Happy New Year!
As we start 2026, we are excited to share our new logo with you. When considering a new logo, we wanted to honor previous logos and choose an image which conveys the unique position SLF has in our community. Because of SLF’s decades of bringing people together to make Salem/Keizer the healthiest community in all of Oregon, we have become trusted bridge builders. We convene meetings with organizations and people representing a range of services, perspectives, and passions. We are both humbled and delighted to be asked to gather church leaders to engage with civic, business, and nonprofit leaders. Everyday we are building or serving as bridges.
The bridge in our new logo, the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge, was a great addition to our community in 2017. It connects parks to our downtown core and its unique look has become quintessentially Salem. I have a framed picture of this bridge in my office. One of my best friends oversaw the building of this bridge. His brother was also a colleague of mine when I worked for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF). My 10 years at InterVarsity taught me the importance of being a bridge between individuals, and, more importantly, a bridge between people and Jesus. Bridges connect two different sides. They also provide a safe path for people to get over something challenging. They can also be a place where people meet in the middle. SLF aspires to be a bridge in and for our community.
You might be thinking: “Kyle, why update the logo now?”
This year marks 30 years of the SLF serving our community, and we are emerging into a new era of continuing our core programs – Churches as Neighborhood (CaN) Centers and Neighborhood Partnership Teams – while adding the Nonprofit Capacity Builder. Whether you have been with us for 30 years or 30 days, we are blessed to pursue our vision with you of Salem/Keizer becoming the healthiest community in all of Oregon, truly a city of Shalom. Thank you being on this journey with us and for the bridges you are building in our community!
For the Shalom of the City,
Kyle Dickinson
Executive Director
From SLF Partner, Ashley Dunn, VP of the Salem Keizer NAACP
The Martin Luther King Day Peace Walk is a powerful annual community event hosted by the Salem Keizer chapter of the NAACP, in partnership with Salem Leadership Foundation that honors the life, legacy, and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rooted in the shared values of justice, equity, and nonviolence, the Peace Walk brings together faith leaders, educators, students, community members and local organizations in a visible act of unity and collective commitment to social change.
Held in the spirit of Dr. King’s belief in peaceful action, the walk serves as both a remembrance and a call to action. Participants reflect on the ongoing work of advancing racial equity, addressing systemic injustice, and fostering inclusive communities where all people are treated with dignity and respect. Through shared movement, reflection, and fellowship, the Peace Walk creates space for dialogue, healing, and renewed purpose.
The collaboration between the Salem Keizer NAACP and Salem Leadership Foundation highlights the importance of cross-sector partnerships in strengthening community impact. Together, these organizations work to amplify voices, build bridges across differences, and inspire civic engagement grounded in compassion and accountability.
More than a commemorative event, the MLK Peace Walk invites participants to carry Dr. King’s message beyond the day itself—into schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and systems of influence. It reminds the community that peace is not passive, but an active pursuit that requires courage, persistence, and shared responsibility. Through unity and purposeful action, the Salem Keizer MLK Peace Walk continues to nurture hope and inspire meaningful change.
For more information on the 2026 MLK Peace Walk, email kyle@salemlf.org