Our Community Dinners in Washington County and Redmond

written by NWHF Public Affairs Manager Felicita Monteblanco

NWHF staff and board with Redmond community leaders at Terra Kitchen

This girl likes a party.

A party with a purpose of course.

I don’t think there is a better way to build community and connections than sitting at a table and enjoying delicious food together.

What NWHF loves: 

  • Seating assignments that bring new people together 

  • An insightful prompt, like  “where do you feel most rooted?”

  • The book The Art of Gathering, which has helped us ensure our events are purposeful and fun for attendees 

Fortunately, I've had the pleasure of being one of the leads on NWHF’s series of community dinners. 

People fill the seats at an art nouveau style bar, all turned to listen to one woman speaking into a handheld microphone.

Our community dinner in Washington County

In 2025, we hosted community dinners in Washington County and Redmond. How did we choose these locations, you ask?

Well, for one, three of our staff live in Washington County (including me). We wanted to bring NWHF home and introduce our staff and board to the incredible leaders and community members here. We were also already hosting our Board retreat in Washington County, so it simplified the planning process. 

We chose Redmond, partly because it is the home of our Board Chair, Jason. We also don’t have many grantees in Central Oregon, so we wanted to expand and grow our relationships there.

Each location had its own flavor, literally and figuratively. Neither location disappointed. 

Two people stand in front of a bar, one with their arm around the other's shoulders. Both smile.

Piyawee Ruenjinda from Unite Oregon and Nathaniel Hudson-Hartman from Drivers Union Oregon at our Washington County community dinner

Washington County leaders came together at JUNE for a vegan dinner to discuss unique challenges and opportunities facing the region. Washington County has 16 incorporated cities and is the second largest county in the state with over 600,000 residents. We hosted over 20 leaders, including community organizers, former elected leaders, and directors of community-led organizations (plus our staff and board), and it was a pleasure to get to introduce folks to one another. In particular, we were excited to see Washington County Ignite’s executive director connect with leaders who have been trained in advocacy at Unite Oregon. One big topic of discussion was Washington County’s need for a convener—an organization dedicated to bringing people together. Guests reflected that no single group in the county appears to be filling that role across sectors, and it is desperately needed. 

One man speaks into a microphone. Several other people stand and listen, most holding drinks. There's a dinner table in the foreground.

NWHF Board Chair Jason McNeal Graham speaks to guests at our Redmond community dinner

In Redmond, I experienced a similar feeling to showing up for a party where everyone knew one another, and I and my colleagues were the awkward, but very welcome, outsiders. We had a delicious dinner at Terra Kitchen, and one of many topics covered was how Redmond leaders recently flipped their school board to be more reflective of the community and how several attendees are answering the call to run to office. Most attendees had been long-time friends and colleagues, which adds up considering that Redmond is a small community of under 40,000.

Both dinners were a total blast, and NWHF spent the majority of the time listening and learning from passionate residents. During one of the dinners, one leader even spoke to incorrect guidance from their fiscal sponsor, and a guest sitting across from them had a great idea for a new potential fiscal sponsor. In another case, we learned that two guests seated together scheduled a meet-up the next week to further discuss community involvement. The Redmond group had so much fun, they are looking to convene another similar gathering.

We're done with community dinners for 2025 but definitely have some ideas for locations in 2026! We are also thinking about how we can support attendees to self-organize another gathering. Stay tuned!

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