Vancouver Business - Profiles of Giving

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SPONSOR MESSAGE

IN TIMES OF GIVING, COMMUNITY GENEROSITY REMAINS A CONSTANT

During a recent trip to Seattle, I connected with a group of good friends I have met with collectively for several years and known individually for decades in several cases. There is something inherently encouraging about connecting with important voices from your life that bring a smile to your face when you think about gathering with them. There is a beautiful familiarity in being immersed in significant conversation the moment you see one another. It was a welcome moment of connection and reflection as I’ve spent the last several weeks in a phase of personal change, ramping up in my new role as CEO of the M.J. Murdock Charitable

As we sat together andTrust.   caught up in a time of sharing and supportive listening, I was struck by the contrast of familiarity and newness. These friends had a variety of updates about their lives, some exciting and some challenging. There was a palpable feeling of newness in this season of life for everyone. And yet, we were still the same friends who opened up our lives to one another 10, 15, even 20 years ago. Even more so, we were all having a similar set of experiences. The familiarity brought a sense of excitement in the shared joys and a sense of support in the related challenges.

In a world where one of the greatest constants in recent years has been navigating change, we have an opportunity to evaluate and to strike a new balance in the amount of consistency and change in our own lives. Consistency helps keep us grounded and builds confidence, while change gives us opportunity to grow and flourish. In the last few years, the changes we’ve faced have led to some favorable shifts in the way we all live and work. Additionally, discussions around public health, justice, and inclusivity have accelerated rapidly and helped drive significant change almost everywhere we look.

The magnitude of change can also leave us reaching for signs of consistency as we navigate our daily lives. It is nice to have a railing upon which we can balance as we navigate through new experiences towards new ways of being and getting things done. For me, that support-filled time with my friends provided a welcome moment of centering support that is a railing on my journey as I lean into all the aspects of change in my life as I take on a new role.

At the Murdock Trust, we often talk about the examples of stabilizing consistency in our nonprofit sector. The myriad examples of individuals and organizations working day-in and day-out to serve the common good is a gift, for which, we can all be grateful. Their work contributes to the foundation on which we all walk.

We received another wonderful example of this consistency that will help strengthen our communities in the Giving USA Foundation’s Giving USA 2022 report. The annual publication collects and examines charitable giving trends from across the country. There is much to dissect within this data, but at the topline, we see that:

Charitable giving CONTINUES to grow in the United States. (Charitable giving has only dropped three times since 1981).

Giving by individuals CONTINUES to be by far the greatest source of charity in the United States (individual donations and bequests combined to account for 76% of giving in 2021).

This data strengthens our belief that philanthropy, the desire to help others, is for everyone. Even in the most chaotic and uncertain of times, we know that individuals, families, and communities will come together to bring support and serve the needs of those who may be less fortunate or facing a unique struggle. That these individuals will always seek to give more and do more for those in need. In times of growth and change, we know that we can reach for that familiar comfort of community to know that we will be able to move forward and thrive.

While we are energized and optimistic by this trend, we know that there is much work to do in many areas of our community, our region and our country. We are eager to continue to partner with those who wish to serve the common good and provide what support they can to those individuals and organizations on the front lines of need. To those who give we say THANK YOU!

ROMANITA HAIRSTON

CEO OF THE M.J. MURDOCK CHARITABLE TRUST

As a not-for-profit credit union, giving back to the community is part of what we do and it’s the part that we value most. That’s why, for 90 years, OnPoint has donated its time, energy and expertise to the people living in the communities we serve. Join us. Together, we do great things.

More than $2,200,000 donated to charitable causes and organizations in 2021.

The best part of being a community credit union is the community part.

NONPROFIT CONNECTIONSSPOTLIGHT:CAFÉ&CATERING

THE PROGRAM OF LIFELINE CONNECTIONS

AIMS TO GIVE PEOPLE PURPOSE AND JOB SKILLS

BROOKE STRICKLAND FOR THE VBJ

Connections Café and Catering, which opened in August of 2018, is a program of Lifeline Connections and helps serve men and women in recovery, as well as those living with mental health conditions. For those who may have a gap in their work history or have other barriers to employment, Connections Café provides on-the-job training in food service. In addition, they work on building strong customer service skills and teamwork.

Chris Attaway, who serves as the café’s supervisor, has a long history in the food service industry and works hard to impart knowledge and help train each person. He shares that there are no volunteers, but instead, the café hires regular employees.

“We have three regular full-time employees and up to eight cur rent patients of Lifeline Connections. They are learning valuable job skills and then transitioning into hopefully full-time employ ment, either within the agency or outside the agency,” he said.

When the café opened, Attaway was the only employee. Today, not only has the team grown, but revenue has, too. Before the pan demic, revenue had reached about $14,000 monthly and as of June 2022, monthly revenue was approximately $27,000 a month.

The café is open to the public for breakfast and lunch from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Popular menu items include breakfast burri tos, burgers, a variety of salads, wraps, and sandwiches like the French Dip and Swiss and the chicken club wrap.

Attaway said that not only is the food good, but it is also a great way for people to help those in the community that are working on building a better life for themselves.

“We are a training kitchen giving support to those in early re

covery to help them maintain sobriety and achieve long-term sobriety,” he said. “It’s great food for customers and helps those in early Lookingrecovery.”ahead, Attaway said that they are hoping to expand on their catering services as businesses continue to return to pre-pandemic operations. He is also looking at ways he can expand current services to create even more opportunities for those making life-changing choices to live substance-free. Connections Café and Catering is located at 1601 E. Fourth Plain Blvd., Building 17, in Vancouver. To learn more about the organization, visit their website at https://www.connectionscafecatering.com/.

Pictured are some employees at Connections Café & Catering. Pictured, from left to right, are Vanessa Beatrice Rodriguez, Steven Van Tassell, Larry Lemke, Dylan M. Delgado and Kathryn M. Eltinge. Courtesy of Connections Café & Catering

NONPROFIT COMMUNITYSPOTLIGHT:INMOTION

PREVIOUSLY THE HUMANSERVICESCOUNCIL,DECIDEDTOREBRANDANDFOCUSWHOLLYONTRANSPORTATION

Originally organized in 1946 as the Clark County Council of Community Agencies with seven social service agencies, the

nonprofit organization now known as Community in Motion has seen a lot of reorganization and change over the years.

In 1951, the organization reorganized as the Vancouver Coun cil of Social Agencies, with the purpose of “promoting the gener al welfare of the community.” In 1957, the organization became a nonprofit and were a social services agency, then in 1966 they became the Health and Welfare Planning Council. Finally, in 1990, the organization again changed their name – this time to the Human Services Council.

“In 2019 we really looked at what we do well and where the need (is),” said Jeananne Edwards, Community in Motion ex ecutive director. “We made the decision that when the grant for the RSVP program ended, we focused wholly on transportation. As a result, we rebranded and became Community in Motion. Unfortunately, Covid hit and a lot of our marketing efforts were put on hold. We have transportations that help people in South west Washington, including Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz and Clark (counties).”

Community in Motion can assist with transportation for peo ple on Washington State Medicaid needing transportation to medical appointments (NEMT Program); people needing trans portation assistance for employment-related activities, including a bike-to-work program that can provide a bicycle, equipment and training (Employment Transportation); a shuttle for those living in North Clark County to go into Battle Ground (North County Shuttle Service); and assistance to help with life-sustain ing medical appointments (Reserve a Ride).

Edwards said they also have a volunteer driver program in Clark County that began shortly before the pandemic. The pro gram, Volunteers in Motion, allows for people to volunteer to help the community get to where they need to go. The program’s focus is people who are 65 or older or who have a disability and reside in Clark County.

“This is certainly a more fun program where we can take peo ple grocery shopping, to get a haircut, to see a movie and attend social gatherings,” Edwards said. “Basically, to help people feel lessEdwardsisolated.”said the training and background checks for the

Community in Motion offers individuals who may need it the ‘means to stay mobile’ through differentseveralprograms.Courtesy of Community in Motion

Volunteers in Motion program are pretty extensive.

port.CriminalasarebackgroundFingerprintcheckscompleted,aswellaWashingtonStateHistoryreThetrainingincludes

Defensive Driving and Passenger As sistance

“AnyoneTraining.whois willing to either drive their vehicle or the agen cy van or wheelchair van and help one person out once a month, or as many as your schedule allows, is of great appreciation by the person they are helping and us as an agency,” she said. “We welcome people to contact us or visit our website to download the application to get started right away.”

Following the pandemic, Edwards said the biggest growth that the organization has accomplished is being able to allow their staff to work a hybrid remote scenario. She said the challenge, however, was how to quickly move a call center to function out of the employees’ homes. As far as expansion within the organi zation goes, she said they have been able to start the North Clark County Shuttle Service program and are very thankful for some of the additional funding that has happened recently to allow them to take some people off waiting lists for transportation.

Out of the services that Community in Motion offers, Edwards said they have seen a huge need in getting people food and medications.

“Thankfully, one of our funders has allowed us to transport food and medicine to our clients without them being physically in the car,” she said. “Soon, this will run out and will be no longer an option for us. With the increase of gas prices we have had many people contact us to get gas assistance to go places, which unfortunately is not something we can typically do because are lacking funding in this area.”

The Community in Motion organization is funded by grants, with their three main funders being Washington Healthcare Au thority (HCA), Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and C-TRAN. The organization also has a Mobility Manager for Clark County. This person is all about finding solu tions for transportation issues, and they work with other non profits, cities, agencies and businesses as well as individuals.

To learn more about Community in Motion and what you can do to help the organization, visit their website at communityinmotion.org.

FOUNDER JEN LOFTIN BALANCES WORK WITH RJL, OTHER BUSINESSES WHILE ALSO WELCOMING

A NEW BABY IN HER 40S

This September, Vancouver-based RJL Business Services celebrate their 10th anniversary. The accounting and bookkeeping business was founded by Jen Loftin in 2012, and in January of 2021, Loftin said they added tax preparation to their portfolio of “Weservices.made it through our second tax season this year smoothly and are gaining momentum as we continue to grow this department,” Loftin said. “Our bookkeeping and consulting departments continue to flourish as we’re gearing up to celebrate 10 years in business.”

These days, Loftin is involved in a lot more than just her founding role at RJL Business Services. In 2019, she was promoted from VP of accounting and administration to president of Novitas Data, LLC. This company provides litigation support services.

“During the pandemic the courts placed trials on hold and therefore we were affected by the slowdown in our industry,” she said. “To keep our business alive we tightened our belts and rode out the pandemic storm for almost two years. At the end of 2021 many court cases became active again and we’ve seen a significant rise in hosted matters. Novitas’ CEO Rob Oliver and I have been working together for many years and together we preserved under those challenging circumstances. We’re proud to say we are thriving again in this very competitive market.”

In addition to everything else, Loftin also recently went into business with Rob Oliver, starting Avant-Garde Partners Holding Company, LLC. Together they are purchasing a commercial property in Southeast Portland where Novitas Data will occupy their new space.

Earlier this year, Loftin and her husband Rob welcomed their fifth

“Givingchild.

birth in my 40s wasn’t as easy as giving birth to my children in my younger years but we’re both healthy and doing great,” she said. “I remain a dedicated president of Novitas Data and founder of RJL Business Services. When the pandemic started both companies put a work-from-home policy in place. This policy is still in effect and allows me to be both a mommy to my younger children and a busy woman in business. All of which I am very thankful for.”

In addition to the businesses she’s involved with, Loftin is also still a co-founder of Game Changers Global Network alongside her best friend Kareen Mills. When the pandemic changed in-per-

son networking, Loftin said Game Changers was able to adapt to the changes quickly, moving their meetings to virtual meetings. She said they decided to continue their weekly lunch meetings virtually in combination with in-person mixers the last day of the month to support small businesses in the Vancouver community.

Loftin said that her husband has been managing the RJL Business Services firm in order to allow her to focus on her executive position at Novitas. However, she said she is still greatly involved with the company’s growth strategies, client retention and relationship building. RJL has had clients in Oregon and Washington since the conception of the business, but they have since expanded their reach to Colorado, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, California and Nevada. In 2021, the company received the Vancouver Business Journal Business Growth Award for Fastest Growing Company in Business for 5-10 years.

“We contribute our success to forming strong relationships in our community, using our financial data to make meaningful business decisions and staying humble,” Loftin said. “Our group appreciates the support we have by other business owners and our amazing clients. Rob and I have built our business upon valuing those around us. We have a saying, ‘Never get too big for your britches.’”

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: PAX LEARNING CENTER ANDPROVIDESORGANIZATIONTEACHERSTUTORSTOYOUTHANDADULTSTOSUPPORTTHEIREDUCATIONALGOALS

After working together at Clark College and witnessing first hand the ways that the educational system doesn’t serve every student and seeing that there is no such thing as a “one-size-fitsall” type of education, Paul Vasquez and Alex Herrboldt started to formulate a dream to open a small tutoring center that specif ically catered to adults who dropped out of high school.

Eventually, PAX Learning Center was formed as an educa tional nonprofit in 2018 to face a growing need in the com munity – a need that Herrboldt said was far greater than they had anticipated.

PAX Learning Center is a Southwest Washington area nonprofit that provides teachers and tutors to youth and adults to support their educational goals, including attaining their GED or high school diploma. Courtesy of PAX Learning Center

“As we continued working for the college, we witnessed count less students drop out of GED and high school credit recovery programs around the state and it left us with a desire to help those that needed us most,” Herrboldt said. “PAX was created to catch those who fall through the cracks. For the last few years of our career, we watched helplessly as enrollment in both GED and English as a Second Language classes saw a decrease in en rollment due to increased barriers in our student’s lives and the overwhelming challenges our students faced in an increasingly rigidly academic program.”

Herrboldt said that research regarding these students shows that they are ill equipped to enter such programs due to their ed ucational traumas and require extra patience and care to break through those barriers. He said their confidence needs to be fos tered and their skills developed, but this takes time – time that a system bent on results and budget constraints can’t spare.

After combining Vasquez’s classroom methods and Herr boldt’s methodology behind running a successful tutor center, PAX Learning Center was formed.

The mission of PAX Learning Center, a 501(c)(3), is to provide teachers and tutors to youth and adults to support their educa tional goals. PAX offers free GED classes to youth and adults. Coming this fall, Herrboldt said they will offer English as a Sec ond Language classes to Ukrainian refugees and other non-na tive speakers in the community. He said they work in conjunc tion with community partners such as Val Ogden, WorkSource Washington and now Partners in Careers. PAX also offers a re ferral service to these and many other organizations for work force/education-related matters. Herrboldt said this allows their students to find a pathway to work or further educate themselves during and post their GED attainment.

“Volunteer tutors are the heart of PAX,” Herrboldt said. “We do not view tutors as just a support factor in a student’s educa tional journey. We see tutors as the word was originally meant, that they are teachers. We provide tutor training and support for tutors so that they can embrace teaching and we let them have the flexibility to meet the needs of each individual student. Every tutor is trained to understand and adopt PAX’s core values, but we encourage individuality and creativity when working with ourInstudents.”conjunction

with their Next Success partner, Herrboldt said that PAX also provides an opportunity for their graduated students to give back to the organization and their fellow peers through paid tutoring internships where they can share their knowledge and expertise with other students following in their footsteps.Sincestarting PAX in 2018, Herrboldt said they have helped 373 students attain their GED and 292 students regain enough credits to receive their high school diploma. From year to year, he said they have seen great growth and surprising sustainability, even through Covid.

“In 2018, we had 100 GED recipients, which increased to 177 GED recipients in 2019,” he said. “When Covid hit in 2020, like many organizations, we lost a lot of ground and many students dropped out. But we were excited to see that we still achieved 33 GED recipients due to the launch of our online program. In 2021, we had 36 GED recipients.”

Herrboldt said they took a brief detour away from GED ser vices to partner with Family Promise of Clark County to help them in their new learning center by providing more than 10 tutors to help 25 homeless youth in the K-12 system who were behind and failing in school.

“By the end of our six-month contract from January to June of 2021, Family Promise and PAX helped all 25 youth go from fail ing to passing, with one extraordinary young woman who was not on track to graduate, turning it around and graduating on time in that short period of time,” he said. “It was truly an amaz ing and humbling experience for everyone involved. As for 2022, re-opening our face-to-face locations has proven very beneficial and we are now re-growing each of our sites slowly but sure ly. We know this is a long-term process and that good word of mouth takes time to develop, but we have already seen the fruits of our commitment to our students, and more peer-to-peer re ferrals are enrolling all the time.”

In addition to the ESL class that PAX will launch at the end of September, the organization will also launch another program around the same time where they will teach folks referred to them from The Xchange Recovery Program that is now connect ed with Living Hope Church. In order to finance the reopening of in-person classes and programs at PAX, Herrboldt said the organization was awarded a $50,000 Clark County American Rescue Plan Community Grant.

“We are very excited to be teaching in person again and we are grateful to the county for awarding us this grant as well as to Living Hope Church for its partnership,” he said.

Like most other nonprofits, Herrboldt said PAX’s funding comes primarily from peer donations, business donations and grants. This will also be the organization’s second year partic

Since PAX Learning Center was first started in 2018, the organization has helped 373 students attain their GED and 292 students regain enough credits to receive their high school diploma.

Courtesy of PAX Learning Center

ipating in GiveMore24! and Herrboldt said one of their tutors has committed $3,000 for matched gifting this year. He said they were also very fortunate to receive a grant this year to hire a con sultant to help PAX develop a five-year strategic vision and to help the organization become more financially stable. PAX is working with Westby Associates, Inc., and Herrboldt said they have helped them to deepen their mission, expand their vision and become more focused on the strategic plan they’ve created. To learn more about PAX Learning Center and how you can contribute or volunteer, visit their website at paxlearningcenter.com.

NONPROFIT NORTHWESTSPOTLIGHT:KIDNEYKIDS

FOUNDED IN 2006, THE AFFECTEDCONTINUESORGANIZATIONTOSERVECHILDREN,FAMILIESBYCHRONICKIDNEYDISEASE

In 2006, Northwest Kidney Kids was founded by a dedicated group of pediatric nephrologists, social workers and parents of children with chronic disease/end-stage renal disease with the sole purpose of continuing Kidney Kids Family Camp – a fledg ing summer program of 15-17 families coming together to sup port and sustain one another.

After successfully forming Northwest Kidney Kids as a reg istered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, its founders worked together each year to continue Family Camp traditions. Jill Brown, executive director at Northwest Kidney Kids, said that

over the past 15 years since the organization’s inception, the dedicated staff, board of directors and community members of Northwest Kidney Kids continue to serve children and families affected by chronic kidney disease. Brown said the organiza tion’s programs have grown to include two additional annual camps, clinical support initiatives and countless resource proj ects. The organization serves children and families all over Or egon and Southwest Washington.

Brown, who lives in Ridgefield, said she first personally be came involved with Northwest Kidney Kids in 2013 when her daughter was on dialysis and awaiting her own kidney trans plant. Brown’s daughter received a transplant for her, her living donor, nine years ago.

“Northwest Kidney Kids was a volunteer organization with some minimal contractors to do the work until 2014 when I was hired as the first part-time employee,” Brown said. “We have three .75 FTE staff positions and more volunteers work ing daily to serve our mission. We held our Family Camp in August and had one of the largest volunteer teams we have everBrownhad.”said that 2022 is also projected to be one of the organization’s strongest years financially – raising close to $300,000. Northwest Kidney Kids relies on funding from three main sources – events like their Gala held in spring, Strut Your Kidney and a dash for Northwest Kidney Kids this September. The organization also receives grant funding from

Kylee Brown, daughter of Northwest Kidney Kids’ Executive Director Jill Brown (standing behind Kylee), is shown here getting her faced painted during August’s 2022 NW Kidney Kids Family Camp. Courtesy of Kayla Dwyer Photography

various foundations and depends on individual contributions throughout the year.

Currently, Northwest Kidney Kids offers a variety of programs, including the Camps Program, which includes a Winter High School Camp, Youth Summer Camp and Weekend Family Summer Camp; Mentoring Program, which includes programs like Parent Support, 13+ Peer Mentoring Program, and Connect Groups for Kidney Kids and Siblings; Clinical Support; and Family & Youth Support, which includes things like Pediatric Transplant Community Discord Server, Youth & Family Outing and other smaller activities such as Transplant Celebrations, Art Kits for Dialysis Units, yearly scholarships and more.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown said they were able to take time to develop new programs in order to serve a more significant number of children and families but also strengthen the services they offer throughout the year. The mentoring programs were all created during the time of the pandemic in order to provide a connection for the Northwest Kidney Kids community that had been disrupted during the pandemic.

“Children with an organ transplant take medications daily to suppress their immune system from rejecting the transplanted organ,” Brown said. “This additional layer of concern had a huge impact on families and the community that provides services. Initially, families struggled with getting supplies they were already using daily in the care of their children such as gloves, masks and hand sanitizer, and the needs of the children didn’t vanish with Covid putting an extra layer of stress and burden on families. We became involved in making sure our families had access to information as well as prioritization for vaccines to protect their families. In 2020 and 2021 most of our in-person events were canceled due to the risk to our

“However,population.”our

community still needed support and connection,” Brown continued. “We were able to create three mentoring programs – Parent Support, One-on-One Peer Mentoring for 13+ and 8-12 years old Connect Group for Kids and Siblings. These virtual programs along with a discord server for the pediatric transplant community have provided a connection for our community and will continue as we have started back up our Camps Program this summer.”

Brown said Northwest Kidney Kids will be working on their next Strategic Plan this fall as they look forward to the needs of the“Ourcommunity.maingoal is to provide support and connection to those experiencing end-stage renal disease and their whole families – including parents/caregivers and siblings,” she said. “We are thinking about engagement and how we can continue to reach families, especially those in rural areas.”

“We also have representation of those with lived experience throughout the organization. This year we had two new board members both with a kidney transplant. Within our staff and volunteers, ranks are mostly kidney kids who have aged into young adults or parents supporting the committees and doing the work. This strong connection to who we serve provides powerful voices within the organization at every corner.”

To learn more about Northwest Kidney Kids, visit their website at nwkidneykids.org.

In August, NW Kidney Kids held their Family Camp and had one of the largest volunteer teams the organization has ever had.

Courtesy of Kayla Dwyer Photography

GIVEMORE24! - ‘A DAY TO LIFT LOCAL CAUSES’

THE 24-HOUR ONLINE GIVING MARATHON ASKS EVERYONE WHO CARES ABOUT LOCAL CAUSES TO GIVE SOME SUPPORT TO AREA NONPROFITS

GiveMore24!, the 24-hour online giving marathon that asks everyone who cares about local causes to give to those causes, was held again this September. The online giving event is orga nized by the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington.

GiveMore24! is a day to express your generosity and support more than 200 local nonprofits. Starting at midnight on Sept. 22, thousands of people came together and gave to the causes they care about most. Interested participants were able to join by visiting GiveMore24.org and finding a favorite nonprofit to support. Your gift can go even further thanks to matching funds and nonprofit prizes available on the big day.

The goal for this year’s GiveMore24! is to raise $3.5 million for a variety of causes. During last year’s event, more than 6,600

donors rallied around 207 local nonprofits and surpassed its $3.2 million goal, raising $3,303,976.

Maury Harris, senior communications officer for the Com munity Foundation for Southwest Washington, said the Give More24! event was originally created with a few goals in mind, including making charitable giving more accessible, building local nonprofit capacity around online fundraising and broad ening the region’s culture of giving. A project team from Leader ship Clark County that included Noland Hoshino helped launch the event in 2014 after the Community Foundation submitted a project proposal.

Over the years, Harris said they’ve added additional features, including peer-to-peer fundraising and business fundraisers.

“We’re hoping to increase participation with the latter this year,” Harris said.

Harris said consistent business supporters include Davidson & Associates Insurance, Columbia Bank, Heritage Bank and LSW

AccordingArchitects.tothe

Community Foundation’s 2021 Community Report on GiveMore24!, over the years the event saw an average yearly increase of 763 donors per year since 2014 and saw an av erage yearly increase of $418,740 in total funds raised since 2014.

To learn more about GiveMore24! and to donate to a cause or causes, visit GiveMore24.org.

During last year’s GiveMore24! event, Columbia Play Project board members Jeanne Bennett and Mary Sisson organized a pop-up play space at the Vancouver Waterfront to promote the organization’s work and its GiveMore24! campaign.Courtesy of Riff Creative

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT: COURTS FOR KIDS

After completing a project in 2006 in the Philippines in a town called Bamban who had expressed the need for a bas ketball court, several other communities began to reach out to some of the 24 volunteers (mostly from Southwest Wash ington) who had completed the project with the exact same need. At this time, Derek Nesland, who had helped complete that project, and a founding board decided to launch Courts for Kids officially in 2007.

“When this was happening, we realized we had stumbled across a very pressing need for many communities, particular ly rural ones throughout Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia,” Derek said.

After launching the organization, Derek said his wife Selene Nesland came on staff a short time later and the two have been the key staff members from the beginning years with a very ded icated board of directors.

“The organization was started with a desire to work with com munities to provide safe spaces for kids to play sports and to provide meaningful immersion experiences for U.S. volunteers,” DerekSincesaid.Courts

for Kids’ beginning, Derek said the organiza tion has now built more than 200 multi-use athletic courts in 30 different countries. He said each one has its own story of how the need originated and how they found the organization. Courts for Kids has an open application process on their web site, and Derek said they hear from communities around the world regularly who are applying to partner with them. In or der to partner with the organization, the communities not only apply, but also commit to raising funds, providing volunteers, completing prep work and many other tasks that ensure their commitment to the project.

Derek said Courts for Kids’ projects have also become popular for U.S. volunteers because it’s a very unique opportunity to be fully immersed in a community and working together on a proj ect that is beneficial to the entire community.

“Our projects are very manual labor intensive but do not re quire any technical expertise from our volunteers,” he said. “If they can shovel, carry wheelbarrows or carry buckets they can be a vital contributor to the project.”

Derek said courts are paid for with a combination of factors:

SINCE ITS BEGINNING IN 2007, THE ORGANIZATION HAS BUILT MORE THAN 200 MULTI-USE ATHLETIC COURTS IN 30 COUNTRIESDIFFERENT

Courts for was started in with a desire to work U.S.experiencesimmersionmeaningfulandtospacestocommunitieswithprovidesafeforkidsplaysportstoprovideforvolunteers.CourtesyofCourtsforKids

Community contributions include fundraising, soliciting donated or discounted materials, labor contributions, etc.

Each U.S. volunteer either fundraises for pays for their project portion, which includes court materials and supplies. These volunteers can raise money directly through the Courts for Kids’ webpage, but Derek said they have also seen many creative fundraisers, from bunco nights to selling tamales.

The organization has corporate sponsors for each project. Fabpro Polymers donates fiber mesh to reinforce concrete, Blankenship Associates donates basketball rims for every project and Jfit donates custom Courts for Kids basketballs to leave with the Althoughcommunity.Dereksaid

Courts for Kids hasn’t made growth a primary objective, the organization has seen a steady increase in the number of annual projects, reaching 30 in 2019. During Covid, the organization was unable to complete any projects in 2020 or 2021, so 2022 has been a bounce-back year for Courts for Kids, having completed 12 projects in a rebuilding effort.

“One other way we have grown has been the addition of staff in other countries,” Derek said. “We have county directors now in Panama, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and Guatemala. These staff and their relationships with our partnership communities are key to our success. We have also established key partnerships with many high schools and university athletic departments who provide groups for projects annually. There are actually too many to list without leaving people off, but we are grateful for these partners.”

Derek said Courts for Kids has a base of donors who were actually vital in carrying them through the pandemic. Interested

Courts for Kids’ projects have community.toisatogetherandaimmersedtoopportunityverybecauseU.S.popularbecomeforvolunteersit’sauniquebefullyincommunityworkingonprojectthatbeneficialtheentireCourtesyofCourtsforKids

donors can find a lot of information on the organization’s webpage in they are interested in making financial contributions.

“Some other non-monetary ways businesses could get involved is through donations of new soccer balls, volleyballs or volleyball nets,” Derek said. “One of our big dreams would be to get connected with cement companies in various countries, as cement is our largest expense for every court. Some businesses have used a Courts for Kids trip as a community building exercise within their team, so that is another way to help make a court project a reality.”

To learn more about Courts for Kids and how to get involved, visit their website at courtsforkids.org.

3210 NE 52nd St Vancouver, WA 98663 www.partnersincareers.org 360 696 8417

PROFILES IN GIVING: LEANNE BREMER, HUMANE SOCIETY SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON

All of the great nonprofit organiza tions in the South west Washington area would not be able to run quite as smoothly without their board of direc tors.

theircontinuingtionstoedgetheirnitypleareboardOrganizations’ofdirectorsmadeupofpeointhecommuwhovolunteertime,knowlandguidancetheseorganizainadditiontotowork“dayjobs.”

LeAnne Bremer, partner at Miller Nash, is one of those people in the Southwest Washington business community who volun teers her time with numerous nonprofit boards. Bremer is cur rently involved with numerous boards and committees around the area, including being chair of the Humane Society for South west Washington Board of Directors.

The Vancouver Business Journal caught up with Bremer to talk about her involvement with the Humane Society for Southwest Washington board, along with the other boards and committees she’s involved with, and how it goes hand-in-hand with her pro fessional life.

VBJ: What does your current role as chair of the Humane So ciety for Southwest Washington Board of Directors entail? What are some of your main responsibilities? How long have you been involved with the organization/what was your first role being in volved with the organization?

LeAnne Bremer: I am responsible for leading the board of di

rectors’ meetings and participating in the executive committee meetings of the organization. I am the main board contact for our president, Andrea Bruno, as issues within or affecting the organization arise that often require follow up to resolve. We also discuss topics for upcoming board meetings, retreats, and communications related to the organization.

My first interaction with HSSW was as a customer, having adopted Gevrey, Koko, Sierra, Suzuki, Esme, and Biscuit over the years! I joined the board in 2011, and since then I have participated in various committees and fundraising events.

VBJ: In the past, what other nonprofits/organizations have you been a board member for? What other nonprofits/organizations have you been involved with in any way (volunteering, etc.)?

Bremer: Currently, I am also chair of the Clark College Foundation Board, and on the boards of the Greater Vancouver Chamber of Commerce and Educational Service District #112. In the past, I have been on the boards of the YWCA, Council for Homeless, Free Clinic of Southwest Washington, and the Columbia River Economic Development Council.

VBJ: What first made you want to be involved with area nonprofits? What made you want to be a board member?

Bremer: I am a true believer in giving back to the community with time and treasure to help improve lives and livelihoods for the greater good. I fully support the missions of the orga-

nizations I have been involved with and want to help them all succeed. As a board member, my goal is always to contribute to these nonprofits in a substantial way and ensure their success for years to come.

VBJ: As far as your professional life, tell me a little bit about your career background, and what you do now and how you got where you currently are today?

Bremer: I have been a practicing attorney for 33 years, based in Southwest Washington for my whole career. I provide advice and assistance on land use permitting and real estate transactions related to development, and I also serve as general counsel for the Port of Longview. At Miller Nash, I am partner-in-charge of the Vancouver office and serve on the Executive Committee. I would say hard work, support from others, and a little bit a luck got me to where I am today.

VBJ: Does it ever feel overwhelming having your day-job duties, along with your board duties and, of course, other personal/family duties, etc.? How do you balance all these roles?

Bremer: As you can tell from my prior answers, I have a hard time saying no to serving my community! It has been very challenging at times to manage my work, volunteer in the community, and have a home life. I could not do it all without the tremendous support of my husband, Bob Mayfield, my family, my colleagues at Miller Nash, and all of the other outstanding individuals in the organizations in which I serve. It’s a cliché, but, it truly does take a village.

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Nonprofit Organizations

Ranked by 2021 total expenses reported on IRS form 990 and, in the absence of data, year established. Figures as of 8/9/22.

RANK RANK LAST YEAR AddressCompany WebsiteFaxPhone

1 1 Vancouver Symphony Orchestra P.O. Box Vancouver,525WA 98666

2 NR Southwest Washington Center for the Arts P.O. Box Vancouver,5151WA 98668

3 3 Magenta Theater 1108 Main St., (no mail delivery) Vancouver, WA 98660

4 2 Bravo! Concerts Northwest P.O. Box Vancouver,118WA 98666

1 14 Council for the Homeless 2500 Main Vancouver,St.WA 98660

ARTS

www.vancouversymphony.org360.906.0355360.735.7278

www.center4thearts.comND360-218-7133

director@magentatheater.comwww.magentatheater.comND360.949.3098

concertoffice@bravoconcerts.comwww.vancouverwinejazz.comwww.bravoconcerts.com,ND360.906.0441

COMMUNITY

info@councilforthehomeless.orgwww.councilforthehomeless.org360.694.8369360.993.9561

2 NR Humane Society for Southwest Washington 1100 N.E. 192nd Ave. Vancouver, WA 98684 www.southwesthumane.org360.693.2338360.693.4746

3 2 YWCA Clark County 3609 Main Vancouver,St.WA 98663

4 3 Partners in Careers 3210 N.E. 52nd St. Vancouver, WA 98663

5 7 Clark County Veterans Assistance Center 1305 Columbia Street Vancouver, WA 98660

6 4 Northwest Association for Blind Athletes P.O. Box Vancouver,61489WA 98666

info@ywcaclarkcounty.orgwww.ywcaclarkcounty.org360.693.1864360.696.0167

www.partnersincareers.org360.696.8999360.696.8417

ccvac@ccvac.netwww.ccvac.net360.693.7560360.693.7030

bhenry@nwaba.orgwww.nwaba.org800.880.9837360.448.7254

7 6 Columbia River Economic Development Council 805 Broadway Street, Suite 412 Vancouver, WA 98660 info@credc.orgwww.credc.org360.567.1054360.694.5006

8 NR Watershed Alliance of SW Washington P.O. Box Vancouver,177WA 98666

9 8 Vancouver's Downtown Association 811 Main Vancouver,St.WA 98660

10 9 Furry Friends 6715 N.E. 63rd St., Suite 450, Mailing Address Vancouver, WA 98661

11 NR Downtown Camas Association P.O. Box 1034 Camas, WA 98607

12 Vancouver,65WA

13 11 Fort Vancouver Vancouver,1102WA

www.thewatershedalliance.orgND360.852.9189

director@vdausa.orgwww.vdausa.orgND360.258.1129

information@furryfriendswa.orgwww.furryfriendswa.orgND360.993.1097

info@downtowncamas.comwww.downtowncamas.comND360.904.0218

assistanceleagueswwa@gmail.comwww.assistanceleague.org/southwest-washingtonND360.690.1253

2021expensestotal 2021revenuetotal Executive director Chair or president of the board locallyest.Year

$801,010 $983,907Igor Shakhman, Executive Director

Kathy McDonald, Board President

Victoria Tullett, Board Chair 1978

$213,679 $224,427Val Ogden, Chair 2003

$115,015 $242,398David Roberts, Executive Director

Gina George, Artistic Director

Katie Skinner

Tim Neill, Board Presidents 2002

ND NDMaria Manzo, Music Director

Michael Kissinger, Artistic Director

Tim Hagan, Special Projects 1993

$17,739,136 $18,338,804Kate Budd, Executive Director

Adrienne Strehlow 1989

$5,915,712 $6,505,311Stacey Graham, President

Jason Hudson

Kim Capeloto, Board Chairs 1897

$4,260,004 $4,758,336Dunetchka Otero-Serrano, Executive Director

Holly Jacobs, Board President 1916

$1,926,569 $2,066,351Sharon Pesut, Executive Director Sharif Burdzik, Board Chair 1991

$1,297,959 $1,374,305LoriRonaldPughAbbey, Presidents Sharon Tyre, Chairman 2011

$1,197,303 $1,582,819Billy Henry, Founder, President/ ErikCEOSelden, Board Chair 2007

$944,581 $1,051,658Jennifer Baker, President Casey Wyckoff, Board Chair 1982

$376,186 $484,377Sunrise O'Mahoney, Executive TedCathyDirectorGolikGathe,Chairs 2008

$366,523 $489,836Michael Walker, Executive Director Linda Reid, President 1989

$257,752 $293,041 Jaimie Garver, President 1999

$174,511 $285,952Carrie Schulstad, Executive SarahDirectorLaughlin, Board President Caroline Mercury, President 2009

$101,169 $174,969 Janine Smith, President 2003

Nonprofit Foundations

Ranked by total foundation assets and, in the absence of data, year established, then alphabetically. Figures as of 8/9/22.

RANK RANK LAST YEAR AddressCompany WebsiteFaxPhone foundationTotalassets disbersedFunds last fiscal yearEligible organizations

1 1 M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust 655 W. Columbia Way, Suite 700 Vancouver, WA 98660

2 2 Community Foundation for Southwest Washington 610 Esther Street, Suite 201 Vancouver, WA 98660

3 1 Clark College Foundation 1933 Fort Vancouver Way Vancouver, WA 98663

4 4 Foundation for Vancouver Public Schools 2901 Falk Vancouver,RoadWA 98661

info@murdocktrust.orgwww.murdocktrust.org360.694.1819360.694.8415

info@cfsww.orgwww.cfsww.org360.737.6335360.694.2550

foundation@supportclark.orgwww.clarkcollegefoundation.org360.750.5759360.992.2301

foundationvanps@vansd.orgwww.foundationforvps.org360.313.4731360.313.4730

5 5 Fort Vancouver Regional Library Foundation 1007 E. Mill Plain Blvd. Vancouver, WA 98663 foundation@fvrl.orgfvrlfoundation.org360.693.2681360.906.4700

6 6 Salmon Creek Hospital Foundation 2211 N.E. 139th St. Vancouver, WA 98686 www.legacyhealth.org360.487.3459360.487.3457

$2,100,000,000 $110,000,000Health, human services, arts & culture, scientific research, education

$370,000,000 $26,000,000Various, including those focused on Basic Human Needs, Education, Asset Building, Civic Engagement, Community Advocacy, Arts and Culture, and Conservation.

$121,917,031 $3,649,325Clark College facilities, equipment, program and student support.

Executive director Chair or president of the board est.Yearlocally

Romanita Hairston, CEO John Castles, Chair Jeff Pinneo, Trustee Jeff Grubb, Trustee 1975

Matt ChairRandyPresidentsJenniferMortonRhoads,Grove,Board 1984

Lisa Gibert, CEO LeAnne Bremer, Chair 1973

$12,799,733 $1,526,216Vancouver Public Schools Jenny Thompson Nada AmyExecutiveWheelock,DirectorsDavis,President 1988

$10,754,815 $1,892,267Fort Vancouver Regional Library District's programs, services, and building projects.

Rick Smithrud, Executive BoardDirectorDebbieJennerjohn,Chairs 1991

$3,955,713 $1,174,461Legacy Salmon Creek Medical CenterHeather Martin Denni Malin Marg Nelson, Board Chair 2005

7 7 Vancouver Rotary Foundation P.O. Box Vancouver,1000WA 98666 www.vancouverrotaryclub.orgNDND $3,719,335 $124,808501(c)3 or qualified charitable orgs. w/ primary purpose of supporting youth, young adults & children in S.W. Wash. Karey PresidentSchoenfeld, 1972

8 9 Camas-Washougal Community Chest P.O. Box 960 Camas, WA 98607 info@CamasWashougalCommunityChest.orgwww.camaswashougalcommunitychest.orgND360.901.6607

9 10 Evergreen School District #114 Foundation PMB 252/13215 C-8 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd.

10

$227,812 $125,297501(c)3 organizations providing services to Camas & Washougal, see website for mission statement

Deanna Rusch, President David Pinkernell, Past PresidentJoellePresidentScheldorf, 1946

Rebecca

Jason Huggins, President Arthur,

Kari Coulter, Secretary Alan Hwang, Marketing

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT:

EVERGREEN HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

THE EVERYONEORGANIZATION’SHOMEBUILDINGVISIONIS‘AWORLDWHEREHASADECENTPLACETOLIVE’

An affiliate organization of Habitat for Humanity Internation al, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity in Clark County has been tackling housing challenges since 1991.

“A group of volunteers gathered in a church basement with steadfast determination and ambition,” said Kelsey Castrey, ma jor gifts & procurement manager for Evergreen Habitat for Hu manity. “Their goal: to start a housing ministry in Clark County. Our current homebuilding project is named Johnson Village af ter founding members and longtime supporters Ray and Harriet Johnson. Ray was one of the volunteers who helped start the Ev ergreen Habitat affiliate.”

The mission of the organization, Castrey said, is: “Seeking to put God’s love into action, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope. Our organization vision is a world where everyone has a decent place to Castreylive.”that

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity is currently in the midst of big changes and major growth as an organization. Most notably, she said Evergreen Habitat has taken over manage ment of the Clark County Habitat Store. The store had previously been managed by Evergreen’s counterpart across the river, Habi tat Portland Region. Castrey said they’ve been helping Evergreen Habitat manage their store for several years as they were a small, growing affiliate and the Portland one had the capacity to do so. All proceeds from the area stores were divided amongst the three area Habitat affiliates, so Castrey said they saw significant bene fits from that and are very grateful for that partnership.

“Due to the growth (the organization has seen), we decided it was time that we take over management of our own store and ensure that all donations and all proceeds from the Clark County Habitat Store always remain local and are invested right here into Clark County, always,” she said.

Evergreen Habitat also recently launched the Habitat Home Trust, which Castrey said allows the organization to ensure that each home they build will always remain affordable.

“After thoughtful consideration of the local affordable hous ing need, the diminishing affordable housing stock and the last ing impact we seek to have in our community, we decided to create a way for all future Habitat homes to be permanently af fordable,” she said. “This means that, while a traditional Habitat home is affordable for one family through the duration of a 30-

An Evergreen Habitat for Humanity volunteer works to help build a house for a family in Courtesyneed.of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity

year mortgage, the Habitat Home Trust will ensure that each home we build remains affordable forev er, and can only be re-sold to hard-working, low-in comeCastreyfamilies.”said homebuyers still collect equity on their homes through the shared equity model, and receive all of the benefits of Habitat homeownership, while also helping to create a legacy well beyond their own family. She said the Johnson Village ninehome development as well as the 42-home project in partner ship with Vancouver Housing Authority will make up the first 50-plus homes in the Habitat Home Trust, beginning the legacy of ensuring families in the community will always be able to find a decent place to live.

Evergreen Habitat for Humanity has always worked in part nership with families who were priced out of traditional housing opportunities, and Castrey said that this is still true today, just on a much larger scale as the need has grown so significantly.

“Habitat continues to serve families by providing a perma nent solution for families experiencing housing instability, while also playing a key role in the local housing continuum,” she said. “Through Habitat’s homeownership program, families are able to purchase homes through affordable mortgages, designed not to exceed 30% of a families’ income. Evergreen Habitat’s priority is to meet this growing need through our upcoming projects, the Johnson Village neighborhood and the Habitat Home Trust sites.”

Currently, Castrey said Evergreen Habitat is in the beginning stages of building the Johnson Village neighborhood, and in the coming year will also be taking on the first set of homes in partnership with the Vancouver Housing Authority. She said in frastructure is complete at Johnson Village and contractors have finished the road and sidewalks. A sound wall is a code require ment from the city and helps reduce traffic noise from 162nd, which has also been completed. Castrey said they have submit ted their plans for home permits and hope to begin pouring foundations in the fall of 2022. The other 42 Habitat Home Trust sites will be taken on in 2023 and 2024.

Like every other nonprofit organization in the area, Evergreen Habitat for Humanity has also faced several challenges stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Castrey said the city of Vancouver, Clark County and the greater metropolitan region is strained on every level of housing, from shelters to housing

assistance and vouchers, to homeownership. She said the region has been facing this challenge well before the 2016 declaration of a Housing Emergency by the city of Vancouver, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this challenge in countlessAccordingways.

to the Clark County Community Needs assessment adopted in 2021, Castrey said that housing is one of the most important needs of survey participants with nearly one-half identifying this as one of their primary needs. She said that 64% of all survey participants identified housing affordability as their primary challenge in securing housing. On an even deeper level, Castrey said Evergreen Habitat has also taken on the challenge of doing all they can to ensure their existing Habitat homeowners remain safe and secure in their homes through the pandemic.

“Because each of our homeowners pay a monthly mortgage payment to us, which we use to carry out our programs, sudden job losses, cuts in hours and other circumstances that left homeowners unable to pay their mortgages in full affected our organization on many levels,” Castrey said. “Through incredible community support, we were able to provide critical mortgage assistance while families got back on their feet. Finally, one of the biggest challenges we saw and continue to grapple with as we take on our next homeownership and home repair projects is simply the rising costs of lumber and building materials, as well as the time it takes to order supplies. We continue to lean heavily on our community and out local partnerships to move our work forward in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible within the current conditions.”

A family is seen here at the dedication of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity’s current homebuilding project, Johnson Village. Courtesy of Evergreen Habitat for Humanity

To learn more about Evergreen Habitat for Humanity and what you can do to help, visit their website at ehfh.org.

NONPROFIT

METROPOLITANSPOTLIGHT:PERFORMING ARTS

THE THROUGHHOPESTRIVESORGANIZATIONTOOFFERFORTHEFUTURETHEATREANDARTSEDUCATION

Metropolitan Performing Arts (MPA) was first established as a 501(c)(3) back in the fall of 2009 when individuals in Southwest Washington noticed a lack of education in the performing arts within the Vancouver School District.

“What started as a traveling group that performed at places such as Zoo Lights, Jantzen Beach Mall and community nurs ing homes has now transformed into a black box theater perfor mance venue, community theater and academy with year-round training and performance opportunities,” said Kristin Heller, artistic and education director at Metropolitan Performing Arts.

Heller said that MPA staged its first musical “Bye Bye Bird ie” in April of 2010 at Fort Vancouver High School. Since then, MPA has produced more than 50 productions within the greater Vancouver/Portland area, including The Brunish Theater, Wash ington State School for the Blind, Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, Triangle! Productions and Camas High School. In 2016, Heller said Barbara Richardson was hired on as the organi zation’s executive director. In 2019 MPA moved from the Schell Studio to its current location on East Mill Plain Boulevard. The current location has four classrooms and a black box theater. Heller was hired as the artistic and education director in 2022 after Richardson stepped down as executive director.

According to Heller, the mission of MPA is: “To enrich our community by nurturing a lifelong passion and appreciation for live arts through education and performance opportunities. We do this through involving, cultivating, nurturing and enhancing. Our vision: To be a home where everyone is seen, heard, and valued through theater and live arts.”

Heller said MPA’s season 13 theme is “The Power Within, Stories of Self-Acceptance.” They have three community theater productions, three mainstage productions, one teen conservatory production and four Broadway Junior productions centered on this theme. Heller said MPA also offers performance-based classes and technique-based classes. The performance-based classes result in a performance at the end of the term, and these classes are only open for registration at the start of the term and include the Off Broadway and Broadway Junior series. The technique-based classes provide the opportunity for young people to become accomplished musical theater performers and may be enrolled into at any point in the term.

Students are able to train in acting, dance and music to devel op the skills that are vital to become a “triple threat,” Heller said.

MPA offers classes in stage combat, improv, makeup design, playwriting, directing and much more, including a brand-new class called Cirque Nouveau, where students work with aerial silks, slacklines, lyra/aerial hoop, acrobatics, clowning and more. MPA also offers a wide range of private lessons in acting, dance, voice, piano and guitar. Courtesy of MPA Facebook page

MPA has a technical theater program that allows the students to apprentice directly under one of the organization’s profession al designers during the run of a show. They also offer classes in stage combat, improv, makeup design, playwriting, directing and much more, including a brand-new class called Cirque Nou veau, where students work with aerial silks, slacklines, lyra/aeri al hoop, acrobatics, clowning and more. MPA also offers a wide range of private lessons in acting, dance, voice, piano and guitar.

Heller said that a small portion of MPA’s budget comes from ticket sales, and a larger portion of the annual budget comes from the academy classes. The rest of their budget comes from donations, grants, bequeathments and sponsorships.

“We could not exist without the generosity of our community,” sheSincesaid.first

starting out as a self-supported performance group that only had classes based on the show they were doing at the time, MPA has grown substantially. They now offer classes that students at any level can take – they don’t even have to be in a show. Heller said they have gone from a company that was only parent volunteers to a company that has 40% community volun teers. MPA also now has its own space with its own theater.

“We were never able to plan a full year in advance as we were always relying on finding our spaces,” Heller said. “This year we were finally able to have a season announcement and we will be able to start selling season tickets. With our own space we are now seeing increased visibility. We have moved from only con tracted employees to one full-time staff and two part-time staff (added this year). Originally, there was staff of four. Now we have 16 contracted teachers from the local community, all profession als in the arts and all amazing.”

Right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Heller said they were working on a show, “Into the Woods.” When the pandemic hit, she said it was opening night and the show was never per formed. This was not only a financial hit to MPA as their ticket

sales normally pay for the licensing and creative staffing of the show, but Heller said it was “also a hit to our hearts.”

“Imagine a project that you have worked so hard for three months on, that you are really proud of, and it is never to be seen,” she said. “No parents were able to take pride in their kids’ performances, no friends were able to cheer from the audience and no community was given inspiration, enjoyment, wonder or storytelling. Some of the students were graduating high school and this was their last show with MPA, some of the community members were moving away and would not in the area to perform with us in the near future.”

On top of all of that, Heller said all classes went online and they adapted as all theater artists are taught to do. She said they immediately noticed a drop in enrollment. Kids that had bad Wi-Fi or no home internet could no longer participate. She said all of their students were met with additional struggles and the anxiety that change brings, especially students with neurodiver gence, ADHD and autism. Some had to take a break from classes entirely due to the stress and anxiety this change caused.

Also during the pandemic, Heller said teachers had to be let go or learn completely new skills like audio engineering and video editing. She said these teachers did most of this additional work on a volunteer basis as there was no additional money to pay for this extra

“Classeswork.kept

shrinking but we had students that needed to be in class,” Heller said. “They needed to keep learning and do ing theater. We kept going for them to have a safe space to keep creating and being inspired in a world that felt like it was mad.”

When explaining why MPA is important to the community, Heller said she could really sum it up with just one word – hope.

“I could just stop there,” she said. “Theatre and arts education gives us hope for the future. We are teaching skills like self-con

Since first being established in 2009, Metropolitan Performing Arts has grown into a black box theater performance venue, community theater and academy with year-round training and performance opportunities. Courtesy of MPA Facebook page

fidence, public speaking and leadership. We are also teaching awareness, compassion, creativity, passion and drive. The kids that work on shows work as a team for three months to create and perform a final project for the world to see. They have to work together. They learn together and they struggle togeth er. Theatre is an outlet. It is a way to tell stories of struggle, hap piness, inspiration and disaster. We learn about the world from the arts. Diversity from the arts. Acceptance and Individuality from the arts. When I see the work that the students, volunteers and community members do here at MPA, I feel hope.”

To learn more about Metropolitan Performing Arts and how you can help support the organization, visit their website at metropolitanperformingarts.org.

NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT:

BRIDGE THE GAP

THE ORGANIZATION WAS FOUNDED WHEN TWO VANCOUVER WOMEN RECOGNIZED A NEED IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM THAT WAS NOT BEING MET

Back in 1999, Bridge the Gap was first founded by two Van couver women – Tauni Hemminger and Peggy Hayes – when they both recognized a need in the foster care system that was not being met.

Emily Weiss, a Bridge the Gap board member, said that Hem minger, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, lived in a chaotic and abusive home herself and as a child moved frequently, mak ing life unpredictable and difficult. Weiss said that Hayes began working with foster children at the Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in 1981 as a social worker before be coming the community resource manager in 1993.

“Together as close friends, they recognized a need in the foster care system that was not being met,” Weiss said. “The state fund ing covers only a portion of the basic needs and services for chil dren in foster care. Tauni and Peggy envisioned a way to bridge the gap to cover the remaining costs for programs, including enrichment and other needs. Hence, Bridge the Gap was born.”

Foster care is funded by the state agency that oversees the fos ter program. According to Weiss, the state agency provides ap proximately two-thirds of the cost of supporting a foster child’s basic needs. The foster parents are expected to provide the essen tials without complete compensation, so often there are no extra dollars to provide the needed supports to keep a child interested and active in school, thereby reducing their probability of high school graduation.

A Vancouver community-based program, Bridge the Gap is de signed to “enrich the lives of abused and neglected children in foster care in Clark, Skamania and Cowlitz counties by providing resourc es to enhance the stability, growth and success of foster children.”

“Our vision is to enrich the life of every child in foster care and to give every child a childhood,” Weiss said.

Weiss said that Bridge the Gap offers a variety of services to these children, including music lessons, instrument rentals, sports fees, uniforms, equipment, tutoring, graduation attire, skill-building courses, extra-curricular educational program ming, summer camps, holiday gifts and special wishes or med ical needs. The organization focuses on keeping foster children

successful in their homes, their schools and their lives by pro viding access to services and items that are not readily available to foster children, as there are very few resources for foster chil dren’s needs outside of the state agency.

Bridge the Gap has grown substantially over the last 20 years, and Weiss said exposure of the organization with the communi ty has grown, which in turn has helped their donor base grow, making them more successful at their fundraising efforts.

“The community has been terrific in response to the needs of children in foster care,” she said. “Foster youth face an uphill bat tle due to the emotional trauma of removal from their homes and the impact of frequent school and home placement changes. Ac cording to the National Foster Youth Institute, only 50% of foster youth will finish high school. The financial resources, academic support and the opportunity to participate in extracurricular ac tivities are often unavailable. Tutoring, extracurricular activities, sports and special needs provide the support that increases home stability and the possibility of high school graduation. This is the crux of Bridge the Gap.”

For the past two years, Bridge the Gap has held a Golf Scramble fundraising event at Tri Mountain.Courtesy of Bridge the Gap

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Weiss said many of the activities in which the children participated were closed down, including schools, gyms, sports teams, camps and the like. Additionally, she said the DCFS social workers were working remotely, making funding requests from the foster par ents via the social workers to Bridge the Gap more difficult.

“Overall, it was a very trying time for children, the foster par ents and the social worker team,” she said.

The Bridge the Gap Board of Directors is a small group of vol unteers and they depend on additional volunteers to help with their fundraising efforts. Weiss said they spend almost 100% of their funds on the children and their needs. Any advertising they do is by word of mouth or social media, which Weiss said makes it challenging to keep their message out there as they do no spe cific paid advertising.

Weiss said Bridge the Gap has a very generous donation base in Southwest Washing ton. Much of the organi zation’s funding comes from The Community Foundation, Ticket to Dream (Mattress Firm), individual donations, other corporate dona tions/community spon sors and from their fundraising events. Over the past 10 years, Bridge the Gap has held various fundraising events, in cluding the Champagne Brunch Gala at The

After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bridge the Gap began holding a Golf Scramble fundraising event at Tri Mountain in order to keep people safe and outside while raising funds for the organization.

Courtesy of Bridge the Gap

Heathman, Warehouse 23 and ilani. They have also held several wine tasting fundraising events.

Once Covid hit, Weiss said they responded to the challenge and produced an online auction followed by two years of a Golf Scramble at Tri Mountain to keep people safe and outdoors.

“These fundraisers have been instrumental in enabling us to continue supporting the children in a meaningful way,” Weiss said.

Weiss said Bridge the Gap is always looking for new board members.“Weneed people with energy, kindness, passion and initiative to help bring fresh ideas and manpower to further our fundrais ing efforts, which ultimately enables better services for the chil dren in foster care,” Weiss said. “The passion for our mission is infectious, and we are always looking for additional hands-on support as well as financial support.”

To learn more about Bridge the Gap and how you can help, visit their website at bridgethegapforkidscc.org.

PROFILES IN GIVING: TAMARA FULLER, GREATER VANCOUVER CHAMBER

All of the great nonprofit organizations in the Southwest Washington area would not be able to run quite as smoothly without their board of directors. Organizations’ board of directors are made up of people in the community who volunteer their time, knowledge and guidance to these organizations in addition to continuing to work their “day jobs.”

Tamara Fuller, senior vice president with Capacity Commercial Group, is one of those people in the Southwest Washington business community who

volunteers her time with numerous nonprofit boards. Fuller is currently involved with numerous boards and committees around the area, including being the chair of the Greater Vancouver Chamber (GVC) Board of Directors.

The Vancouver Business Journal caught up with Fuller to talk about her involvement with the GVC board, along with the other boards and committees she’s involved with, and how it goes hand-in-hand with her professional life.

VBJ: What is currently your role on the board for the GVC? How long have you been involved with the organization? What are some of your duties in this role?

Tamara Fuller: I currently am the Board Chair serving my 2nd year as Chair. I’ve served on the Chamber board for over a decade rolling off after 3 consecutive terms and was very pleased to be invited back to serve again.

VBJ: In the past, what other nonprofits/organizations have you been a board member for? What other nonprofits/organizations

have you been involved with in any way (volunteering, etc.)? What other boards/committees are you also currently on in addition to the GVC board?

Fuller: In the past I’ve served on multiple committees for my hometown’s chamber in Madras, Ore., and moving here in 2001 when I first bought my condo at Shorewood West, I served on our HOA board. I also sat on the SW Washington Advisory Council for Junior Achievement. I was a member of Rotary Club of Greater Clark County for 12 years and served as the program director, GSA Columbia River Regional Representative for Rotary International and chaired the annual silent auction. I was recognized as Rotarian of the Year and am a Paul Harris Fellow.  I also had the honor to serve on the PeaceHealth Have a Heart Gala Committee.

I am also currently a founding board member for WHY Community Foundation and serve on the granting committee for Empowering Women + Girls as a member of the organization.

VBJ: What first made you want to be involved with area nonprofits? What made you want to be a board member?

Fuller: I strongly believe that it is important to give back however you can to your community, especially one that is such an empowering community as ours. Being a board member of GVC has opened my eyes up to a vibrant, diverse, and resilient business community. It is an honor and privilege to be at the table with so many different industry leaders learning about all of the important roles and contribution each industry impacts the success of our community and to be with a group of leaders who

really care and advocate for a proactive business environment for all to prosper and enjoy their quality of life.

VBJ: As far as your professional life, tell me a little bit about your career background, and what you do now and how you got where you currently are today?

Fuller: In a short path real estate is my 2nd “true” and most loved career, which I began in 1997 selling homes in Central Oregon. Prior to real estate I worked in the hospitality industry, which included working at a ski resort in Central Oregon, cruise ships for 6 years, co-managing a restaurant pub with my parents for 12 years and working at various resorts. After working holidays and weekends for almost 2 decades I discovered the real estate world after selling my own personal home. I now have been serving the PDX-Metro area a “Realtor” licensed in both Oregon and Washington. I focus in commercial real estate, sales and leasing to office buyers/users and representing owners and developers identifying viable buyers and tenant.

VBJ: Does it ever feel overwhelming having your day-job duties, along with your board duties and other course any outside/family duties, etc.? How do you balance all these roles?

Fuller: When you have a passion to serve and enjoy what you are doing, I wouldn’t call it overwhelming. I seem to find a way. I am thankful every day for the ability to participate and belong to such a remarkable community and fortunate for the support and love from my family and friends. I do believe in balance and taking time for myself by enjoying my weekends with friends and family being active doing whatever the season brings.

BROOKE STRICKLAND FOR THE VBJ

In 2015, Jodie Zelazny and Sara Scheetz began collecting durable medical equipment in their garages so they could help distribute it to people in the community who needed it but couldn’t afford it. They began getting a lot of donations, and soon, they moved to a 5x10 storage unit, thinking they could never fully fill

Justit. a year later, A Caring Closet became an official 501c3 and, soon after, they began operating out of a 2,500-square-foot warehouse. This past June, A Caring Closet moved to a new location at 2700 NE Andresen Road, Suite D4. They closed for a brief period of time during the move and reopened July 12. The organization mainly serves seniors, but they also partner with Randall Children’s Hospital to help pediatric patients with wheelchairs, hospital beds, walkers and much more at no cost.

“There is no requirement to utilize our program,” Zelazny said. “It is very simple. If someone comes in and sees something they need they just take it home with them right, then and there after signing a liability waiver.”

From July 2021 to December 2021, A Caring Closet served 6,124 people. As of mid-May of 2022, the organization had served more than 4,100 people. They primarily get their donations from the public, assisted living centers and adult family homes. Funding comes from monetary donations, fundraisers and grants. A Caring Closet also has established partnerships with the Greater Clark County Rotary Club, Share Vancouver and Battle Ground Health Care.

“A Caring Closet has been able to do so much because of this support,” Zelazny said.

When the pandemic hit, the organization shut down temporarily and they lost a lot of their volunteer base. They also had to cancel one of their primary fundraisers for the year, which impacted them financially in a huge way. But that didn’t stop them from helping people in the community.

“We would put together packages for adult family homes, where we included toilet paper, paper towels, gloves, sanitizer and tissues,” said Zelazny. “When items were being limited at the grocery stores, adult family homes were not able to have enough supplies to cover all their residents. We gave out over 200 care packages in Clark and Cowlitz counties. Another amazing project was our iPad project. We were given a grant through the Ed & Dollie Lynch

THE ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN BRINGING USED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT TO THOSE IN NEED SINCE 2015

Fund and were able to give out 125 iPads to skilled nursing facili ties, assisted livings and adult family homes. This was to make sure that families were able to Zoom and stay connected during the pandemic. When loved ones were dying alone in facilities, these iPads were able to bring families a little closer together.”

Looking ahead, the team at A Caring Closet is excited about continuing to help people in need. Zelazny shared this simple story that showcases the “why” of what they do.

“‘Jennifer’ awoke paralyzed at age 42 due to a massive stroke,” Zelazny said. “When she first came in with a caregiver, she need ed a better wheelchair. As the months passed, she transitioned from a wheelchair to a four-wheeled walker, and finally to a cane. It was wonderful to see her recovery first-hand knowing we had a small part in that recovery.”

To find out more about A Caring Closet, visit the organization’s website at http://www.acaringcloset.org/

A Caring Closet continued from page 32

A Caring Closet was first started in 2015 by Jodie Zelazny and Sara Scheetz when they began collecting durable medical equipment in their garages so they could help distribute it to people in the community who needed it but couldn’t afford it.

Courtesy of A Caring Closet Facebook page

PROFILES IN GIVING: LINDA REID,

NONPROFIT NETWORK OF SW WASHINGTON

All of the great nonprofit organizations in the Southwest Washington area would not be able to run quite as smoothly with out their board of directors. Organizations’ board of directors are made up of people in the community who volunteer their time, knowledge and guidance to these organi zations in addition to continuing to work their “day jobs.”

Linda Reid, SVP, Relationship Banking Officer with Heritage Bank, is one of those people in the Southwest Washington business community who volunteers her time with numerous nonprofit boards. Reid is currently involved with numerous boards and committees around the area, including being a board member and past chair of the Nonprofit Network of SW Washington Board.

The Vancouver Business Journal caught up with Reid to talk about her involvement with the Nonprofit Network of SW Washington, along with the other boards and committees she’s involved with, and how it goes hand-in-hand with her profes sional life.

VBJ: What is currently your role on the board for the Nonprofit Network of SW Washington? How long have you been involved with the organization? What are some of your duties in this role?

Linda Reid: My role is currently, Board Member, Past Chair. I have been with the Nonprofit Network for over five years. Our board is comprised of seven people, so each of us have a signif icant role in moving the organization forward. I currently work on the bookkeeping, tax filing and events!

VBJ: In the past, what other nonprofits/organizations have you been a board member for? What other nonprofits/organizations have you been involved with in any way (volunteering, etc.)?

Reid: Past boards include Evergreen Habitat for Humanity, Magenta Theater and Leadership Clark County. Current boards, WSUV Business Growth Program (MAP), Vancouver’s Down town Association, Clark County Mural Society, Ducks Unlim ited, PNW Fundraising and Nonprofit Network of SW Wash ington. Other boards that I am on committees, Washington

Humanities, Children’s Home Society, Magenta Theater, Foster ful, Parks Foundation of Clark County, City of Vancouver Lodg ing Tax Committee and I am the current Chair for the Culture, Arts and Heritage Commission.

VBJ: What first made you want to be involved with area non profits? What made you want to be a board member?

Reid: I have always had a desire to be involved in my commu nity. I was in the LCC class of 2008-2009 and had the opportuni ty to meet several community leaders that helped steer me in the right direction! With my professional background in banking, it was a good fit to be a board member and after joining a few, I loved it. I particularly love the governance piece. I enjoy being a part of making sure the organization and the board are on the right track for success.

VBJ: As far as your professional life, tell me a little bit about your career background, and what you do now and how you got where you currently are today?

Reid: When I was 18, I had the opportunity to work for a local Savings and Loan. I was hooked, I have been in banking ever since. I started working as a teller and have had the opportunity to work in almost every area of the bank from branch banking, marketing, IT, lending and more. In 2016, with my love for non profits, I was able to move to a position at Pacific Continental Bank that allowed me to do both, I was a Relationship Banking Officer working with nonprofit clients and also being an ambas sador for the bank out in the community. A perfect fit for me. Today I am employed by Heritage Bank doing all the same things I love. Over 40 years in my banking career.

VBJ: Does it ever feel overwhelming having your day-job duties, along with your board duties and, of course, other personal/family duties, etc.? How do you balance all these roles?

Reid: Yes! But not all of the time – different nonprofits have different needs and at different times of the year. I have learned over the years how to balance all of them and I enjoy it very much. Sunday is my day! I spend the day with my partner going on walks, bicycle rides, road trips, anything that takes us away from home so we can relax and reset for the upcoming week.

STRONGER COMMUNITIES BEGIN WITH YOUR BALLOT

BY AARON HELMES, PRESIDENT OF BUILDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF CLARK COUNTY

Each new election cycle presents new challenges and oppor tunities. In a recent Monmouth University Poll, 63 percent of respondents identified the economy, including inflation, gas prices, and paying everyday bills, as the top issues influencing their votes in the 2022 midterms. At a time when paychecks and operating budgets are stretched further and further, your vote counts more than ever.

While some challenges facing our communities appear to be insurmountable, elections give individuals a chance to select of ficials who may shape better policy choices, and by extension, create stronger communities. Your vote puts in place the person alities, values, and expertise you determine to be the best policy alignment for your family, your business, and your community. Strong, thriving communities require a wide array of amenities and features with two major foundational elements being hous ing and employment.

For employment, a community must attract employers and in dustries with a thriving business ecosystem to support, nurture, and grow innovation and profitability. Pro-business policies im prove a company’s bottom line and increase its job creation po tential. In tandem with pro-business policies, a well-maintained and modern infrastructure is a critical part of this ecosystem. If roads, waterways, airports, and public utilities are not updated and kept in good repair businesses may choose to locate or relo cate

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the matter of filling open job positions with a well-prepared workforce. A vital workforce needs education, training, safe communities, and affordable housing. Few issues have received more attention in the past two years than the pan demic’s effect on the national real estate market. Some experts predicted outcomes similar to the Great Recession, however, real estate prices have continued to rise increasing by 33 percent since 2020 further exacerbating the housing affordability crisis.

For Clark County residents dreaming of owning a home, the outlook is grim. The current median home price, which sits at $562,869, is unaffordable for 84 percent of residents. Current regulations add an average of $134,354 to the price of a new home pushing homeownership

further out of reach. The attainability of homeownership is a cru cial factor for healthy communities as it creates a path to end generational poverty.

With homeownership out of reach for many, we look to the rental market which has become just as concerning. The U.S. De partment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently updated its housing affordability standards which reports that me dian rent for a home is above $2000 per month. For families to af ford the increase in rent, they must make $80,000 per year which is approximately $12,500 more the median U.S. household income.

Decisions at every level of government including city councils, county councils, state legislature, U.S. Congress, and the White House, effect all these issues and more. Those who are elected make the decisions effecting the livability of communities, the viability of businesses, and the security of neighborhoods and families.

We cannot breeze by these decisions and kick the can down the road for the next generation to address. Voting is the easiest way to move the needle on these matters. Don’t sit out this elec tion cycle. Information on registration or locating your polling place is available through the Washington Secretary of State.

Building Industry Association has partnered with the Building Industry Group Political Action Committee to identify pro-busi ness and pro-housing affordability candidates seeking office this election cycle.

The list of endorsements is available at www.biaofclarkcounty.org.

GROW YOUR NONPROFIT PRESENCE

Running a nonprofit organization is a demanding but rewarding un dertaking. There is so much to think about, from planning, partnerships, and acquiring knowledge in areas you never considered before. Here are five essential steps to help your nonprofit thrive.

1. Focus on Your Social Media Strategy

If you are a nonprofit looking to increase your visibility, social media is crucial to helping others discover your organization. An engaging social media presence is a great way to con nect with donors, volunteers, and cus tomers. It also helps to get immediate feedback and build brand awareness.

2. Get a User-Friendly Website

A great website creates interest with your target market and spread your messaging. Ensure you have a good landing page that can lead your prospects to a specific service and encourage them to take appropriate action. Make sure to include a do nation button on your website that allows supporters to easily donate to the organization.

3. Put Effort into Your SEO

There is no doubt search engine optimization is an integral part of success. It is a low-cost, high-reward strategy that helps you gain more traffic and uncover crucial customer behavior data. The more SEO research you undertake, the more data you gain about what your potential customers and donors are search ing for, so you make informed decisions.

4. Connect with Partners

Find influencers in your industry to help market your orga nization. You can benefit by using outside audiences to market your brand and increase your visibility. Joining your local Cham ber of Commerce is a simple first step in sharing your venture with influential local business owners. Making connections with businesses whose work match with your mission could be the key to securing your next event sponsor or corporate partner.

5. Share your Message Broadly

Press releases and articles can help you establish your brand reputation. You can leverage press releases to inform your target market about your mission and services. Use articles to pass a more personalized message to your potential customers so your organization gains a public appearance.

Need help maintaining or growing your nonprofit organiza tion? The Greater Vancouver Chamber recently launched their Nonprofit Pathways to Opportunity and Development (POD) to empower nonprofit staff members through education, mentor ing resources, referrals all at no cost to you. Our experts can help you with advocacy, board development, fundraising, grants, and more. Find information at VancouverUSA.com/NonprofitPOD.

RESULTS FOR NONPROFITS AT A FRACTION OF THE COST

A Fractional Business Model (FBM) might seem like an intimidating topic that only CEOs of multi-million dollar corporations talk about. In actuality, it is an incredibly useful and beneficial asset for nonprofit organizations (NPO). It is a great way to identify problem areas within an NPO that prevent them from growing. FBM allows nonprofits to have high-level expertise in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Pacific Northwest Fundraising is an FBM company with a team of experts in every field. Our team focuses on the creation, implementation and management of an NPO’s annual giving plan. Whether your organization needs help with fundraising, social media, branding, donor development, major gifts or anything in between, PNWF will help guide and educate you on the road to success.

Benefits of the Fractional Business Model for nonprofits

• Experience and expertise in every field

Because our team has more than 50 years of combined experience, we are able to address certain obstacles within your organization and find practical solutions. We help create and fine-tune your Annual Giving Plan, improve and focus your pointstrategies,developmentandpin-problemar-

eas within your Development Department. Our team is here to help you identify roadblocks that are preventing your organization from reaching its full potential. By working with PNWF, your organization is getting more than 50 years of experience in every aspect of development and fundraising.

• A fresh set of eyes

If isyoubestonestruggling,zationorgani-yourisofthethingscandogetanew

perspective from a fresh set of eyes. Our experts have an insight into what your potential donors are looking for and what they want to see. We understand that an NPOs’ needs vary throughout the year, and we know how to work around various obstacles. Our team assesses the situation, looks for patterns, finds solutions and implements an effective plan to help your organization succeed! If you’re stuck in a rut and aren’t seeing the growth you are looking for, PNWF is here to provide a fresh outlook that will get your organization climbing and on the road to success.

• Significant cost savings

PNWF is based on the fractional business model, which provides significant cost savings opportunities for NPOs. Most organizations don’t have the budget to hire full-time development and fundraising employees, which can make it difficult for them to meet their goals and thrive. Because we utilize the FBM, our team is able to provide your organization with the services you need at a fraction of the cost. In fact, most of our clients at PNWF will see a 3 to 1 return on their investment. Our goal is to provide your organization with the development and fundraising services you need to succeed.

Founder/CEO/LeadEddieContact:Allen Guide Northwest

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON IS BUILDING GREAT FUTURES TODAY

Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington (BGCSW) was founded on and remains committed to providing a great Club Experience, meeting youth where they are, and understand what they need to grow and succeed.

What does it mean to be part of a BGCSW? It means being surrounded by friends and mentors. Sharpening skills and dis covering new pursuits. Feeling heard and supported in every way, and knowing that there’s a team of caring professionals in your court. Boys & Girls Clubs are not one of these things—they are all of these things, providing a safe space where kids and teens can spend time between school and home. In fact, this is something Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGC) have been ex celling at for over a century; opening doors of opportunity and preparing young people for a great future. As the leading youth development organization, BGC sees the possibility in every young person and is committed to being a voice for all youth in America—no matter where they come from.

BGCSW operates eight Club sites, a connected, vibrant net work that far exceeds “a place to go after school.” Today, a safe

community, adult mentorship, and well-established innovative programs focusing on academic success, leadership and healthy lifestyles are the fabric of their programming. Each year BGCSW serves nearly 450 youth, providing an array of social-emotional learning activities, enrichment programs, recreation and time after school just having fun with peers. Though many mem bers come from homes with limited resources, no youth is ever turned away for their inability to pay for fees.

Since the beginning, Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Wash ington has been dedicated to doing whatever it takes to build great futures for local youth, especially those who have the most barriers to success. Long established strategic partnerships with local school districts, local law enforcement agencies, the Chil dren’s Center, Clark County Food Bank, DSHS and Child Pro tective Services and local businesses create a collaborative part nership network to meet needs that reach beyond our Clubs and into the Vancouvercommunity.youth rely on Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington to provide a safe place with meals, mentors, and meaningful life experiences, giving them an opportunity to discover their great futures.

Donate today at mybgc.org to help make that vision a reality.

YWCA CLARK COUNTY RELIES ON VOLUNTEERS TO UPHOLD THEIR MISSION, PROVIDE LIFESAVING SERVICES

YWCA Clark County has been a powerful source for social justice, advocacy and support in SW Washington for more than 100 years. We have a long history of identifying inequities in our community and creating collaborative and empowering solu tions to these challenges.  Guided by our values of empower ment, diversity, teamwork, commitment and respect, YWCA serves over 12,000 community members annually.

Our six established programs serve survivors of domestic and sexual violence, provide early learning opportunities, empower young people aging out of the foster care system to forge a path forward in life, connect vulnerable community members with vi tal resources available to them, and prevent violence in the home and our community. Our focus is on improving the daily lives of women, children and families in Clark County; working towards race equity and eliminating oppression wherever it is found. We serve all community members, regardless of socioeconomic sta tus, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or age. We aim to empower survivors of violence, and provide stability and hope for children and youth who may be in unstable circumstances.

YWCA Clark County relies heavily on volunteers to uphold our mission and provide our lifesaving services. We welcome com munity members who are interested in supporting us or joining the work we do. We offer

lence,mesticourtiesopportunivolunteerspecializedtrainingprehensivecomforwithinDoVioSex

ual Assault and CCS (Care Coordination Services) programs. Volunteers work directly with survivors of abuse, providing emotional support, information and resources, and court-based advocacy. Volunteers may also assist with the food pantry and

clothes closet at Shelter, answer our 24-hour domestic violence and sexual assault hotline, or assist with special events. Our vol unteer application process includes an online application, inter view, criminal background check, required preservice training and ongoing supervision.

If you are interested in learning more about YWCA Clark County, we welcome you to reach out to us! Many longtime community members are not aware of the vital services we pro vide to SW Washington, in spite of our well-established history. The desire to serve and empower others, eliminate injustice and show love for our community is at the heart of everything we do. It has been a privilege and honor to serve the people of Clark County over these past 10 decades, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration and growth.