Guided by the principles of asset-based development and popular education, ANDARES mobilizes individuals, organizations, and institutions to realize their potential for community change through collaboration and partnership building.

Our Core Programs

  • Mutual Support & Well-being

    Through participatory and action-oriented projects, we work with communities to strengthen their networks of mutual support, develop strategies for self-care, and celebrate their culture and traditions.

  • Connections

    We facilitate access to resources, information, and knowledge. This involves developing leadership capacity and connecting communities with agencies and organizations at the county and state levels.

  • Economic Prosperity

    ANDARES works to foster access to economic resources and opportunities in underserved communities. To do this our work focuses on removing barriers for economic wellbeing and implementing programs to develop financial skills, micro-enterprise incubation, and community participation in local economic planning and implementation.

  • Skill & Competencies

    We support the community in learning skill and competencies that are essential for daily life and to build strong communities. This includes basics workshops related to computer literacy, understanding the tax system in Oregon, basics of laws and regulations, arts and crafts, among other.

Our Projects

  • Comunidad y Empleo

    Economic Inclusion

    With the support from NW Oregon Works we are facilitating access to the employment-related services and opportunities offered through WorkSource Oregon and its centers in Benton and Lincoln Counties. In Benton County, we are focusing our work in Corvallis, Philomath and Monroe, and in Lincoln Counties in Newport and Lincoln City. Our strategies include guided tours and different kinds of educational activities to increase preparedness for employment. Read here a note on this project.

  • Nuestras Voces

    Collective Action

    With the support of the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission, ANDARES is working with youth and families in eliciting experiences, values, attitudes, and policy recommendations regarding alcohol and drug use. To do this, we are following a participatory action research approach that uses art as a form of expression, accompanied by group conversations on the meanings behind the art pieces, and by presentations on key topics related to alcohol and drug use. We are doing this project in the city of Albany, Linn County.

  • Compartiendo en Comunidad

    Collective Action

    As part of our strategic effort to work in rural communities where the Latinx immigrant population encounters barriers to access resources, we are working in Harrisburg, Linn County, on projects related to strengthening a sense of community through group conversations around food and other forms of cultural and artistic expression. Through these conversations, people recognize and celebrate their own skills, values, and strengths in general, as well as identify areas in the community that present opportunities for improvement. We are supported in this work by Linn County Public Health.

  • Micro-enterprise Incubator

    Economic Inclusion

    ANDARES is implementing a micro-enterprise incubator for the Latinx community in Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties. The incubator has the goal of supporting entrepreneurs through learning resources as they take the first steps necessary to create a business. In this work we collaborate closely with the LBCC Small Business Development Center. As part of this project, we supported the Las Doñas del Sur Collective in their successful application to the City of Corvallis South Corvallis Food Hub grant.

  • Conexiones

    Connecting Communities

    As part of our work in Harrisburg, OR, we are developing an innovative program to connect the local Latinx community to the system of resources. In a group setting, we facilitate conversations leading to describing the community, identifying strengths, and jointly determining the resources that are needed. The group then coordinates with organizations to bring those resources to the community. This project is funded through a Delivery System Transformation (DST) pilot project grant from IHN-CCO.