Bellingham nonprofit champions outdoor inclusivity mission amid challenging year
The nonprofit Vamos Outdoor Project has provided Latine, migrant, multilingual and newcomer youth families with opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors across Whatcom and Skagit counties for nearly a decade.
The program — created by Bellingham resident Andy Basabe in 2017 to bring more inclusivity to the outdoor community — mostly serves children of migrant farmworkers.
As a result of recent dips in funding and federal immigration crackdowns, the organization has been struggling over the last year, according to Dana Bronstein with the nonprofit’s development and advocacy team.
“It started off with Andy and a few students taking the bus to go climbing at Vital (climbing gym). From there we realized there was a need and desire for a program for students who don’t necessarily have these opportunities because their parents are working way longer hours. Because a lot of our families are migrant workers, it really seemed to fill a gap that existed, and it’s only grown exponentially,” Bronstein said.
In 2015, just 3.7% of visitors to the Mount Baker National Forest identified as Hispanic or Latino, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Vamos staff work with many outdoor organizations in Whatcom County such as Mt. Baker Ski Area, the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition and the Community Boating Center to give kids what may be their best chance to experience the best the county has to offer, according to Bronstein.
All programs are free for families, and transportation is provided through partnerships with school districts, Bronstein said.
Bronstein said the more the program grows, the stronger the sense of community. They provide a summer camp for working and moving families who may not have access to that resource. Students also form connections with their teachers, other students and the outdoors that exist beyond the camps.
Recently, however, Vamos staff have seen a lot of fear in the community following a recent national crackdown on immigration.
Bronstein said staff have seen a lot of families get separated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and it has been very scary for the kids who don’t know if their parents will be home when they get back from a hiking trip. Bronstein said it is also common for a child to only have one parent and be left without a guardian after they are taken away.
“There is a lot of trauma happening right now, and so that’s why, even more, creating these moments of joy, feeling of belonging, is so important,” Bronstein said. “The administration and federal policies are pushing this rhetoric of, ‘No, you don’t belong here,’ and Vamos is saying, ‘Of course you do. You are our neighbors. You pay your taxes. You build community. Of course you belong here.’”
Bronstein said she was worried that a lot of people in Bellingham don’t realize how much of an impact ICE has had locally.
Whatcom County had the third-highest number of per capita Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests across all Washington counties in 2025, behind Yakima and Franklin counties, according to data released by the University of Washington Center for Human Rights.
Vamos has also seen a significant reduction in funding over the last year, in part because the organization did not receive an expected $250,000 grant. Bronstein said they almost had to let go of three staff members, but were able to keep them because of community support and fundraising.
Vamos even had to cancel one of the organization’s two big summer migrant programs they host every year because of funding. The Summer Migrant Programs are some of the largest events Vamos hosts, with over 400 families taking part. Historically, there have been two programs, one in Bellingham and one in the greater Whatcom County area. The two programs were combined into one.
Vamos also provides resources for adults in the form of family workshops that can connect parents with resources such as food banks, support agencies such as Opportunity Council and legal advocacy, Bronstein said. The workshops are free to anyone, and transportation is provided.
Families looking to join the Vamos Outdoor Project can do so online through the organization’s website.
Individuals interested in donating or volunteering can also do so on the website.
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