Oakesdale Community Endowed Fund
For anyone born and raised in Oakesdale, the rolling hills, rich history and close-knit community leave an impression. For Larry Stanley, this is no exception.
Whitman County
A Family’s Legacy in Malden and Pine City
Malden and Pine City, Washington are the VanDyke family’s heritage home. The cultivated fields of this sprawling fertile land have been the livelihood and cherished home of generations of this family as well as many others in this beautiful area. Traveling with his family from Wisconsin, John Wesley VanDyke settled on the Pine City bluffs …
“When we deny our stories, they define us. When we own our stories, we get to write a brave new ending.”—Brené Brown
The Healing Power of Stories: StoryCorps Stories not only reflect who we are as individuals and communities, they shape us as well. They help us understand ourselves, cultivate meaning in our lives, and bind us together by promoting greater understanding and revealing all the similarities we share. Recognizing the power and potential in stories, Innovia …
Community Action Center: Shelter in the Storm
In a city where university students are critical to the economy and rental properties constitute 65% of total housing, the pandemic quickly created an affordable housing crisis for many Pullman residents. Thanks to a $10,000 COVID-19 Response and Recovery grant from Innovia, the Community Action Center was able to support a Housing Solutions Program that …
Family of active volunteer institutes fund to continue familial investment in Pullman community
Margery Muir had an immense impact on Pullman, where she lived for most of her life. While raising a family of her own with her husband Earl, she also dedicated her time to other children and families in the area. Between substitute school teaching, serving as Guardian Ad Litem for the juvenile court, and volunteering …
Couple creates scholarship fund for high-achieving students with financial need
As the first person in his extended family to earn a college degree, Mark Burkett knows firsthand the difference higher education can make in one’s life. Thanks to a scholarship, Mark was able to attend the University of Pacific, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering. Now retired after a successful 26-year career in …
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Backyard Harvest delivers fresh produce to food-insecure community members
Backyard Harvest’s four-county service region – Asotin, Whitman, Latah and Nez Perce – contains over 25,000 food-insecure people, including 10,000 people who rely on food access programs. And yet, the food donated to these programs is not always healthy; the obesity rate in the counties is over 28%. Fortunately, the region also contains farmers and …
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Nonprofit vitalizes rural communities in the Palouse with leadership training courses
Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) is a nonprofit organization committed to supporting rural communities in today’s challenging economy. One of RDI’s primary methods of vitalizing rural communities is its Rural Community Leadership Program, a highly interactive course that is designed for a varied set of community members. Innovia Foundation, Avista and Empire Health Foundation are the …
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“Pullman has been a very good, supportive community. I want to help it stay that way.”
Barbara and Robert Johnson arrived in Pullman in 1957 to launch Robert’s 35 years as an English professor at Washington State University (WSU). It was the start of a distinguished career and a lifelong affection for the small college town. After Robert passed away in 2013, Barbara, who also worked for WSU, wanted to create …
“Pullman has been a very good, supportive community. I want to help it stay that way.” Read More »
“Every person deserves healthy food every day.”
One out of every eight people in the Inland Northwest struggles with hunger. For the region’s children, the number is one out of every five. Especially in rural areas – where hunger-relief services are scarcer – many low-income families simply do not have the food they need to live healthy and happy lives. Each day, …