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Junior Achievement receives grant from Smith Barney
Junior Achievement of Whatcom County received $5,000 grant from the Bellingham branch office of Smith Barney in January. These grant dollars were made possible by the Citigroup Foundation as a part of its local contributions program, which Smith Barney branches across the country participate in.
David Moore, President of Junior Achievement of Washington commented, “Junior Achievement is pleased that a global business like Citigroup and Smith Barney has recognized our commitment to better serve the students of Whatcom County. The funds will be used to support Junior Achievement programs in schools K-12 throughout Bellingham and Whatcom County.”
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Junior Achievement of Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties will reach more than 14,000 students locally this year.
Smith Barney’s Local Contributions Program was designed to enable the firm’s branches to forge partnerships with the communities they serve through a combination of financial contributions and hands-on employee involvement.
Whatcom County food banks receive 12-ton donation
Trans-Ocean Products recently donated 25,000 pounds of frozen seafood to Whatcom County food banks. The Bellingham Food Bank will be coordinating the donation so it is shared with other food banks throughout Whatcom County. Bellingham Cold Storage is storing the donation at no cost until the county’s food banks are able to pick up and distribute the food to their clients.
“Outside of food drives, I think the Trans-Ocean gift is the largest food donation we have ever received and we couldn’t have done it without the help of Bellingham Cold Storage,” said Mike Cohen, Bellingham Food Bank executive director. “It’s really amazing because all of the food banks struggle with having enough fresh or frozen protein. It’s the same with dairy products. I don’t think people realize that we can and want these types of donations.”
In 2005 Whatcom County food banks distributed more than 3.5 million pounds of food in response to 210,000 requests for assistance. Fifty percent of the food bank recipients are either children or seniors.
Local nonprofits benefit from North Coast Credit Union
In 2005 the members and 89 percent of the staff of North Coast Credit Union donated more than $48,765 and more than 500 hours in sweat equity to local nonprofit organizations in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
Donations went to organizations including the American Red Cross – Hurricane Katrina ($9,500), Whatcom County United Way ($8,755), Mt. Baker Chapter of the American Red Cross ($7,450), the International Red Cross – Tsunami Relief ($6,657), Whatcom Relay for Life ($2,313), Whatcom Hospice ($1,618), Whatcom Museum Puppet Series ($1,500), Health Support Center ($1,308), The Human Race ($1,000),Whatcom Literacy Council ($850), Royal Family Kid’s Camp ($550), Skagit Relay for Life ($513), Blue Skies for Children ($500), Skagit Hospice ($300) and several other nonprofit organizations.
Since 1939 North Coast Credit Union has been committed to social responsibility in the communities it serves, and the financial health and well-being of its member-owners.
Lydia Place receives grant from Allstate
Lydia Place, a nonprofit Bellingham organization providing transitional housing and programming for homeless women with children since 1989, recently received a $10,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation.
The grant application was facilitated by Scott Richardson, co-owner of State Street Insurance in Bellingham and a Lydia Place board member.
“I’ve seen how much Lydia Place has done to help women and their children,” Richardson said. “The Allstate Foundation grant will support Lydia Place in offering counseling and classes that can turn lives around.”
Lydia Place, the 2005 Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit of the Year, provided more than 5,600 bed nights for women and children in 2004.
The Allstate Foundation is an independent charitable organization funded by contributions from subsidiaries of The Allstate Corp.
Becerra reaches out to Mexico, honored locally
Elisa Becerra will be training others to “reach the unreachable” when she visits Bread of Life Children’s Home in Corregidora Queretaro, Mexico. Becerra, a long-time case manager and coordinator of the Familia Latina program at Brigid Collins Family Support Center, has garnered attention and recognition recently for her tireless work providing family support services to Hispanic families in Whatcom County.
Becerra’s knowledge and experience will aid Ministerios Pan de Vida as they work to expand their services, which currently focus on providing care for abused children and working with parents.
The Department of Social and Health Services honored Becerra in November with a Diversity Award, given annually to a child advocate in each region of Washington state who has impacted systems to better serve minority children and is committed to helping families in the face of poverty and oppression. “I am truly honored,” Becerra said of the award, “I feel fortunate to be a part of Brigid Collins in serving the Hispanic/Latino community.”
Becerra also serves on the Department of Children and Families Services Child Protection Team, a community oversight body that reviews child abuse cases.
U.S. Bancorp Foundation supports WCC students
The Whatcom Community College Foundation has awarded scholarships to eight students at the college through a $5,000 U.S. Bancorp Foundation grant. The awards provide $500 to $1,000 per recipient for winter and spring quarters.
“These scholarships made the critical difference for the students who won them,” said Phyllis Self, chair of the WCCF. “But for the awards, some of them would have had to reduce the number of credits they were taking or increase their hours at outside jobs to unacceptable levels.”
More than one-third of degree-seeking students at Whatcom Community College depend on some kind of financial aid to achieve their education.
“It is always gratifying to be able to ‘make education happen’,” said Scott Wallace, northwest region president of U.S. Bank. “Awards like this one at Whatcom Community College are a fundamental part of our partnership program to improve the educational opportunities of low- and moderate-income individuals and families in the communities where U.S. Bank operates.”
The Whatcom Community College Foundation began operation 16 years ago to help the college meet its education mission in ways not possible with state funds. This year the Foundation will provide a total of 89 scholarships worth almost $76,000.
Demand extends ReUse Works’ hours
ReUse Works, a nonprofit job training agency in Bellingham that salvages, repairs and sells major home appliances, is now open six days a week. According to Executive Director Duane Jager, community response since opening last September has prompted the expansion of hours.
“In a very short time, we had recycled over 300 machines and provided quality working appliances for over 75 households,” he said. “We soon realized that if we were open more hours, we could do even more.” Our workers are proud of providing a community service by rescuing throw away items.”
ReUse Works partners with the Opportunity Council’s Community Jobs Program to provide job training for low-income workers and also provides internships for appliance repair students at Bellingham Technical College. Sales proceeds support the training program.
Coffee shop operates as nonprofit
The old J.Q. Flower Shop space is now home of Three Trees, Bellingham’s first nonprofit coffee house, open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Three Trees is operated by Bellingham residents Mitch and Rochelle Senti, as an extension their nonprofit, Envision, which focuses on bringing life skills and assistance to those in need.
“We believe in authentic community where people get real with each other and care about each other,” said Mitch. “We want to see that grow in our city; we want culture to be enlivened and artists to be encouraged.”
Three Trees’ identity as a nonprofit makes it unique among the array of other java joints in downtown Bellingham.
“All of Three Trees’ expenses have been covered by donations,” Rochelle said. On any given night, the counter is manned by several volunteer baristas. Tips go to other local nonprofits, such as the Whatcom Dream, Old Town Christian Ministries and the Opportunity Council. During the days, Three Trees offers resume writing classes.
The shop’s coffee is supplied through Bellingham resident Edwin Martinez, whose family owns a plantation in Guatemala. The workers on the plantation are 100 percent Mayan, an ethnicity often discriminated against in the country.
“It’s all shade-grown, organically grown, and they pay their workers a better wage than Fair Trade offers,” Mitch said.
Healthcare foundation awards $167,500 in Whatcom Co.
First of the year allocations from St. Luke’s Foundation for healthcare initiatives total $167,500 to be distributed in Whatcom County.
St. Luke’s Foundation grants for the first half of 2006 include:
Whatcom Alliance for Healthcare Access -– up to $75,000 in support of this community effort.
Senior Services – up to $62,500 for each of 2006 and 2007 for Meals on Wheels and wellness programs.
Whatcom Community College Foundation – a matching grant of up to $20,000 toward the purchase of an infant simulator for use in the school’s nursing program.
Mother Baby Center – up to $10,000 for baby weight scales and breast pumps.
During its 23 years of contributions to Whatcom County, the healthcare foundation’s endowment has grown to almost $11 million. More than $12 million has been allocated to local healthcare initiatives.
Friends of Freeland to beautify U.S. Bank branch
Friends of Freeland and U.S. Bank will soon begin a long-anticipated project that will transform the existing landscape at U.S. Bank’s branch on the corner of South Harbor and Main Street in Freeland.
The improvements is are part of a broader initiative led by the Friends of Freeland, a local nonprofit organization, engaged in numerous beautification efforts in concert with its mission to promote and protect the unique character and quality of life on South Whidbey.
Volunteers from U.S. Bank, Friends of Freeland, Whidbey Master Gardeners and the community began the six-to-eight week project in February, anticipating completion in early April. Modifications to the existing terrain will be made to both improve the aesthetic appeal and to support a more cohesive theme that will characterize future similar endeavors on Main Street and Harbor Avenue. Crabapple trees and almost two-dozen varieties of colorful shrubs and grasses casting seasonally changing red, blue, lavender, yellow and green hues will be featured.
A commemorative bench honoring Paulette McNett, a beloved former branch manager and Master Gardener who retired last year, is slated for inclusion on the Harbor Avenue side facing the new retail space that will also evidence architecture and landscaping consistent with the beautification theme.
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