When the Foundation was in its infancy, there was a lot of discussion about the meaning of "community." Did it refer to our neighborhood, city, state, country, world or solar system? We like to think of ourselves as part of a world community.

It became evident that there would be much to gain, for all, if our organization was to widen its scope of knowledge and influence beyond our immediate geographical vicinity.

As a result, we have opened a sister-city office in Eugene, Oregon.

Snohomish, Washington and Eugene, Oregon have some similarities such as bike trails aimed at reducing "fossil-fuel" traffic, newly elected progressive leadership and a history of farming. One very distinct difference is that Eugene has a strong and well-established focus on sustainability and community cohesiveness that runs through the very heart of the community. This is supported by various grassroots groups, the University of Oregon and EWEB. "Green-homes" and people who commute to work by bicycle are as common as those who gather with neighbors to share information and to teach each other skills.

We welcome our Eugene neighbors into our community as they are welcoming us. We look forward to working together "in community."