AWS Donates $2 million to Organizations in Eastern Oregon

Northeast Oregon Now
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Today, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced the company is investing $2 million in local nonprofits and community organizations based in Morrow and Umatilla counties. 

The donation expands on AWS InCommunities support of its core initiatives of STEM education, tech upskilling and environmental stewardship programs, and includes help to organizations tackling hyper-local needs.

Some of the beneficiary organizations and programs include:

  • Nearly $800,000 to non-profit organizations that support community housing needs, food insecurity, veteran services, and community-engagement eventsthrough organizations such as the Eastern Oregon Mission, Boardman Foodbank, Conrad Skinner Memorial Foundation, Neighborhood Center of South Morrow County, and Irrigon Boardman Emergency Assistance Center.
  • More than $800,000 to organizations that help advance Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, equity, and access. Recipients include the Umatilla School District Robotics Program and Greater Oregon (GO)-STEM, which drives several initiatives including the mailing of STEM kits for 4th graders in Eastern Oregon, a Mobile Makers Lab, and an updated lending library for local schools.
  • Almost $250,000 to support the development of environmental stewardship programs, such as the expansion of the Grande Ronde Community Watershed program, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation First Foods Garden, and GO-STEM for an Environmental Education grant that will upskill educators in environmental science and its use locally.
  • Approximately $150,000 to organizations that help drive job growth through tech upskilling programs and on the job training– such as additional scholarships for Blue Mountain Community College Data Center Technician Program, and Port of Morrow Workforce Development programs.

AWS has been present in Eastern Oregon since 2011. Since then, through capital investments totaling more than $15 billion in Morrow and Umatilla counties, its data centers and related operations have contributed more than $1.7 billion in GDP to the local economy and supports an average of 2,000 jobs annually – a majority of which are skilled technical roles.

Full details of today’s announcement are linked here.