Programs & Projects
⮑ Convenne → Listen → Plan → Support → Growth → Empower ↩
Most SWA projects follow a development path: SWA and the community identify a need, gap, or opportunity; SWA convenes partners and supports them to plan, build, and carry out solutions; SWA stays involved until the work is operational and can be continued by local or regional partner organizations for the long term. In other cases, SWA works with regional partners to pilot services or solutions locally that can then be extended into our area for the long term.
SWA also refers underserved South Wasco residents to existing services and keeps relationships with regional support services so people get a “warm handoff” when they need one.
Note: The SWA project filter tool is currently Under Construction and will be added soon.
South Wasco Youth Program
Gap: lack of youth support. It began in 2013 as a local school-based after-school initiative led by Amber Anderson.
Other Food-System Work
A school backpack pilot; support for local small farmers; securing stipends and transportation for South Wasco leaders to attend the OSU Small Farmers Conference.
Farm-to-Pantry Program
Started by SWA in 2023 and funded by the Columbia Gorge Food Bank. Operations moved from SWA to the Maupin food pantry (Life Raft) over two years.
South Wasco Farmers Market (Tygh Valley)
Started with SWA and operated first as a pilot project in The Dalles (2020–21), then moved in 2022 to its permanent home in Tygh Valley.
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Food Pantry (Wamic) and Life Raft Food Pantry (Maupin)
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in spring 2020, SWA worked with the Columbia Gorge Food Bank and community volunteers to open both pantries.