Tag: COVID-19
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A Face-to-face, Family-to-family, Friend-to-friend Approach To COVID-19 in Pierce County
The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department held a vaccination clinic on Key Peninsula a couple weeks ago where they vaccinated eighteen people and saw that as a success. She asked many questions and got good information and then made her decision when she felt like it was an informed one for her. “In the beginning > Continue Reading
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Vaccine Participation vs. Hesitancy – Who Do You Trust?
According to Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, as of June 30, 2021, Pierce County’s vaccination rate was 50.5%. COVID-19 vaccines are now widely available, but the number of people seeking vaccines has decreased. Organizations and agencies around Pierce County are sharing data, resources, and tools to help community members make informed decisions about vaccination. As part > Continue Reading
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Good Information And Trusted People Critical To COVID-19 Vaccine Equity
COVID-19 vaccine supply now exceeds demand. However, vaccine availability does not automatically equal vaccination for all people in all places. In Pierce County, efforts are underway to make it easy and desirable for all communities to get the vaccine. In Yakima, an effort called the Partnership for Food Security offers valuable lessons for improving vaccine equity. Yakima County Commissioner Amanda McKinney shared an important insight from the partnership about encouraging vaccine participation, “You need to > Continue Reading
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Government Volume, Philanthropic Flexibility Ensure CARES Act Dollars Reach Pierce County Residents
Even with a massive infusion of federal dollars, getting money to those who need it most isn’t easy. When Pierce County received $158 million in CARES Act funding last summer, the money came with a tight deadline to get it out to the community: December 31, 2020. Heather Moss, the director of Human Services in Pierce County, explains > Continue Reading
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Understanding Your Community Helps Charitable Giving Support Racial Equity
Since COVID-19 shut down schools, the Hilltop Artists’ glass hot shop furnaces at Jason Lee Middle School have been idle. But, Hilltop Artists’ support for youth continues. On a recent afternoon, Executive Director Dr. Kimberly Keith worked from the dining room of the house where she grew up, via video meetings, getting creative with > Continue Reading
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DESPITE COVID-19 CONDITIONS, PIERCE COUNTY BEATS THE 2010 CENSUS SELF-RESPONSE RATE
Rural Pierce County communities like Buckley, South Prairie, Wilkeson, and Carbonado are often undercounted in census data. Steven Liefsen, Director of Equity and Achievement at White River School District, shared why having complete and accurate census data in rural communities he serves is so important, “We have a growing population of Hispanic families and the > Continue Reading
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Social Emotional Learning Helps Kids Navigate COVID-19 Disruptions
Sharing is usually something adults encourage kids to practice. That’s why Tess Guerrero understood how strange it sounded when she explained to a student that they couldn’t share their supplies because of safety measures due to COVID-19. “I don’t want to hear one more thing about this virus!” the student exclaimed. Tess said the student’s > Continue Reading
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Pandemic Philanthropy: Trust Is The Key To Impact During COVID-19
“A month ago, this was just an idea.” As Cassandra Williams was figuring out how to bring her newly leased Hilltop space up to code for her “Love by the Slice” baking business, COVID-19 hit. And so did community-based inspiration. A friend’s Facebook post alerted Cassandra, a Tacoma native, to the fact that some of her neighbors were in > Continue Reading
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Charitable Giving Incentives From The CARES Act
COVID-19 and the necessary public health measures to address it are having a huge impact on the normal operations of nonprofits and community service providers in Pierce County and across the country. From shutting down operations to the sudden surge in need for vulnerable communities, nonprofits were not able to plan for or prepare > Continue Reading