A Statement from our Executive Director

At Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH), we are dedicated to the pursuit of health equity, driven by a constant commitment to uplift the communities of Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties. We believe in creating initiatives that promote the health and wellbeing of everyone in our region.

As an organization, we work alongside and in support of communities that are the most impacted in our region. We strongly believe in advancing and championing health equity, so that everyone has access to the care and services they need.

Clark, Klickitat and Skamania counties are home to diverse and resilient cultures and communities. These communities each face unique barriers to addressing their whole-person needs. We are committed to continuing to advocate communities across our region, so they are all empowered with the specific tools and resources they need to thrive.

For many of our partners, and the communities they serve, there are heightened and growing concerns about whether programs or initiatives with an emphasis in equity will continue to be funded and/or supported, given their scopes of work. The uncertainty we face right now in this work can feel overwhelming and confusing. It’s in moments like these that our advocacy and collaboration are most crucial.

We believe community voice is critical and powerful in addressing needs. We know strength comes from coordinating our efforts and supporting one another, for the betterment of our community. We know our communities can drive change at the local, state and federal levels.

Over the next several months, SWACH will be leading initiatives to help inform what community members and partners need and are prioritizing. I encourage you to participate in these events, as you are comfortable and able to. There will be opportunities to partner with us on specific advocacy projects like Recovery Advocacy Day in February and Housing and Homeless Day in March, as well as ways to connect about broader needs in the community like our regular coffee chats, trainings, and other convenings.

On our website, we have a Washington state legislative bill tracker and form letter submission tool to help engage with state law makers during this legislative session. I encourage you to use these tools and to share them with your community. They can be found at southwestach.org/advocacy.

I also invite you to connect with us at various events throughout the year. Our organization often convenes groups together from across the region, both to address specific topics and to discuss the general wellness needs in Southwest Washington. Stay up-to-date on upcoming events at southwestach.org/events.

As we face uncertain and challenging times, I want to reiterate SWACH’s commitment to provide connection to the care, services and support that people need across our community. We stand by our dedication to equity in our programs and departments. By working together, we can continue to enact meaningful change that leads to positive outcomes for folks across Southwest Washington.

Onward, Together.

Nichole Peppers