Date: November 2024
Amount: $58,067

The Cascade Amateur Radio Society (CARS) is a community-focused organization that supports the amateur radio community in the Portland, Oregon area. With nine repeaters and a robust AREDN Mesh network extending from Portland to Salem, the club engages with over 1,200 local hams through training and infrastructure. It also collaborates with various organizations to enhance communication networks across the region.

With the grant, CARS aims to expand the Mesh network into smaller, mostly rural communities that were excluded from the FEMA UASI funding received by Portland. CARS will partner with local amateur radio groups to install and maintain Mesh nodes in these underserved areas, providing technical support, project planning, and hands-on training to ensure proper setup and long-term sustainability. The goal is to create a strong, accessible communication infrastructure that benefits the broader ham radio community.

Learn more at https://oregonmesh.org/.