SAVE THE DATE: December 3
Important Community Meeting
Join other community members and resource providers to rank priorities for projects and funding that will help improve health equity and quality of life in Columbia Valley.
Join us Tuesday, December 3 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for a Community Meeting followed by a Community Meal from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center, 8251 Kendall Road, Maple Falls. All are invited. Dinner will be provided by the HEZ, and you’re welcome to bring a dessert for the dessert buffet. Attendees will each receive a $25 Visa Gift card for participating. The Columbia Valley Community Connections (CVCC) group, highlighted in October’s Outlook, has focused on bringing together community members and providers to work together for the betterment of our communities. Many projects have come to fruition since the CVCC began in 2015—Kendall Summerfest, as well as a closer working relationship with KVAZ, new non-profits like the Foothills Communication HUB and Foothills Community Alliance, and the list goes on! Meanwhile, long standing groups like Kendall Watchdogs, the East Whatcom Community Council, Parent-Teacher Organizations, Friends of the Library, Columbia Valley Park And Recreation District, and others operate with important goals in mind for the area, as well. With so many opportunities for improving the lives of East County residents, including being chosen as Washington State’s first Rural Health Equity Zone (HEZ), the time is ripe to explore the best ways to engage local residents and create collaborations to take advantage of what’s being offered. Knowing the purpose of each group can be confusing, which makes it difficult to participate in meaningful ways. This meeting is a chance to learn about all the great things that are going on in the community, the purpose of each group, how all this can benefit you, and how you and your family or neighbors can become involved. We all say, “Somebody should do something about x, y or z”, but the reality is that we are each somebody! And we have opportunities to create a stronger future for our neighborhoods and community. We have spent a lot of time identifying what we need and want; now it is time to figure out the next steps for moving forward together. This meeting will help clarify the variety of opportunities that exist in the East County area, share out the data collected by the State’s Health Equity Zone meeting in June 2024, and get us talking about how we build resilience and sustainability into the community to advance the safety, health and social connections needed for a better future.