Blog

By Ross Hunter, The Chronicle of Social Change, October 11, 2019 As a new leader in the child welfare space, I thought it would be worth my while to do some listening before I made any big changes. So I went on a tour all over the state of Washington. I talked to caseworkers, foster parents, birth families, judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and anyone else I could find who had an opinion. I got an earful. “Everything is broken.” “I had a great experience.” “The caseworker never called...

On any given Sunday, you will find Trevonne Wilkins out on the streets of Tacoma — doing his part to bring hope to people who at times feel like society turns their back on them. Q13 Videojournalist Michael Driver tells the story in this edition of Driver on the Street . Click here to access the original post on Q13 FOX.

There is still time to register for Kitsap Strong's 2nd Annual Resiliency Summit! Registration closes at noon on Friday September 27th! Date: Friday October 4, 2019 Time: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm Location: Kitsap Conference Center at Bremerton Harborside Click here to register now! The Resiliency Summit is a hope-filled experience in connecting, learning, and growing together to strengthen our community! Resiliency isn't about rugged independence, it is about interdependence, inclusion, empathy,...

The 2019 Academy on Violence and Abuse Global Health Summit will be October 3-4, 2019 at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota . Keynote Address from Dr. Vincent Felitti : "Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Their Relationship to Adult Well-being, Addiction, Disease, and Premature Death" ACEs Connection Network founder/editor Jane Stevens will receive an AVA Change Maker award and give an address: "Origins of ACEs Connection and the Future" Check out the full agenda and...

For roughly 40 years, Patti Ramos was a doula, assisting with more than 3,000 births. Now, Ramos has something new to consume her. There’s no paycheck involved this time — the 66-year-old gets by on Social Security income — but the hours are still long and the connections are still intimate. Today, Ramos, 66 and retired, considers herself a “street doula.” That’s because Ramos is the one-woman force behind the Homeless Humans of Tacoma project . For the last four years, she has spent her...

I recently had the opportunity to connect with Josh Fulmer and learn more about the non-profit he created this year, Send It Society. Read on for an excerpt from Josh's PinkBike article and the link to the full story. About the Send it Society Send It Society is a Non-profit with the mission of providing a non-clinical healing environment to raise awareness, bring education, and action to mental health through mountain biking and extreme sports. What does that mean? It means we want people...

Northwest Kids at Hope is now accepting proposals for the upcoming Hope Talks event scheduled for November 12th, 2019. Please see the attached Request for Proposals if you are interested in being considered as a presenter for the event!

Homeless Humans of Tacoma is a humanitarian mission founded by Patti Ramos, Tacoma resident, birth doula and freelance documentary photographer. Patti writes: "One of the most impactful experiences in my life is this humanitarian street outreach I was inspired to create in February of 2016. The enlightening conversations and encounters I have shared with folks who are experiencing homelessness in Tacoma/Olympia and throughout my travels in California, Arizona, Texas, New Orleans and Grays...

Registration is Now Open! Washington State Prevention Summit Celebrating 35 Years! Click here to register. Registration deadline: September 20, 2019 Date : November 5 - 6, 2019 Location : Yakima Convention Center 10 N. 8th St. Yakima, WA 98901 About the Summit The goal of the Prevention Summit is to provide an enriching and culturally competent training and networking opportunity for youth, volunteers and professionals working toward the prevention of substance abuse, violence and other...

By Arielle Dreher, July 19, 2019 Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputy Dan Moman and Frontier Behavioral Health mental health clinician Holly Keller were riding around on their shift this summer when they got an urgent call. The family of a man who had run into traffic before had called 911 to report he was running away from home, and deputies who had already responded to the situation said he was not following commands. Moman and Keller rushed to the scene. When they arrived, the man was standing...

AVAIYA University is hosting a free online class, Healing From Childhood Trauma, July 29 - August 6, that features 18 physicians, therapists, psychologists & more who share life-changing strategies to heal from childhood trauma. Featured in the course are Dr. Dan Siegel on "Trauma & Mindfulness", Dr. Jamie Marich on "Healing the Wounds of Childhood Trauma", and Ann Kelley and Sue Marriott on "U nderstanding Unresolved Attachment to Heal From Loss & Trauma." I'm doing a session on...

*Please reach out to me if you are in the Tacoma-Pierce County area and are seeking to connect with others to submit a proposal!* We are seeking creative approaches via an innovation challenge that provides funding, support and recognition to individuals and community-led groups who have big ideas that address family financial instability. Participants will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to the community for potential funding and additional support. Big ideas, at a grassroots...