Coffee Hours encouraging community to share their voice
At SWACH, we believe in putting community voices at the forefront of our policy and advocacy work. That's why we've started hosting a series of coffee hours to hear directly from the community.
The first coffee hour was a success, with Heather Sheppard (SWACH's Equity and Collaborative Impact Manager) leading the discussion at River Maiden Coffee in Vancouver.
The second gathering took place at White Salmon Baking Co. on May 29th, featuring Dominique Horn (Equity & Collaborative Impact Specialist) and Ashley Gaffney (SWACH’s Community Health Improvement Director). These conversations are providing valuable insights from Clark and Klickitat counties, with Skamania planned for the near future.
Looking at what’s been successful about the Coffee Hour’s so far, Sheppard expressed enthusiasm.
“There’s been a significant turnout which is very exciting considering this type of thing hasn’t happened for years with SWACH,” she says.
The Coffee Hours are organized differently when compared to a town hall or a committee meeting, which Sheppard says encourages free flowing conversation.
“There’s just not a lot of structure -- just an open conversation around like, ‘what are you seeing in your community? What are the barriers that you see on a daily basis? What do you see with the folks you serve?’” Sheppard says. “Just trying to get an understanding of priorities and also like accessibility issues.”
Looking ahead, Sheppard says she envisions the Coffee Hours as a continuous platform for the community to express their needs, concerns, or just join her for a free cup of coffee.
“My goal for the rest of this year and definitely the next is to at least show up in every county once a month,” Sheppard says. “This is a priority for me because we get to connect with community directly. We're building relationships and we're building an understanding of what they need specifically.”
Looking ahead: The dates of future Coffee Hours will be posted in the events page.
Share your thoughts: This is your chance to tell SWACH what issues matter most to you and your community.
Connect with others: Meet your neighbors, SWACH staff and discuss the needs of your community.
Stay informed:
Follow us on social media for any important announcements regarding upcoming Coffee Hours.