Google giving $145k to support local students and Navigation Center
From CHRIS WILSON with C+C I All About The Good , a public relations firm with offices in Portland and headquarters in Seattle with additions by Tom Peterson
Google is awarding $145,000 to organizations in Wasco County to support community priorities including housing and mental health services, accessibility to high-speed wifi, and STEM education for Oregon students.
Editor’s Note- Alphabet, which is the parent company to Google, is one of the richest companies in the world and had a Market Capitalization Value of$1.123 Trillion, according to companiesmarketcap.com. The company was given 15 years of property tax abatements in Wasco County on its first three data plants. - Tom Peterson
The three new grants are the company’s latest contributions to Oregon nonprofits and organizations this year with grant totals in 2022 reaching $1 million, a majority of which have been distributed in the Columbia River Gorge.
This year, Google grants have also supported food security, water conservation, environmental protection, accessibility for women in the skilled trades, and increasing access to advanced manufacturing education and tools.
“Over the years, Google has taken the time to learn about the issues important to our community,” said The Dalles Mayor Rich Mays. “And we’re glad to see the company’s continued support of local solutions created to address local needs.”
Google’s latest grants were awarded to the following organizations.
Mid-Columbia Community Action Council
Google is contributing $100,000 to the Mid-Columbia Community Action Council (MCCAC) to benefit their forthcoming Navigation Center, an inclusive space for those experiencing housing instability or poverty in Wasco, Hood River, and Sherman counties. The Center will act as a community space where guests can access housing and job services, dining and shelter options, healthcare support, and more.
“This Navigation Center has been years in the making, and Google’s support gets us one step closer to bringing this project to life,” said Kenny LaPoint, MCCAC Executive Director. “Housing instability has been on the rise since 2020, and this multi-agency service center will play a key role in connecting our most vulnerable community members to the services they need to thrive.”
Celilo Village
In 2019, Google worked in partnership with the Dufur School District to provide the Native American community of Celilo Village with high-speed wifi. Today, Google is renewing that investment so the historic community of roughly 100 residents has continued internet access.
This project is supported by the Google American Indian Network (GAIN), which is dedicated to leveraging Google's resources and energy to make a positive impact in the Native American community.
Dufur School District Computer Science Program
Google is providing funding to the Dufur School District that will directly support its growing computer science program. With Google’s support, the program will purchase VEX educational robots that will allow K-12 students to get hands-on STEM experience and provide enrichment opportunities in after school and summer programs.
“We’re excited about the future here in Oregon,” said Kate Franko, Google’s Regional Head of Data Center Public Affairs. “Our goal is to create a positive, lasting impact in every community we operate, and support specific solutions to issues that matter to people here in Wasco County.”
Google is also making progress at the potential site of two new data centers in The Dalles. The company, the City of The Dalles, and Wasco County reached an agreement in November 2021 that would allow Google to build up to two new data centers near its existing site. As part of the agreement, Google will also build new water infrastructure which it will then donate to the city, complete remediation on what was once an EPA-designated Superfund site, and donate 35 acres of land to Wasco County. Google built its first U.S. data center in The Dalles in 2006.
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From the editor - Google has called Wasco County home since 2006 when it opened its very first U.S. data center in The Dalles after negotiating deals for property tax abatements lasting 15-years. Many of its 200 or so employees live throughout the gorge.
In November, Google announced plans for future growth in the region. Under new agreements with The City of the Dalles and Wasco County, Google will have the option to build up to two additional data centers. The City of The Dalles recently gave approvals to site and construct the first data center on the former aluminum smelter site in the Port of The Dalles.
The company also plans to utilize water resources from the local groundwater aquifer after acquiring water rights for 3.88 million gallons per day attached to the former aluminum plant site in The Port of The Dalles. Google has also agreed to pay for $28.5 million of City water upgrades. The amount of water the company currently utilizes at its first three data plants is still currently held as a trade secret. City Officials will not release the information either. - Tom Peterson
