21, you can help local nonprofits grow the programs that make Orcas a stronger and thriving community. This spring’s campaign will feature 31 organizations working to steward the environment, educate islanders of all ages, support essential needs, and much more. If you plan to give with your IRA’s required minimum distribution (RMD), or with a donor advised fund (DAF) hosted outside of OICF, now is a great time to initiate a fund transfer so funds arrive in time for GiveOrcas.

For the first time, we are excited to invite local businesses to support nonprofits through GiveOrcas this spring as Business Partners in Philanthropy. By supporting GiveOrcas, local businesses can help strengthen the community, which in turn fuels economic vitality crucial to improving the quality of life for all. Businesses can participate in several ways, by helping to promote the campaign, making our kick-off party a success, or by making a meaningful contribution to support grantmaking. Learn more on our website and sign up online.

With love to the moon and back…