Our Community Dinners in Lane County and Pacific County

Written by NWHF Public Affairs Manager Felicita Monteblanco with lots of help from Kayla Mahiko, Team Support Manager

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Kayla Mahiko, my colleague and office mate once told her colleagues a story about the power of a table.

Kayla grew up in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi and for much of her childhood they lived with one set of grandparents or the other. There were always aunties, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends around. For Kayla, family wasn't defined by blood so much as by who showed up. 

Through that village, Kayla learned what it meant to be seen, held, and supported, without needing to earn it or explain why—and the center of that village was her grandparents' kitchen table. It only had eight chairs, but there always seemed to be a few more pulled up from somewhere else in the house. It was where birthdays, graduations, new jobs, and every other reason to celebrate were shared together, or where people gathered after difficult days. 

If someone was struggling, everyone around that table thought about who they knew, what they could offer, and how they could help whoever showed up carrying grief, uncertainty, and hard luck. No matter what life brought, whether it was something to celebrate or something to overcome, that table was where people came together and knew they wouldn't have to face it alone.

Kayla didn't realize until she was older that not everyone grows up with that kind of village. Not everyone has people they can call when life falls apart, or a place where they know they'll be welcomed without judgment. Those experiences shaped the way she sees the world: when people have a community that sees them, supports them, and shows up for them, they're able to weather challenges, celebrate successes, and ultimately help others do the same. 

Listening to Kayla, I couldn't help but think that's exactly what our Community Dinners are about. They're not just opportunities to share a meal. They're about creating a table where people can come together, build trust, celebrate wins, navigate challenges, and strengthen the relationships that help communities thrive. We gather because, just like around Kayla's grandparents' table, the best way forward often starts by pulling up another chair.

Community Dinners are now twice a year events and staff regularly look forward to attending and hearing each other's stories while gathered around our table. There is such power in breaking bread and we at Northwest Health Foundation are so appreciative of these opportunities to learn and listen. 

Our Time Together

First up, our community dinner in Lane County. Thank you to former board member David Saez and and Alai Reyes-Santos (our newest board member) for joining us in their home county. Lane County has no shortage of challenges (health care service concerns, ICE raids) and opportunities (Eugene Clean Energy Fund and May primaries). Organizations represented include: the Oregon Just Transition Alliance, Rural Organizing Project, Black Cultural Initiative, TransPonder and more. Dinner was at the delicious Soriah Restaurant. How late the party goes is always an indication of how much fun folks are having and the wonderful waiters close the restaurant by the time we and our guests left. 

Heading north, we now have a tradition of hosting a community dinner during our board retreat. So when we picked Pacific County as the board retreat location for 2026, we knew that also meant we would be bringing together leaders across the region to meet our board members and vice versa. 

We were committed to exploring “north county” which includes Tokeland, Raymond and South Bend. We had a delightful dinner at Willapa Bay Brewery in South Bend joined by leaders from both the north and south end. Topics included health care services and ICE’s impact on residents - sound familiar? What our rural friends to the north are facing aren’t that much different than what suburban and urban parts of the region are facing. Organizations represented include Firelands Workers United, Crisis Support Network, Pacific County Immigrant Support and more. 

That’s it for community dinners for 2026. Brainstorming for 2027 locations has already begun and we're looking forward to more connections, delicious food and wonderful conversations.