Welcome

South Wasco Alliance (SWA) is a grassroots organization with a mission to develop a sustainable local economy, strong community, and improved living standards for people in South Wasco County, Oregon.

Welcome to South Wasco

South Wasco is the southern part of Wasco County, Oregon: wide-open, rural country south of The Dalles, between the Columbia River Gorge and Central Oregon. Its communities include Dufur, Tygh Valley, Maupin, Pine Hollow, Wamic, Pine Grove, Wapinitia, Juniper Flat, Shaniko, and Antelope, along with Simnasho and other communities of the northern Warm Springs Reservation that lie within Wasco County. The Deschutes River, White River Falls, the historic Barlow Gate Road, and Mount Hood National Forest are all here. SWA’s service area is the area shown on the map. It ends at the southern boundary of Wasco County.

SWA’s Impact and Achievements

Significant In-Kind Leverage: During the 2024–2026 Community Economic Development Planning (CED-P) project, SWA convened more than a dozen partners who backed the work with $395,000 in documented in-kind contributions.
Successful Project Incubation: SWA has a proven track record of starting critical community programs and successfully transitioning them to independent local leadership. Examples include the Simnasho Tribal Market (run entirely by founding tribal members since 2025), the South Wasco Farmers Market, the Farm-to-Pantry Program, and the South Wasco Youth Program.
Bridging the Healthcare Gap: In response to the lack of local services, SWA partnered with the Columbia Gorge Health Council to secure a dedicated South Wasco Community Health Worker in 2024.
Organizational Growth: After operating entirely on volunteer grit and passion since 2015, SWA reached a major milestone by securing the funding to hire its first-ever Executive Director in September 2026 to manage growing regional partnerships.

Community Needs & Demographics

A Unique Population: South Wasco is home to 3,442 residents across five zip codes (about 13% of Wasco County), plus an estimated 1,000–1,250 tribal members living in the northern Warm Springs Reservation within the county.
Aging Population: 35% of residents are age 65 or older, compared to just 19% statewide. Despite this, as of 2023, there were no formal services for seniors in South Wasco.
High Rates of Disability and Veterans: About 1 in 5 residents lives with a disability, and 15% to 20% of residents in larger communities are veterans (compared to just 8% statewide).
Economic Strain: 45% of Maupin households and 48% of Tygh Valley households are classified as "ALICE" (asset limited, income constrained, employed), meaning they work but do not earn enough to cover basic costs, compared to 32% statewide.
Healthcare Deserts: As of 2023, there were absolutely no mental health or substance abuse services in South Wasco. Volunteer emergency medical responders are the primary responders to behavioral health crises.

Why SWA exists

South Wasco Alliance (SWA) was formed in 2015 by residents who saw the need to come together across the region and address community problems more effectively as an “alliance.” SWA does not provide health, social, economic, business, or workforce development services. Where there are gaps, we bring partners together to define the need or opportunity, then help build and implement solutions. We also refer underserved South Wasco residents to existing services and keep relationships with regional support services so people get a “warm handoff” when they need one.

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Our Vision

Sustainable Economy

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Healthy Food System

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Strong Networks

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Improved Living Standards

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What We Have Accomplished

Simnasho Tribal Market

SWA sponsored the Simnasho Tribal Market in 2024–25 to help secure funding and support startup needs. Since June 2025, it has been run entirely by its founding tribal members.
South Wasco Farmers Market

What started as a pilot project in 2020 moved to its permanent home in Tygh Valley in 2022. In 2025, the Tygh School Community Center took over operations.
South Wasco Community Health Worker

In 2024, SWA partnered with the Columbia Gorge Health Council’s Bridges to Health program to bring a dedicated Community Health Worker to South Wasco to help residents navigate health and social services.
Farm-to-Pantry Program

Started by SWA in 2023 with funding from the Columbia Gorge Food Bank, this program was successfully transitioned to the Maupin food pantry (Life Raft) and now serves both the Life Raft and Neighbor-to-Neighbor pantries.
Community Economic Development Planning (CED-P)

From 2024 to 2026, SWA convened more than a dozen partners to align strategies on job creation and workforce development. Partners documented $395,000 in in-kind contributions to the project.