Next Meeting:

• Thursday, September 18, 2025

  • Time: 7PM

  • Location: Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (1515 Harrison Ave NW, Olympia, WA 98502)

  • Topics:

Thurston County Emergency Management Presentation

Cherie Carey, Public Outreach & Education Coordinator, will lead a 45-minute preparedness presentation with time for Q&A.

Community Safety, Preparedness, and Immigrant Rights Opportunities

SWONA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee has identified opportunities in Olympia that align with our focus on keeping neighbors safe and connected.

• Olympia Indivisible “Action Café” – Weekly Zoom gathering every Monday at 10 am (less than an hour, action-focused) and informal in-person gatherings every Saturday at 10 am at Soul Café.
• Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Training – Friday, September 26, 6:30–9:00 pm at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd. Advance signup required; space is limited.
• Training & Presentations – Community trainers have expressed interest in offering sessions surrounding immigrant rights/justice for neighborhood groups.  This is framed as practical information to help neighbors understand resources, know their rights, and stay safe, which supports our preparedness and community safety aims.

Discussion will focus on how SWONA might connect these opportunities with our Emergency Preparedness efforts to strengthen neighborhood safety and resilience.

Neighborhood Clean-Up & Maintenance Proposal

Proposal from member Shawn Sandquist (unable to attend but shared in advance).

Ideas include:

• Creating a block adoption system for neighborhood clean-up, modeled after the Block Captain system.
• Developing a plan for graffiti removal on fences and other surfaces.
• Organizing a fall sidewalk clean-up group to clear leaves and debris, helping keep sidewalks safe.

Discussion will focus on whether to integrate these efforts into an existing committee or create a new committee to coordinate and oversee this work.

Fall Solstice Cider Press Event

When/Where: Sunday, September 21st from 12–4 pm at Decatur Woods Park.

Overview: Small community event featuring cider pressing.

Volunteers Needed:

• Gleaning apple trees ahead of the event.
• Day-of event support (set-up, cider pressing, clean-up).

Discussion can include volunteer sign-ups and identifying additional neighbors with apple trees available for gleaning.

Community Garden Transition & Volunteer Needs

Volunteer Call (10-15 volunteers needed): Help needed to move garden materials from Hidden Creek Garden’s located at Cathy's property off Black Lake Blvd the weekend of October 11th. Tasks include:

• Relocating raised beds, trellises, irrigation, and tools to temporary storage at Marcella & Grace’s house.
• Breaking down and relocating the greenhouse to Cedar & Rose Salon.
• Neighbors with trucks and trailers especially needed.

City Update: The City has determined Decatur Woods Park is not a suitable site for a new community garden.

Discussion will include:

• Whether SWONA should continue pushing the issue with the City or shift focus to other potential spaces within the neighborhood.
• Explore alternative ideas and gather input from neighbors.
• Consider options if a permanent space cannot be secured (e.g., donating beds individually to neighbors willing to grow food for the community).
• Discuss Hidden Creek Garden’s donation and how SWONA can honor its legacy while continuing to support neighborhood food access.

Volunteer Needed – SWONA Quarterly Meeting Signs

The neighbor who previously handled putting out SWONA meeting signs has moved out of the neighborhood.

Role responsibilities:

• Put up 8 signs at the pinned locations starting the Friday before each quarterly meeting.
• Take them down after the meeting and store them at your place.
• This only applies to quarterly meetings (4 times per year) — not mini-meetings.
• This role works best for someone who can track the quarterly meeting dates and manage the signs without reminders.

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Monthly Mini-Meetings

In addition to our quarterly meetings, SWONA hosts more informal monthly “mini meetings” to keep momentum going on neighborhood projects and help neighbors stay connected.

Meetings begin at 6:30pm. Locations are currently TBD, and will be shared as soon as they're confirmed.

2025 Mini Meeting Dates:

• Tuesday, August 12 - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church (1515 Harrison Ave NW, Olympia, WA 98502)
• Wednesday, October 15 - Location: Vic's Pizza (233 Division St NW, Olympia, WA 98502)
• Monday, November 17 - Location: Vic's Pizza (233 Division St NW, Olympia, WA 98502)

These meetings are a great way to stay engaged and contribute to projects like the community garden, gleaning initiative, and emergency preparedness. All are welcome!