Projects

ECCA builds community by recruiting volunteers to beautify public spaces, assist members of the community with basic needs, support students and teachers, and grow our collective sense of belonging through art and cultural projects.

Our current projects are:

Supporting our local schools

Cindy Eisenman mentoring a student.

The wellbeing and success of our young people matters for our collective future. That’s why we’ve been working with Washougal High School to develop the Community-School Partnership Program, a first-of-its-kind mentoring effort aimed at helping students get back on track after the pandemic. Between November and June, 12 volunteers worked with a total of 90 students. The good news? Students our mentors saw three or more times pulled up their grades sharply. This is an amazing example of how community members can step up to support teachers and students in ways that critically matter, and we’re grateful for our partnership with the forward-looking folks at WHS. If you’re interested in joining us as a tutor or mentor, please email us at eastcountycitizens@gmail.com.

Beautifying our communities

Our first Adopt-a-Highway cleanup, Nov. 12. Brenda Landy, pictured, is the team co-leader.

SR-14 Trash Cleanup: We live in a spectacular area, and all of us want to preserve our natural heritage and the beauty that surrounds us. ECCA’s first project, the Great Highway 14 Trash Cleanup, began in February 2022, when teams of volunteers began cleaning the backlog of litter off this otherwise scenic road. In October 2022, we got Adopt-a-Highway status. As of August 2023, we have removed thousands of pounds of trash from Highway 14 between Washougal and Camas. Earlier this summer, ECCA began collaborating with the Lyne Family AAH team in Camas to clean that section of the highway. Fill out your paperwork now and email it to us so you can join us in this uplifting work. Our work through the winter will be sporadic due to the weather, but we will go out. Email us at eastcountycitizens@gmail.com for more information.

ECCA team installing the “guardrail garden” in downtown Washougal. The project was led by Ginny Frederick.

Planting Gardens: After months of planning, ECCA volunteers completed installation of a new garden in downtown Washougal on Nov. 13. Situated at the base of the overpass on Washougal River Road, the near-native xeriscape garden features a mix of evergreen manzanitas, natural hybrids from Washington and Colorado, and native perennials and wildflowers from the Willamette Valley. All of the plants are native to the western US, and half are native to Washougal itself. With time, rain, and sun, this garden will grow up to be gorgeous.

Laying down greenhouse plastic for half of the plot being solarized.

Highway Wildflowers: Since fall 2022, we have been working with the regional office of the state Department of Transportation to bring wildflowers to north side of SR-14 between the two Washougal rotaries. How many? Enough to fill a plot 200 feet long by 20 feet wide. We’ve brought teams to the roadside throughout the spring and early summer to mow, trench, and lay down solarization plastic, all in preparation for planting in November. Email us at eastcountycitizens@gmail.com.

A boy checks out the idea board at a community planning event at Hamllik Park in November.

Community Art Projects: When a group of residents come together to create public art, a certain kind of magic happens. That’s why we’re leading the development of a mural for Hamllik Park in Washougal — the first of many, we hope! Be part of the planning and painting; all ideas, ages, and ability levels welcome. Email us at eastcountycitizens@gmail.com.

Providing for the basic needs of our neighbors

ECCA volunteers served chili and cornbread at ReFuel, Dec. 23. Andrea, above, cuts cornbread to accompany the chili we served.

ECCA cares for the needs of community members by supporting food projects. Since July ECCA teams have prepared and served three dinners at ReFuel Washougal, which serves elderly and disabled people and individuals experiencing homelessness. Our next ReFuel dates are Nov. 24 and Dec. 22. We’d love to have you join us as a volunteer. This year, ECCA will again help the East County Family Resource Center sort more than 40,000 pounds of food donated via the annual Stuff the Bus campaign. Sign up to help here.

Telling our stories

From the post “All kids deserve a safe way to get to school,” by Julie Allen.

Knowing someone’s personal story changes everything. That’s why ECCA has a blog called “Voices” that invites residents to thoughtfully tell their own stories, especially those that touch on our shared community life.

But we’ve got another project in mind, too, and we’re so excited about it! We’re planning a local StoryCorps DIY audio project that explores our connections to our local place, our family roots, and our experiences living through these times. It’s likely you’ve heard StoryCorps segments on National Public Radio, but StoryCorps is also an independent nonprofit that works with groups and communities around the country to develop their own local story projects. Explore the StoryCorps archives here. Intrigued? We need interview facilitators and volunteers to manage logistics. Contact us and we’ll tell you how you can be involved!

We actively recruit for these projects! You can choose whatever interests you, and help one time or many times. For more information about any of them, or to let us know you’d like to join us, email us at eastcountycitizens@gmail.com.