Community Asset Mapping
Pollywog’s Community Asset Mapping Project
The Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton & Lincol is proud to support the families in our region wi and information about early childhood learnin development. We believe that by working toge as a collective of agencies and service provide can increase family stability, improve kinderga readiness, and ensure service coordination that equitable, and culturally and linguistically com
A crucial component of our coordinated work about the families in our region and the social of health, i.e. the conditions in which we are bo and age, that affect their lives. Quantitative co is useful for understanding the context of socia population of a town or the median household how social determinants of health factor into th we must ask community members, and we mu
With this directive in mind, Pollywog and the EL Mapping Project in 16 rural Linn/Benton/Lincoln innovative tool for community-based participa we seek to engage and center the voices and experiences of families raising young children in rural communities
Rural communities, in particular, face deep disparities in the resources that families need to raise happy and healthy children, and this inequity isn’t always related to geography. With each Asset Mapping session, we ask direct questions about families’ experiences in accessing resources and services in their community and beyond. Their answers show where families encounter gaps in needed support and will translate into data that will inform program funding plans across our region
The selected communities were chosen because they are similar in size (under 20,000 residents) and have two of these existing assets - a grocery store that sells fresh meats and produce, a library, and a health care clinic.
The 16 towns are: Brownsville, Halsey, Harrisburg, Lebanon, Mill City/Lyons, Scio, and Sweet Home (Linn County); Alsea, Monroe, and Philomath (Benton County); Depoe Bay, Lincoln City, Newport, Siletz, Toledo, and Waldport (Lincoln County).
What is Asset Mapping?
Asset Mapping, or the process of creating a map of community assets, is a handson experience that centers the participants’ experiences and opinions. Over-sized aerial maps of a community are the canvas for community members to share their perspectives on their community and its resources. We hope to learn more about the community that we can’t learn from just looking at a map ourselves.
Asset mapping is unique and valuable because it is strength-focused. We want to know about the places in a community that are valuable to families. To collect this information, we provide stickers with icons of various types of assets and participants are asked to place the stickers on the map to note the physical location. We also ask participants to write the name of the asset and any comments they have, positive or negative or neutral. If an asset doesn’t exist in their town, we ask for stickers to be placed on the edge of the map, indicating that families must go outside their town for that asset
After placing their stickers on the map, each participant is given a one-page survey that asks about other aspects of their community, like internet access, banking availability, and laundry facilities. We also ask what makes their community unique, what concerns they have, and what they love about their community. The survey questions are open and have space for answers in their own words.
Pollywog’s Asset Mapping Project is funded through Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Equity Grant Program, which seeks to eliminate health inequities by 2030. Our work is funded by the Acute and Communicable Disease section, where we hope our gathered data can contribute to greater access to health care in rural communities To that end, we have been tasked with collecting information about these additional community assets: Annual Exam Providers, Emergency Health Care, Sexual Health & Testing, and Vaccine Providers.
Alsea, Oregon
ThesmallcommunityofAlseaisnestledinavalleyintheCoastRangeinsouthwest BentonCounty.Thelargerarea(zipcode97324)ishometo1,273,whichincludesthe 220residentswholivewithintown.
Thename,whichmeanspeace,isderivedfromtheAlsiorAlseya,abandofIndigenous peoplewhoweretheoriginalresidents.Alsea’slocationintheCoastRange,midway betweentheWillametteValleyandthecoast,wasimportanttoIndigenouspeoplefor gatheringfood.Bythe1870s,localtribeswereforcedtoreservations,includingtheAlsi band.
TheAlseapostofficewasestablishedin1871assettlersmovedintothearea Logging andlumberproductionbroughtprosperity,especiallyfollowingWorldWarII However, bythe1980sconcernovertheenvironmentalimpactofcontinuedloggingslowed timbersalesandthelocaleconomy
Today,Alseaisknownforoutdoorrecreation,steelheadfishing,ruralcyclingroutes, home-stylemealsandpiesfromDeb’sCafe,andJohnBoy’sMercantile.
y and Oregon Encyclopedia)
Oregon
Alsea Pups Preschool & Alsea School District
DataforthisreportwasgatheredattwoAssetMappingsessionsinAlsea andcombinedforanoverallpictureofcommunityassets.Weare gratefultothesepartnersfortheirassistancewithourprojectinAlsea
ThefirstsessionwashostedbytheAlseaPupsPreschoolduringtheir freeSummerBash,aneventforthecommunitywithlunch,games,and communitypartners.Elevenresidentsparticipatedinthissession.Alsea PupsPreschoolisaprogramofStrengtheningRuralFamilies.
ThesecondAlseasessionwasheldatAlseaSchoolDistrict’sResource andWellnessFair,wherecommunityorganizationssharedresources andinformationwithlocalfamilies SevenAlseacommunitymembers participatedinthissession.
State of
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians
Alsea Benton County Linn County Lincoln County
Community Strengths
What do you love about Alsea? What makes Alsea unique?
Community Concerns
What concerns do you have about Alsea?
Community Strengths and Concerns
The remote location of the community of Alsea is both a strength and a concern for the participants in this asset mapping session. They describe their community as unique due to its isolation and value its beautiful natural setting. One participant explained that Alsea draws a certain type of person, one who chooses to live in an isolated setting. Many Alsea families have lived in the area for generations, and rely on and help each other like a big family. Alsea’s rich history and support from neighbors makes Alsea feel like a place of belonging for residents.
However, the isolation of the small town of Alsea means that there are few community resources that families and children often need. Alsea does not have a grocery store, a gas station, or full-time health care providers.
John Boy’s Mercantile is hard to miss on the highway through Alsea and is a community strength for Alsea. The Merc, as it is affectionately called by residents, stocks some groceries along with hardware, supplies for camping, fishing and hunting, and ready-toeat deli foods. Several participants marked The Merc as a Place of Importance to them
Alsea families say they rely on The Merc to pick up a gallon of milk or a snack now and then, but must travel out of town to get the bulk of their groceries, to Newport, Corvallis, or even Eugene. Roughly half of Asset Mapping participants also lean heavily on the Alsea Food Bank and the Alsea Gleaners to feed their families. The Gleaners of Alsea currently serve 75 Alsea families, providing food and some household goods.
“The food bank and the gleaner group has allowed my family
to not only have enough food but a safe place to volunteer and grow in the community.”
-- Asset Mapping Participant in Alsea
Another important concern to Alsea families is a lack of transportation-related resources. There is no gas station, no public transportation, and a need for more pedestrian safety features along Highway 34, the main road through Alsea
To address this last concern, improvements including crosswalks, curbs, ramps, flashing lights and more were installed in late 2024 as part of the Alsea Safe Routes to School Crossings Project.
Opportunities for Learning in Alsea
Alsea School District is comprised of Alsea Charter School and Learn At Home Oregon, with a combined enrollment of 252 students in the 2023-2024 school year. Alsea Charter School serves all grade levels, kindergarten through 12th grade, at one school site centrally located in Alsea. Learn At Home Oregon is an online education program for kindergarten to 5th grade and enrolls students throughout Oregon.
MostmappingparticipantsdidnotcommentonschoolsinAlsea,butthosethatdid sharedconcernsratherthanstrengths.OnewroteaconcernforSpecialEducation, withoutfurtherexplanation.Anotherwishedforin-personlanguageorcultural educationclasses,especiallyforelementary-agedchildren
Athirdparentwasfrustratedthatthenewfencearoundtheschoolgroundswas oftenlocked,meaningtheplaygroundwasinaccessibleoutsideofschoolhours. AndafourthfamilywasupsetthatnearbyPhilomathSchoolDistrictnowlimited transfersintotheirdistrictto5peryear.ThislimitmeansthatmanyAlseafamilies couldnotenrolltheirchildreninthenearestschooloutsideofAlsea.
For families with younger children, Alsea Pups Preschool is a community strength It operates as a collaboration between Alsea Charter School and Strengthening Rural Families and serves children ages 3 to 5 years. As a certified childcare center, Alsea Pups Preschool provides high-quality and affordable early childhood education to prepare children for kindergarten.
Alsea Pups’ teachers and staff work with families to facilitate learning and and cultivate social-emotional awareness during the school year and offer fun activities for families during school breaks. As a recipient of a Preschool Promise Program Grant, children from qualified families can attend Alsea Pups Preschool for free
Health and Wellness in Alsea
Access to health care is a primary concern for families in Alsea. The Community Health Centers of Linn and Benton Counties previously operated a community health center in Alsea, however it was closed in August 2023 by Benton County to “assess it’s ongoing financial viability” (Benton County).
TheabruptclosureoftheirlocalhealthclinicleftAlsearesidentswithoutaccesstoa vitalcommunityresource.Withtheclosure,Alsearesidentsmusttravelaminimum of25miles,alongwindingmountainroads,toseeahealthcareprovider.Allofthe participantsinoursessionsinAlseacommentedonthelosstothecommunity broughtbytheclinicclosure,andonenotedthatresidentsstillpaytaxesforthe closedclinic Inlate2024,BentonCountyconductedasurveyofAlsearesidents, thenannouncedplanstobeginclinicoutreachdaysinAlseaClinicin2025.Forone dayamonth,primarycareserviceswillbeofferedbyappointmenttoAlsea residents.
Aswithmedicalcare,Alsearesidentsmusttraveloutsideoftheir communityfordentalcarefortheirfamilies.Someassetmapping participantsstatedtheytravelasfarasEugeneorBeavertonfor dentalprovidersfortheirchildrenandthemselves.
Other Health Care Needs
The percentages shown below demonstrate the services that residents seek outside of Alsea. (Note: Not all participants used every sticker category; these results are based on mapped assets.)
Survey Questions
Do you have reliable internet service that supports video? If your home doesn’t have cell coverage, do you have a landline?
All participants report reliable internet service, half stated they have a landline, and one-third do not have cell service at their home.
Do you use a bank/credit union, a check cashing service, or both?
All participants use a bank and/or credit union, and two also use check cashing services.
If you use government services (Social Security, DHS, DMV, etc.) how and where do you access them?
Two-thirds of participants access government services in “town” meaning in Corvallis or Eugene, and one-third report accessing these services online.
Where do you do laundry, at your home or elsewhere? Is the laundry facility accessible? Is the laundry facility affordable?
All participants but one stated they do laundry at home, either their own or a family member’s home One participant uses a laundromat in Newport, which costs $30-$40 per week, because there isn’t a laundromat in Alsea.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
All Alsea participants expressed concern over the loss of the health clinic in their community both in response to this question and elsewhere during the survey.
Fall colors in Alsea, viewed from Alsea Charter School’s fields.
Overview of Community Assets in Alsea
Alsea is a close-knit community nestled in a beautiful Coastal Range valley. Due to size and location, Alsea lacks essential resources like a full-service grocery store, a gas station, and local access to medical and dental care Alsea, OR 97324
Alsea Postal Service Alsea Community Effort
Alsea Pups Preschool
Alsea Public Library
Alsea ElementaryMiddle-High School
Alsea Hope Grange 269
Alsea Valley Gleaners
Alsea Fall The Thyme Garden
Alsea Food Bank ACF Church
Community Data
All data are from the 2017-2022 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, except for data about Alsea’s school district, which is from the Oregon Department of Education.
Two
Hispanic or Latino Origin (of any race)
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino
Education Attainment
Child Population
Median Household Income
Total Households: 538
Average Home Price: $426,386 (Zillow Home Values Index of March 31, 2024)
Households with Own Children by Family Type
Note: Cost-burdened housing is defined as paying more than 30% of household income for housing (rent or mortgage, plus utilities)
Households with Own Children Receiving Food Stamps/SNAP
Total households Married households
Male householder, no spouse present
Female householder, no spouse present
People
Living in Poverty
Below 100 percent of poverty level
Below 125 percent of poverty level
Below 150 percent of poverty level
Below 185 percent of poverty level
Below 200 percent of poverty level
People Without Health Insurance
Households Without an Internet Subscription by Income
Language Spoken at Home
Alsea School District Special Education At-A-Glance, 2021-22
Alsea School District At-A-Glance, 2022-23
Student
Ever English Learners
Students with Disabilities
Mobile Students
Free/Reduced Price Lunch
Experienced Teachers
Languages Spoken
Regular Attendees
Grade 3 English Lang Arts
Grade 8 Mathematics On-Track to Graduate
Pollywog was developed in 2017 to align health care, parenting education, and early childhood services for children and their families in Oregon’s Linn, Benton, and Lincoln counties.
As a program of the Early Learning Hub of Linn, Benton & Lincoln Counties, families trust Pollywog to connect them with the resources and services they need, including communitybased organizations, medical services, and early childhood education and care. We also work closely with the Parenting Success Network, our local parenting education collaborative.
/PollywogFamily
/thePollywogFamily
@PollywogFamily
Pollywog is located at Linn-Benton Comm. College 6500 Pacific Blvd. SW Luckiamute Building, LM-132 Albany, OR 97321
541-917-4884
pollywog@linnbenton.edu
Thisprojectismadepossiblewithsupportfrom EarlyLearningHubstaff.Inaddition,the followingHubstaffcontributedtothisreport: ConnieAdams--DesignandText JinguangLin--DataAnalysisandDataVisuals CarmenSantacruz--SpanishTranslation
AssetMappingProjectUpdates
Followtheprogressofourprojectasweholdassetmappingsessions throughouttheLinn/Benton/Lincolnregion.Weinviteyoutojoinan assetmappingsessioninyourtowntoshareyouropinionsand experiencesasaparticipant.Youcanfindupcomingsessionlocations anddates,reportsfrompastsessions,andpicturesofmapsandsessions onthePollywogwebsiteandtheELHubwebsite.