News

SEASIDE, Oregon – Today, Columbia Pacific CCO announced that it committed $205,942 this year to nonprofit organizations in Columbia, Clatsop and Tillamook counties through its Community Wellness Investment Fund (CWIF) grant program.

Approved by Columbia Pacific’s Community Advisory Councils, CWIF grants are up to $25,000 each and provide meaningful support to nonprofits that make up northwest Oregon’s health care system and social safety net. The grants align with the strategic priorities of Columbia Pacific’s 2020-2024 Regional Health Improvement Plan, informed by extensive community feedback.

“Our Community Wellness Investment Fund grant program is very much a community-driven investment process,” said Nancy Knopf, Director of Community Health Partnerships. “It’s not only overseen by our Community Advisory Councils but also gives our community partners a flexible source of funding to fill gaps in our service area, whether enhancing their capacity to advocate for children in foster care or creating opportunities for recreation and social connection,” she added.

“By improving access to services and amenities that may be limited in rural areas, these grants help to strengthen the social fabric of communities,” said Holly Pennock, Chair of the CCO’s Community Advisory Council for Columbia County. “All of these little pools of money help people gain more well-rounded access to healthy activities and opportunities,” added Pennock, also a senior paralegal with the Oregon Law Center. The following CWIF grants (grouped by strategic priorities) were approved in 2022:

Community Resilience/Trauma Informed Care

• $25,000 to The Harbor (Clatsop County) to expand its Youth Outreach Program, which works to increase the safety and well-being of youth survivors of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. The grant will allow the organization to expand current youth and prevention programming and provide on-site advocacy services in the local middle and high schools and at the Tongue Point Jobs Corps Center in Astoria.
• $25,000 to CASA for Children (Columbia County) to help the agency meet its goal to provide court-appointed special advocates (CASAs) to all children in foster care in the county.
• $25,000 to The Playground indoor skate park (Columbia County) to help fund the development of an indoor skate park in St. Helens. The project, started by the grandmother of a local skateboarder, calls for nearly 4,000 square feet of skateboarding space, community education programming, mentoring and camps. The board of the nonprofit overseeing the project will include both youths and adults.
• $25,000 to the WildFlower Play Collective (Columbia County) to increase the number of free and sliding-scale memberships available for families covered by the Oregon Health Plan (OHP). The grant will also allow the indoor playground, established by local moms for local kids, to add safety and play equipment and increase its programming budget.
• $12,192 to Community Action Team (Columbia County) to fund evidence-based parenting education and outreach activities, including early learning fairs and virtual meetings. The activities help families learn strategies for navigating difficult times and better understand early brain development and the impacts of trauma in early childhood.

Chronic Disease Prevention

• $25,000 to North County Recreation District (Tillamook County) to support its tradition of offering weekly swim and water-safety instructions to all students in the Nehalem community as part of their school curriculum. The weekly classes at the district’s aquatics wellness center teach children a vital life skill to prevent drownings, while building confidence and promoting physical fitness.

Housing

• $10,000 to HOPE of Rainer (Columbia County) to help the agency support individuals and families facing a housing crisis. The agency plans to expand its current housingresources programming and provide a suite of supportive services that may include utilities-payment assistance, rent payment and firewood for home heating.
• $10,000 to Turning Point Community Center (Columbia County) to help the agency respond to the homelessness crisis in Clatskanie. Turning Point works closely with individuals and families that are unhoused or in danger of losing their homes.

Access to Primary Care

• $25,000 to Providence Seaside Hospital (Clatsop County) to add a Spanish-speaking health care navigator to its social-worker staff. The navigator will act as a liaison with the Latino 3 community and help with the OHP qualification and enrollment process for Spanish speaking patients and their families.

About Columbia Pacific CCO

Columbia Pacific CCO, part of the CareOregon family of companies, is proud to serve more than 34,000 Oregon Health Plan members living in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook counties. As a nonprofit coordinated care organization (CCO), we provide physical, dental and mental health care through a growing network of health care providers. Our priorities are guided by our local board of directors, community advisory councils and clinical advisory panel, and are informed by extensive community engagement. Columbia Pacific is committed to promoting the health of all those in our region. We focus on increasing access to language services, offering treatment for those experiencing substance use disorders, and fostering connections that promote social health.