Good morning neighbors,

I just returned from another fantastic conference with the National Association of Counties (NACo). I represent Washington’s counties on the Human Services and Education Committee for this national organization. Elected officials from all over our country come together to engage in policy work and collaborate on programs that lift people up.

Advocating at this national level lets me know that Pierce County is not alone in our work around homelessness, helping children in poverty, or concerns about mental health and the general well-being of our community members.

Before I left for NACo, I took a trip closer to home where I had the opportunity to visit with leadership of the Emergency Food Network.

EFN Program and Volunteer Opportunity

Did you know the Emergency Food Network is headquartered in District 6? I recently toured this site for a second time and learned more about the organization and needs in our community.

Emergency Food Network (EFN) distributes over 15 million pounds of food each year to 70+ food pantries, shelters, and meal sites throughout Pierce County.

The number of requests to support smaller food pantries across the county has grown significantly and EFN’s leaders are organizing volunteers and community partners to answer the call.

One thing ALL our food banks and pantries share is a need to get food out the door through non-traditional methods.

One method that has really taken off is home delivery. Transportation is an ongoing barrier for people trying to access services. If you can’t drive, or can’t make it during distribution hours, you are out of luck. With home delivery, that is no longer the case.

EFN Home Delivery Program:

To ensure distribution of food to the most vulnerable in our community, EFN launched a new program in May 2020 serving those with barriers to accessing local food pantries.

The Home Delivery program relies on volunteer drivers to deliver boxes full of fresh, nutritious food from EFN's Distribution Center in Lakewood to homes all over Pierce County. With community support, EFN has been able to improve the diversity of food items by purchasing vegetables from a local farm and providing high-demand meat and dairy products monthly.

This program provides an exciting opportunity to safely serve our Pierce County neighbors and make a direct impact on so many families’ lives. If you’re looking for a way to support your community, EFN is seeking volunteers ready to serve as ‘on call’ drivers for Tuesday or Friday mornings, with the possibility for regularly scheduled driving as well. For more information or to get involved, please contact EFN’s Home Delivery Coordinator, Marissa Lewis at [email protected] or (253) 584-1040.

They are doing some fantastic work and are truly a partner with many of our small and large community food pantries across the county.

Child Tax Credit Information

In 2021 the federal government introduced a new way of thinking about the Child Tax Credit.

This shift allowed families to directly receive a monthly distribution instead of an end of the year tax write off. This gave Pierce county families access to a regular infusion of cash. And it meant families could plan monthly for this additional resource and use it for housing, food, childcare, medical costs, and clothing.

Through the program families only received a portion of the credit in 2021. To receive the credit in 2022, families must file taxes for 2021. The federal government established a website to outline eligibility requirements and provide more information about how to receive the credit. Please share this information with others to make sure they know how to apply. See if you are eligible at ChildTaxCredit.gov.

Join the Pierce County Arts Commission

Are you someone (or do you know someone) with experience, expertise or accomplishments in any of the following art-related fields: architecture, art criticism, art education, history, dance, communicative arts, crafts, theatre, heritage arts, landscape architecture, literature, music, painting, photography, planning, sculpture, ethnic arts, or have publicly demonstrated a deep interest in and appreciation of cultural and artistic activities?

If you answered yes to any of these, please consider applying for the Pierce County Arts Commission. There is currently a vacancy for the District 6 representative, and I am looking for names to submit for consideration.

Find the online application here, or download and print the application here.

Community Connections

• Remove invasive species from paths a Lakewold Gardens: Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to noon Lakewold Gardens is looking for volunteers to help with the removal of English Ivy and Himalayan blackberry, both invasive species. Activities will require some lifting and bending. If you have questions about this volunteer opportunity, please call (253) 584-4106 or email them.
• Community Work Party at Farrell’s Marsh, Steilacoom: Sunday, Feb. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m.  meet at the Chambers Street kiosk to head to the site and clear ivy.
• Military and Veterans Community Listening Session: I will host this conversation Thursday, March 10 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. I am sending out the registration link early so people can sign up and get it on their calendars. More info to come next week.

As always, stay safe, get vaccinated and boosted if able and mask up.

We are in this together,