Sheridan Chamber of Commerce

06/04/2026

Pictures from the Gala.

05/21/2026

Voting is still open for your pick of best business, non-profit, volunteer, and jr. volunteer for 2025. Awards will be presented to the winners at the Sheridan Chamber Gala on May 30. Voting closes on close of business Friday.

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05/20/2026

The Sheridan Rural Fire Protection District hosted the recent Sheridan Chamber of Commerce meeting on Friday, where district representative Rob Foster discussed staffing challenges, ambulance funding, and future recruitment efforts while also encouraging support for the district’s local option levy currently before voters.
Foster, speaking on behalf of the firefighters’ union, said the district is attempting to balance emergency coverage with limited staffing and rising operational demands.
“We’re asking for more money, and we hate doing that,” Foster said. “We’re trying to provide a minimal service in finding this balance.”
Foster said the district currently operates with two line staff a day 24/7 plus two admin staff members weekdays and covers roughly 145 square miles between Sheridan and Willamina, south toward Highway 22, and east toward the former Pine Tree Patio area between Sheridan and McMinnville. He said staffing reductions have limited firefighters’ ability to remain active in community outreach because of increased station duties while the department works to maintain emergency coverage across the large rural area.
The department is also working to expand CPR and first-aid training opportunities in the community. Foster credited Marguerite for helping provide American Heart Association-certified instruction and said the district is seeking grant funding to help offset certification costs. He also encouraged residents interested in budgeting or finance to support the district by participating in budget committees.
Foster described Sheridan as a “stepping stone” department where younger firefighters often gain experience before moving to larger agencies, but said Sheridan currently has an unusually experienced workforce.
“I am the least experienced firefighter that you have,” Foster said. “And I’ve been doing this for 13 years.”
During a question-and-answer session, Foster said the Sheridan School District’s Career and Technical Education Center training tower could help attract younger firefighters, though staffing levels and limited equipment still create training challenges. He said the department hopes to build a resident firefighter program that could work alongside the high school CTEC program to help retain local recruits after graduation.
Foster also discussed the financial strain of ambulance operations, explaining that ambulance service functions as a pay-for-service system rather than through dedicated tax funding. Sheridan has provided emergency medical transport within its Ambulance Service Area since the 1970s or 1980s under assignment from Yamhill County. Foster said the district’s six-member union has become increasingly active at the state level despite the department’s small size, helping raise awareness about the financial and staffing challenges facing rural fire and ambulance providers.
Foster said state requirements mandate 24-hour ambulance staffing with at least one paramedic and one EMT on duty, while ambulance calls can also leave limited personnel available for simultaneous fire responses.
“You can send a $2,000 bill and get paid $400 and some odd bucks,” Foster said of Medicare and Medicaid ambulance reimbursements.

05/12/2026

It's that time of year for the Sheridan Chamber Gala, and we would like the community to participate in voting for Sheridan's best business, non-profit, volunteer, and Jr. Volunteer (must be under 18). If you are a resident of the West Valley area or often shop/visit Sheridan, we would like to hear from you.
Voting closes on Friday May 22.

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04/29/2026

04/22/2026

Walker Showcases Creativity - and New Products - At Chamber Meeting

“Most of you know what I do, but I have some new things,” Sandra Walker said as she began her 15-minute floor time as the host of the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce meeting on Friday, April 17.
Walker, the local owner of Do-U-Bless Designs, is no stranger to area markets and bazaars. If there’s a booth with a steady stream of people picking up personalized gifts or business items, there’s a good chance it belongs to her.
Her table often looks like a collection of possibilities — cups, some even equipped with small Bluetooth speakers on the bottom, clocks, cookies, Christmas ornaments, T-shirts, coasters, car air fresheners, cellphone stands, Chapstick holders, lanyards, and signs both big and small. It’s the kind of display that makes you think of gift shopping lists, business promotions, or that one custom item you didn’t know you needed until you saw it.
If it can be printed on paper, chances are Walker can transfer it onto something — sometimes even onto cookies, complete with photos. She also creates custom-burned cowboy hats and baseball caps, adding another personal touch to her growing lineup.
But it was the “new things” she teased at the start that drew special attention.
Among the latest additions were customizable business payment signs, designed to match a company’s décor or branding for those who want something more eye-catching than the standard versions. She also displayed a customizable purse and introduced new banners measuring up to three feet by four feet.
“So if you have a business or something, I can put your names on there,” Walker said, holding up one of the banner examples.
For those curious to see her work in person — or to chat about custom ideas — Walker will be set up at the Sheridan Spring Bazaar, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, May 2–3, at Sheridan High School.
And for those who simply can’t wait that long, Walker welcomes inquiries by email at [email protected].

04/08/2026

Sheridan Chamber Tours SHAPA Campus During First Meeting of April

The Sheridan Chamber of Commerce held its first meeting of April at Sheridan AllPrep Academy, an online charter school sponsored by the Sheridan School District.
The academy is based in Sheridan on land that once housed the former Faulconer Elemen-tary School, which was destroyed by fire in March 1998.
Sheridan AllPrep Academy offers a blended virtual program featuring a full menu of online classes, textbook support, and individualized tutoring, as well as field trips, labs, and other face-to-face educational opportunities. The school serves more than 400 students from across Oregon, including about 17 percent of its student body from the Sheridan area.
The Sheridan campus includes two buildings. One is dedicated to the Sheridan AllPrep Children’s Center, also known as SHACC, which began in 2022 after the school received a Career and Technical Education grant from the State of Oregon. The grant supported the launch of educational programs focused on child care, providing services to the communi-ty while helping train students interested in careers in early childhood education.
Students participating in the program spend hands-on time working with children while learning from SHACC staff. The center also provides drop-in care and is introducing a new “Date Night” care program during evening hours, designed to give parents time for them-selves, supporting healthy family routines.
The second building focuses on the school’s K-12 academic programs. Although SHAPA operates as an online school, its main campus in Sheridan, along with satellite pods in McMinnville, St. Helens, and Scappoose, provides scheduled opportunities for students to interact in person with teachers, aides, and peers.
Several learning spaces have been specially designed to support neurodivergent students, including rooms equipped with sound-dampening panels to reduce auditory distractions. Another room focuses on supporting infant and toddler gross motor development.
A grant from Kaiser Permanente funded the addition of a staff wellness room, which in-cludes tea, yoga mats, a sound machine, and a staff-favorite foot-massaging device. Staff members are encouraged to use the room for relaxation, with one key rule: no work is al-lowed.
The building also hosts weekly meetings for local scouting groups and Alcoholics Anony-mous.
“We just like being able to support the community because we know the scouts do a lot of great things, and they’re always willing to help us out if we need anything, so it’s a good partnership,” said Jesse Watson, executive director of SHAPA.
Over the summer, the campus will undergo minor improvements. Volunteers plan to re-move the existing playground structure, which will be replaced with equipment donated by Sheridan High School.
Chamber members, some of whom remembered attending classes in the modular build-ings when they were installed during construction of Faulconer-Chapman School, ex-pressed appreciation for the opportunity to tour the campus — an experience not often available to the broader community.

03/25/2026

Virginia Garcia Hosts March 20 Sheridan Chamber Meeting:

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center hosted the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce meeting on Friday, where Jarrod Sherwood, the director of facilities and a native of the area, spoke about the organization and its impact on the West Valley.

The health center, which opened its Sheridan clinic last year, is a nonprofit organization that provides medical, dental, and behavioral health services to low-income individuals and families.

Its mission is to deliver high-quality, comprehensive, and culturally appropriate primary health care to communities in Washington County and Yamhill County, with a focus on migrant and seasonal farmworkers, as well as others who face barriers to accessing care.

The Sheridan location marks the westernmost expansion for Virginia Garcia Community Health Centers. Following the departure of Adventist Health from its Jefferson Street office, the organization identified the site as an opportunity to serve an area with limited health care access.

“I’ve seen what kind of health care desert this is, as I’m sure many people will echo, and we lobbied very, very hard to come out here,” Sherwood said.

From a business standpoint, Sherwood estimated the organization invested approximately $500,000 to establish the Sheridan clinic, with about $250,000 coming from government sources, including the Yamhill Community Care Organization.

“The support has not just been people like us saying yes,” Sherwood said. “Support has been echoed by the local government community, so kudos to them for that.”

Before opening the clinic, Virginia Garcia conducted extensive research to ensure its presence would not negatively impact existing local services, including Sheridan Pharmacy.

The organization operates a pharmacy through the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which provides discounted medications to eligible low-income patients and is limited to federally qualified health centers. Local pharmacies are not eligible to participate in the program, though a private pharmacy can partner with a 340B entity and participate, a practice that is not commonly used.

“We specifically don’t do anything to be competitive with local businesses,” Sherwood said. “You won’t be able to buy a Band-Aid, thermometer, or anything retail. It’s strictly services for patients.”

Sherwood concluded by noting that Virginia Garcia is exploring opportunities to expand services at the Sheridan location.

02/07/2026

Next Sheridan Chamber of Commerce Meeting will be February 20, at the Sheridan Museum of History. Sheridan Museum of History to host. Swing by and show support for the organization that gives the chamber a home the third Friday of each month.

142 S Bridge St
Sheridan, OR

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