Livable Packwood

Who we are and where we came from

Livable Packwood is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in early 2022 to address housing issues in Packwood. Our mission is to provide quality affordable housing and advocate for supportive resources. We aim to strengthen Packwood and transform lives through support and opportunity.

Downtown Packwood Cowlitz River in Packwood

Our Purposes

1. Provide affordable housing options in Packwood, WA.
2. Advocate for affordable housing in Lewis County.
3. Support infrastructure, services, and facilities for affordable housing in East Lewis County.

Local elk

Core Values

1. Compassionate Service and Advocacy: We serve with compassion, non-violence, and hope. Our holiday giving tree program led to a year-round food pantry.
2. Transparency and Accountability: We act with integrity and honesty. We shared our housing needs assessment with the Lewis County Community Development Department.
3. Resource Nexus: We creatively target our actions to address community needs. Our presence at the Packwood Saturday Market provides information on assistance programs.

Packwood Lake

Current Initiatives & Accomplishments

• Housing Committee: Seeking creative solutions to housing-related issues. We conducted a housing needs assessment, match renters and landlords, and meet with prominent local employers to address housing needs.
• Winter Giving Tree Program: Providing support for local families during the holidays. This includes gifts, food, firewood, gas gift cards, and propane.
• Livable Packwood Pantry: Year-round food assistance, utilizing a shopping-model experience.
• Let’s Make Soup!: Late winter food event where we demonstrated how to prepare several soups using pantry staples. Attendees left with prepared soup, as well as ingredients and recipes to prepare additional meals.
• Let’s Make Lunch!: Summer nutrition program for school-aged kids living within the White Pass School District. This was a collaboration with the Twin Cities Rotary (Centralia-Chehalis) for funding and support.
• Packwood Community Garden: Collaboration with Lewis County PUD for fresh produce for our Garden volunteers and the Livable Packwood Pantry.
• Packwood Saturday Market: Support the continuation of the local market through financial sponsorship as well as being a fiscal agent to support the pursuit of the Market's nonprofit status.

Future Plans

We aim to connect second-home owners with local employers to secure long-term workforce housing, explore the conversion of short-term rentals to long-term housing, provide loans for housing upgrades, and research construction of lower-income housing, as well as expand our food skills demonstrations and events.