>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

It isn’t flashy: It doesn’t hold big fundraisers or make the front page of the local paper often. It doesn’t take a whole lot of time, effort or overhead to administer, either. But as a service to the community, it works very well.

What is it?

The Underground Network. Most people may not have even heard of it.

The Underground Network works on the age-old premise that if everyone gives a little, we end up with a lot. Simple and effective.

That’s what Marilyn Jones envisioned a year ago when she came up with the Underground Network as an additional resource for local families in need. At the time, Jones was the community development coordinator for Union, Wallowa and Baker counties for the Oregon Department of Human Services.

She pitched the plan to local businesses and organizations in all three counties. Her idea entailed developing a mass e-mail listing of people willing to answer calls for help when a specific need arose. Once Jones got a request, she would pass it on through an anonymous e-mail list. Once the need was filled, she would send a second e-mail thanking everyone to let them know the need was filled.

A year later, Jones says, “the Underground Network has been a tremendous success. It has been a fabulous resource and one of the most exciting projects I’ve been involved in.”

Jones, who is now the service delivery manager for the tri-county DHS district, said she hoped to get approximately 250 people involved. She got her wish. There are approximately 100 members of the Union County Underground, with approximately 250 involved throughout Union, Wallowa and Baker counties. Each county has its own Underground and operates independently.

Tammy Pierce has stepped into Jones’ previous position at DHS and now coordinates the network. Part of her job is to find additional resources and creative ways to meet the needs of families in the tri-county area. Meeting needs that don’t come under any particular funding source — like prescription co-pays or Christmas presents — is particularly challenging. The Underground Network has helped fill that gap.

“For example, we just had a new baby that was taken into foster care and we needed all the basics — formula, diapers, a car seat, clothes. I put it out on the Underground and within two days we had everything we needed,” Pierce says.

She says the Underground has provided everything from gift cards at Christmas for kids to a washer and dryer set for a family in need.

“And the great thing about the Underground is that there isn’t any pressure,” she says. “You don’t have to feel bad if you can’t help this time. But maybe next time you can. And it’s an anonymous list so nobody knows who else is on there.”

Anyone interested in joining the Underground Network should e-mail Pierce at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Or for more information, call her at the DHS District 13 office at 541-523-8418.