Hearing The Impact
July 21, 2026 – Ten homes were recently saved in Okanogan County because a local fire mitigation company had the right equipment at the right time. A small business in Douglas County who was at risk of closing was able to replenish supplies and is now thriving.
We could not have predicted these specific outcomes, but the impact of the Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) is undeniable.
SkillSource was the 9th visit on a statewide listening tour from representatives of the Washington State Department of Commerce and the Governor’s Office of Equity. We gathered at Chelan-Douglas Community Action Council in Wenatchee to hear directly from several individuals, businesses, and community partners about the real impact of community reinvestment initiatives in the North Central region.
Community reinvestment is a targeted approach to inject essential capital and resources that reduce friction and create pathways for success. It includes business investment grants, work-based training incentives, and matched investment savings that build equity and ensure a solid foundation for Washington families.
People joined the CRP Partner Summit in-person and remotely and included partners from the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and The Hispanic Business Council, Wenatchee C.A.F.E., the Othello Chamber of Commerce, and Wenatchee Valley College. We heard stories from businesses: Corby Turner, owner of Four Bearz Engines in Nespelem, Diana Cendejas, owner of Balloon Gala in East Wenatchee, Teresa Garcia, who is now a licensed massage therapist with her own practice, and Anne Morrell, HR Director for Columbia Fruit Packers in Douglas County. They brought on their first safety intern, Jose Garibay, a student at Wenatchee Valley College whose parents worked in the local agriculture and fruit-packing warehouses. Jose saw a need to have a direct impact on the safety of workers and is now pursuing a four-year degree and, as Anne shared, would be a welcome addition to the CFP team in the future.
It was a vivid and engaging discussion and demonstration of what is possible. Community reinvestment is not a band-aid solution but a conscious strategy to build from within, and it takes the village to make it happen. It’s helping shape entire sectors like nursing, enabling program completion and filling critical healthcare roles in our rural communities. It’s strengthening businesses so they can grow and hire, like Four Bearz, who is committed to hiring and training 17 – 25 year old high school graduates so they learn a skilled trade that addresses the hyperlocal needs of their community.
Community reinvestment breaks cycles and flips the script, removing the obstacles that would otherwise still be in the way. The bootstrap theory only works if you have the boots. And in one specific example from this visit, the “boots” for Four Bearz was a new vehicle that was on-hand and ready to protect ten homes from wildfire.
Thank you to all the partners and participants who made this CRP Partner Summit possible, so that we could share the successes, challenges, and future opportunities these initiatives bring to our region, and to communities throughout Washington State.
Read more stories and see how the impact adds up: https://skillsource.org/community-reinvestment-impact/
