Community

Community Stories

Sep
29

A Face-to-face, Family-to-family, Friend-to-friend Approach To COVID-19 in Pierce County

Filed Under: PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED - Posted @ 4:39pm

  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 > Continue Reading

Sep
29

Toward Transformation: Equity-Centric Philanthropy in the Pacific Northwest

Filed Under: Philanthropy - Posted @ 4:27pm

For the first time in her professional career, Elena Pullen-Venema can say that her personal racial equity values and those of her employer are coming into alignment.   Elena, who’s been with the Community Foundation > Continue Reading

Jul
1

Vaccine Participation vs. Hesitancy – Who Do You Trust? 

Filed Under: PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED,Strengthening Pierce County - Posted @ 8:50am

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 > Continue Reading

Jun
30

This Could Not Have Been An Email: Social Emotional Learning Makes Meetings Meaningful

Filed Under: Expanded Learning - Posted @ 11:38pm

A common complaint heard after many work meetings is, “This could have been an email”. For Expanded Learning providers participating in Tacoma’s Whole Child partnership under COVID-19 conditions, virtual team meetings have been something they actually look forward to.  > Continue Reading

Jun
30

Complex Gifts Can Simply Transform Communities

Filed Under: Philanthropy - Posted @ 2:44pm

 “Sometimes the most important stuff is not all about the money.” – Marydale Brooks The late Marydale Brooks believed the “important stuff” happened “when everyone starts pitching in with their > Continue Reading

May
6

Good Information And Trusted People Critical To COVID-19 Vaccine Equity

Filed Under: PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED - Posted @ 2:17pm

People lined up outside, wearing masks, waiting for COVID-19 vaccines.

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 > Continue Reading

Apr
5

Listening to Youth Helps Drive Racial Equity At Pierce County Nonprofits

Filed Under: Philanthropy,Strengthening Pierce County,Vibrant Community - Posted @ 7:44am

  Jonathan Jackson, Palmer Scholars’ Executive Director, runs an organization that supports underrepresented Pierce County students of color to overcome financial, cultural, and social barriers in their pursuit of higher > Continue Reading

Mar
30

Dr. Jerry and Elaine Ramsey: A Historical Legacy To Set The Record Straight

Filed Under: Philanthropy - Posted @ 4:23pm

Dr. Jerry and Elaine Ramsey posing in Branson Missouri

Dr. Jerry Ramsey and his late wife, Elaine, were true lovers of Tacoma long before it became the hottest housing market in the nation. Through their work as educators and > Continue Reading

Mar
4

COVID-19 Conditions Strain School Districts and Nonprofit Partners as More Youth and Families Experience Homelessness

Filed Under: Housing,PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED,Strengthening Pierce County - Posted @ 4:44pm

Elementary students walking away from a bus, wearing COVID-19 masks.

    Marilee Hill-Anderson, Directory of Community Engagement of the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District paints a picture of the staggering need families in the district are facing right now, “We > Continue Reading

Feb
12

Government Volume, Philanthropic Flexibility Ensure CARES Act Dollars Reach Pierce County Residents 

Filed Under: PIERCE COUNTY CONNECTED - Posted @ 2:59pm

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, > Continue Reading