FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 16 NONPROFIT GRANT RECIPIENTS

Total Giving Since 2015 Surpasses $5 Million

Port Angeles, Washington – First Federal Community Foundation today announced it has selected 16 nonprofit organizations to share a total of $392,500 in funding during its current grant cycle.

Foundation Executive Director, Jan Simon, described the fall grant recipients as “difference-making organizations in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties that bring hope and help to individuals and families in need.” These organizations provide housing, food, emergency cash assistance, medical and mental health services, and so much more, she said.

Including this fall grant cycle, the Foundation’s giving in 2021 will total $860,000, said Foundation Board President Norman J. Tonina. “We are proud to provide resources for these dedicated organizations that are serving as a lifeline and building brighter and better futures for our friends, neighbors, and communities,” he said.

Committed to improving the quality of life in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties, the Foundation has, in seven years of grantmaking, awarded more than $5.3 million in grants to nonprofits, government and tribal organizations, and school districts. Of that total, grant awards have been made in the following funding categories:

     $1,251,300 to organizations addressing homelessness and the availability of affordable housing;

     $2,280,000 to community development projects;

     $800,200 to organizations providing community support;

     $750,000 to efforts that support economic development;

     $220,000 to organizations addressing hardships caused and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fall 2021 Grant Recipients:

Dungeness Valley Health & Wellness Clinic/Sequim Free Clinic: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide free podiatric services to medically underserved, low-income patients in Clallam County.

East Jefferson Conference of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide vouchers for housing and utilities, groceries, transportation, and more for individuals and families in need.

Forks Community Food Bank: $25,000 Community Development grant to underwrite a portion of the wages of the Food Bank’s first—and only—employee, ensuring that it can continue serving as it has for the last 50 years; and fund the purchase of meat and dairy products for distribution to approximately 11,255 families in 2022.

Habitat for Humanity of Clallam County: $100,000 Affordable Housing grant to purchase 4.5 acres of property within Sequim city limits, on which Habitat will build 30-40 new, permanently affordable homes for ownership by Clallam County residents.

InvestED: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide emergency financial assistance for students of 50 secondary schools in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

Jefferson Healthcare Foundation: $30,000 Community Development grant to replace and upgrade a fleet of advanced life support defibrillators at Jefferson Healthcare Medical Center.

Master Gardener Foundation of Clallam County: $5,000 Community Support grant to replace the greenhouse, which is used to propagate, overwinter and maintain vegetable starts and tender plants grown to provide produce for local food banks.

North Kitsap Fishline: $7,500 Community Support grant for a refrigerated produce case for Fishline’s Healthy Foods Market, a Food Bank that has been operating continuously for more than 50 years and serving as many as 50 Kitsap County households per day, five days a week.

Parkview Services: $50,000 Affordable Housing grant to fund the Homeownership Program, providing no-cost, pre-purchase homebuyer education, housing counseling, and down payment assistance to low- and moderate-income people with intellectual or developmental disabilities in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties.

Peninsula Behavioral Health: $50,000 Affordable Housing grant to fund crucial renovations to the Arlene Engel Home in Port Angeles, an assisted living residence providing specialized care for vulnerable low-income residents with severe and persistent mental illness.

Peninsula College Foundation: $25,000 Economic Development grant for the Transitional Studies Computer Access Project, which will provide 58 laptops so that Clallam and Jefferson County students enrolled in the College’s GED and High School Diploma programs will have the tools needed to complete their studies and achieve their educational and professional goals.

Puget Sound Voyaging Society’s Community Boat Project: $30,000 Affordable Housing grant funding paid internships for local youth between the ages of 18-24, to learn life skills and carpentry while building tiny houses for the homeless of Jefferson County.

Soroptimist International of the Olympic Rainforest: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide for basic and targeted needs of low-income veterans, single moms and families, homeless adults and children, and women and children fleeing domestic violence in Clallam County.

The Benji Project: $5,000 Community Support grant to provide mindfulness-based stress management and emotional resiliency training to adolescent students in Jefferson County schools.

Western Washington University Foundation: $40,000 Economic Development grant to support a pilot project intended to deliver free technical assistance—including planning, operations, marketing, sales, government contracting, and more—to Hispanic, Asian, Indigenous, and Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs in Whatcom County.

Wild Bird Charity: $5,000 Community Support grant to support the Wild Bird Starfish Backpack Food Program in providing nutritious, kid-friendly, easy to prepare weekend meals for 350 children who qualify for free or reduced meals in school districts in Whatcom County.

About First Federal Community Foundation:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation that began making grants in 2015 thanks to a generous gift valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Fed, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company.

“Since 2015, First Federal Community Foundation has awarded more than $5.3 million to nonprofit, tribal, and government agencies in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties. The Foundation’s partnership with these dedicated organizations to bring resources to those in need has never been more crucial,” said Karen McCormick, Foundation Board Member.

About First Fed, the Foundation’s sole donor:

First Fed is a local community bank, serving customers and communities since 1923, with 13 locations in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties. First Fed is a subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), a holding company for the bank and other investments.

In 2020, First Fed bank and foundation donated over $1 million to nonprofit organizations and First Fed’s team volunteered over 2,400 hours with nonprofits.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112.

The year 2020 was, for most of us, overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it wreaked havoc on individuals, families, and communities worldwide. The regions that First Federal Community Foundation supports were not exempt. Our healthcare systems, schools, businesses, community institutions, and community members were stressed as never before.

Yet, as the pandemic tightened its grip on every aspect of our daily lives, the organizations featured in this annual report responded swiftly to mitigate its impact. These nonprofits were creative, agile, resourceful and resilient in assessing and addressing immediate and critical community needs and working to rebuild lives and economies. They served as a lifeline to keep our communities afloat during this troubled time.

We at First Federal Community Foundation are honored to have provided grants to these organizations in 2020-more than 40, with total contributions of $765,000-to support them in fulfilling their critical mission and furthering our shared commitment of strengthening our communities.

“We dedicate this Annual Report to the nonprofits that helped our friends and neighbors in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap and Whatcom Counties weather the storm that was 2020. We extend our appreciation for the positive and significant difference they make. Together, we are strengthening our communities.”

– Norman J. Tonina, Jr., President of the Board

Click below to view the 2020 Annual Report:

FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2021 SPRING GRANT AWARDS

19 Local Nonprofits to Share $452,500

Port Angeles, Washington – First Federal Community Foundation has selected 19 nonprofit organizations to receive a total of $452,500 in funding during its spring 2021 grant cycle.

These nonprofits provide essential services and basic support for individuals and families in need in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties, said Foundation Executive Director, Jan Simon.

During this grant cycle, Simon noted, the Foundation has directed support to “nonprofits that are working to increase access to food, affordable housing, education, and healthcare, with additional funding directed to organizations that are fulfilling immediate needs that were caused and exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Foundation President, Norman J. Tonina, described this year’s spring grant recipients as “organizations that make a difference in the lives of our most vulnerable residents, serving as a lifeline – particularly during the pandemic.” He added, “The Foundation is proud to provide financial resources to these effective and responsive nonprofits who change people’s lives for the better, day in and day out.” Since the Foundation began making grants in 2015, it has contributed $4,894,000 to nonprofits in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

Spring 2021 Grant Awards were made to:

Bellingham Public Schools Foundation: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the GRADS program, which provides onsite, high-quality childcare and social-emotional support services to low-income teenaged parents, many of whom are homeless and non-English speaking, making it possible for them to focus on, and graduate from, school.

Cascade Medical Advantage: $7,500 Community Support Grant to help remove barriers to recovery by offering essential short-term assistance—including food, temporary housing, transportation, and medication—to people in Whatcom County who are engaged in opioid addiction treatment, most of whom are indigent and often homeless.

Coats for Kids: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide new coats, socks, and shoes to approximately 200 low-income children in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Habitat for Humanity of East Jefferson County: $50,000 Affordable Housing Grant to establish the infrastructure – including streets, sewer, and utility hook-ups – for 20 units of permanent affordable housing in Port Townsend.

Jefferson Healthcare Foundation: $20,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant to provide emergency food assistance to 300 patients of the hospital, emergency room, family birth center, and primary care clinic, as well as financial aid to Jefferson Healthcare staff to relieve some of the burden of childcare costs.

Kids in Concert: $5,000 Community Support Grant to sponsor the participation of 100 Kitsap County children in one of four free summer learning camps.

Kitsap Community Resources: $50,000 Affordable Housing Grant to fund the construction of the Manette Project, which will provide affordable housing and case management support for nine low-income families with children who are formerly or currently homeless.

Kitsap Harvest: $7,500 Community Support Grant to fund the build-out of cold storage units, along with a food aggregation station, that will make it possible to provide more fresh and perishable foods to 3,000+ low-income Kitsap County community members.

NAMI of Whatcom County: $5,000 Community Support Grant to build capacity to serve the Latinx Community affected by mental illness.

Olympic Peninsula YMCA: $50,000 Community Development Grant to purchase a refrigerated cargo van to deliver more than 50,000 meals annually to 325 food-insecure Jefferson County children on weekends, non-school days, holiday breaks, and over the summer.

Opportunity Council: $5,000 Community Support Grant to help feed hungry home-bound Whatcom County residents by delivering food from food banks to their homes.

Port Angeles Food Bank: $50,000 Community Development Grant to help fund the purchase of the Food Bank’s “forever home.” This facility will serve more than 500 households weekly, and will include an innovative open market, commercial kitchen, and meeting space.

Port Townsend Marine Science Center: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide more than 200 low- and middle-income students from Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties with engaging and meaningful science education.

Sequim Education Foundation: $7,500 Community Support Grant to make laptops available to low-income and homeless students in the Sequim School District.

Society of St. Vincent de Paul: $50,000 Community Development Grant to help meet the emergency needs of hundreds of individuals and families in Clallam, Jefferson, and Kitsap Counties who would otherwise have nowhere to turn for help.

The Nature Conservancy: $50,000 Economic Development Grant to support three pilot projects that, when brought to full scale, will create approximately 30 jobs and generate $10 million in revenue in Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Unity Care Northwest: $50,000 Community Development Grant to fund capital expenses for The Way Station in Whatcom County, where individuals and families experiencing homelessness will be able to access needed services and receive assistance in transitioning to sustainable housing.

Vamos Outdoors Project: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide academic and outdoor programming for approximately 60 Whatcom County migrant youth.

Western Washington University Foundation: $25,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response Grant for the Student Emergency Fund, which provides a financial lifeline for students needing support with rent, utilities, groceries, medical and dental bills, and more.

About First Federal Community Foundation:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation established with a gift of stock and cash valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Fed, when the bank was converted to a publicly traded company. This gift underscored First Fed’s commitment to continue its tradition of giving back to the communities it serves.

In that same spirit, First Federal Community Foundation is committed to creating broad impact in the communities in which First Fed, the Foundation’s sole donor, maintains full-service branches.

Since the Foundation began making grants in 2015, it has contributed $4,894,000 to nonprofits making a difference in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties.

About First Fed:

First Fed is a local community bank, serving customers and communities since 1923, with 13 locations in Clallam, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties. First Fed is a subsidiary of First Northwest Bancorp (FNWB), a holding company for the bank and other investments.

In 2020, First Fed bank and foundation donated over $1 million to nonprofit organizations and First Fed’s team volunteered over 2,400 hours with nonprofits.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112.

For a PDF of this press release, please click here.

2020 Contributions

Affordable Housing Grants Awarded:

Bayside Housing & Services: $25,000 for essential services, including transitional housing, meals, and case management assistance in finding jobs and permanent housing, for two Jefferson County families of three for one year.

Jefferson Community Foundation’s Housing Solutions Network: $25,000 to promote Jefferson County’s economic recovery by protecting and expanding the availability of affordable housing for its workforce with “Housing Connections,” a program that trains new landlords, connects them to local lenders for renovations, and also helps match them to renters.

Kitsap Rescue Mission, $50,000 to rebuild the roof of Kitsap County’s only emergency, year-round, low-barrier shelter for homeless individuals and families. This grant will enable the Kitsap Rescue Mission, whose building had been closed, to reopen and resume providing on-site services.

Lydia Place, $50,000 to break ground this summer on Whatcom County’s Heart House, an 11-unit permanent, supportive, low-income housing project for homeless mothers with children from prenatal through age 5. Heart House will also provide on-site childcare and supportive services to promote long-term stability to disrupt the cycle of homelessness.

Parkview Services: $25,000 to provide no-cost HUD housing counseling services to prevent foreclosures for approximately 40 struggling homeowners in Whatcom, Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

Serenity House of Clallam County: $30,000 to purchase a service vehicle that provides the maintenance team a secure space for tools and materials, and the mobility required to maintain 75 units of low-income housing, a night shelter, three offices in Port Angeles, Forks, and Sequim, a youth drop-in center, and thrift store.

Community Development Grants Awarded:

Trinity United Methodist Church, $50,000 to make the 149-year-old building fully ADA compliant, doubling the number of community service organizations benefiting from their free and affordable function space, and continuing to serve as the only infant and drop-in childcare facility in Port Townsend.

Whatcom Family YMCA, $50,000 to support the construction of a new and larger early learning facility to alleviate the severe childcare shortage that Whatcom County is experiencing.

Community Support Grants Awarded:

Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network: $5,000 for the Grab & Go Meal Program, which provides prepared meals for distribution by three nonprofits on Bainbridge Island and in North Kitsap to people experiencing food insecurity as a result of the current economic crisis.

Bainbridge Island Boys & Girls Clubs: $5,000 for full-day childcare services and meet the growing need caused by COVID-19 for affordable childcare, remote learning support, peer connection, physical activity, and social-emotional growth opportunities.

Blue Skies for Children: $5,000 to provide bicycles and helmets, school-related computers and flash drives, tutoring, graduation fees and more for approximately 40 children, ages 6-18, who are homeless, low-income, or in foster care in Whatcom County.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula: $10,000 for the Learning Support Center in Sequim, funding increased staffing, upgraded technology for virtual learning, and new equipment to provide safe, direct educational support for more low-to moderate-income, disadvantaged children, ages 6-18.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County: $10,000 to fund scholarships for 40 children from low-income families to engage in online classes and receive additional academic, emotional, and social support in safe, equipped and supervised distanced learning sites.

Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: $5,000 to fund supplies for the volunteer Olympic Bluebill Builders, retired engineers who install life-saving safety equipment such as access ramps, grab bars, and handrails in the homes of the elderly and those with disabilities in Kitsap, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties.

Communities In Schools of Whatcom County: $10,000 to increase trauma-informed, one-to-one and group tele-mentoring for in-risk and at-risk, homeless, and extremely low-income students, connecting them to needed basic resources, technology and a caring adult who will coach them through these difficult times of isolation, frustration and other potential risk factors.

Helpline House, $10,000 to support Helpline House’s Kid’s Pantry Program. This program provides 100 bags of nutritious, kid-friendly foods to meet the weekly needs of Kitsap County’s children, which is particularly needed now that free or reduced-price lunch through schools is not available.

Jefferson County Farmers Markets Association, $10,000 to strengthen the food security of those with low incomes by offering a dollar-for-dollar match when shoppers use SNAP or other food assistance currencies to purchase nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables at any of seven farmers markets in Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam Counties.

Kitsap Conservation District: $5,000 for the Farm-to-Food Bank Program, delivering fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms to the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition, providing hungry community members with healthy food while also supporting a vibrant local farm economy.

Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center: $5,000 to serve immigrant families affected by the pandemic by providing rent, energy, legal and food assistance, and more.

Morningside: $5,000 for the High School Transition Program, a skill-building, weekly job club which prepares Clallam County students with disabilities, ages 16-21, for work, inclusion, and independence after graduation.

North Olympic Foster Parent Association, $5,000 to update the clothing closet with new and necessary items, purchase backpacks and school supplies, and furnish items needed for the Annual Holiday Dinner, all in support of Clallam County’s foster children and foster families.

Northwest Youth Services: $10,000 for the REVIVE Behavioral Health Program, which provides access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for Whatcom County’s low-income youth and young adults experiencing housing instability and homelessness.

Olympic Angels: $5,000 to engage 80 new community volunteers to provide long-term relational support, and make deep connections with 30 new foster children and their caretakers in Jefferson and Clallam Counties in the year 2021.

Port Angeles Food Bank, $10,000 to support the food bank in optimizing their operations, developing staff and board capacity, and growing their volunteer program in preparation for an expected increase in usage caused by the pandemic, as well as the Food Bank’s upcoming move and facility expansion.

Puget Sound Voyaging Society’s Community Boat Project: $5,000 for Shelter From The Storm, a job, leadership and life skills training program, with paid internships for post-high schoolers, ages 18-25, in Jefferson County.

Scarlet Road: $5,000 to increase case management hours and serve more clients through the Aftercare Program in Kitsap County, which empowers survivors of sexual exploitation to achieve self-sufficiency.

Skookum Kids: $5,000 for the Academic Mentors program that serves 60+ Whatcom County foster families by providing weekly one-on-one mentoring for students with a safe and healthy adult to help them catch up and stay on track with their schooling.

Soroptimist International Of Port Angeles Jet Set: $5,000 for Live Your Dreams Awards, a grant program that provides women in Clallam County, who are the primary financial support for their families and who are overcoming enormous obstacles, with resources to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects.

The Answer For Youth: $5,000 for the STAR Lab, providing access to computer labs, 10 months of grade school and high school tutoring, and 12 months of job skills training and job search assistance to homeless, disadvantaged, and marginalized youth and young adults in Clallam County.

Washington State University Kitsap Extension, $5,000 to purchase a movable cold storage trailer system that will allow fresh produce to be transported to and from food access sites for use by Kitsap Harvest and other area nonprofits’ food programs.

Wild Bird Charity: $10,000 for the Wild Bird Starfish Food Bag Program that provides nutritious, kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare weekend meals for children who qualify for free or reduced meals in school districts in Whatcom County.

COVID-19 Emergency Response Grants Awarded:

Clallam Community Foundation (United Way of Clallam County), $25,000 for the COVID-19 Fund.

Jefferson Community Foundation, $25,000 for the COVID Emergency Response Fund.

Jefferson County Farmers Markets Association, $12,000 to extend the dollar-for-dollar match when shoppers use SNAP and other food assistance currencies at Farmers Markets in Jefferson, Kitsap and Clallam Counties. This additional funding doubles the value of food assistance currencies, strengthens food security and helps sustain local farms and farmers.

Jefferson Healthcare Foundation‘s Healthcare Worker Assistance Fund, $10,000 to underwrite a portion of the cost of childcare for Jefferson Healthcare staff, relieving some of the burden so they may continue working in pharmacy, nursing, registration, oncology and throughout Jefferson’s Healthcare System.

Kitsap Community Foundation and United Way of Kitsap, $25,000 for the Unity in the Community Fund.

Olympic Medical Center Foundation in Port Angeles, $16,000 to purchase COVID-19 testing equipment, increasing the region’s rapid testing capabilities for residents across the North Olympic Peninsula.

The Arc of the Peninsulas, $22,000 to fund the Full Circle Meals Program, providing meals to the underserved and those on the “front lines” during the COVID crisis, while supporting the Kitsap restaurant community and helping to restore the local economy.

Whatcom Community Foundation, $25,000 for The Resilience Fund.

Economic Development Grants Awarded:

Key City Public Theatre: $30,000 for the completion of the Facility Expansion and Improvement Project, to provide for better accessibility, address COVID-related safety issues, and reopen the Theatre, which contributes to the sustainability of Port Townsend’s historic districts.

Port Angeles Waterfront Center’s Field Arts & Event Hall: $50,000 to underwrite the construction costs to achieve LEED Certification, which directly contributes to reducing carbon emissions, energy and waste, conserving water, prioritizing safer materials, lowering community exposure to toxins, and reducing operating costs.

The Port Townsend Main Street Program: $65,000 for an events and marketing campaign that supports the sustainability of local businesses, increases Port Townsend’s visibility and attracts people and spending to the business districts that have been hard hit economically by the pandemic.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 16, 2020

NONPROFITS SERVING CLALLAM, JEFFERSON, KITSAP & WHATCOM COUNTIES SHARE $365,000 IN GRANT AWARDS

First Federal Community Foundation Announces Fall 2020 Grant Recipients

Port Angeles, Washington – Twenty-five nonprofit organizations will share a total of $365,000 in grant funding as part of First Federal Community Foundation’s Fall 2020 grant cycle, the Foundation has announced.

Grant recipients include nonprofit organizations that provide community support, address the availability of affordable housing, and deliver community and economic development projects. “Since it began making grants in 2015, the Foundation has contributed a total of $4,441,500 to difference-making organizations in Clallam, Jefferson, Kitsap, and Whatcom Counties,” said Foundation Executive Director, Jan Simon.

“All of the recipients in our Fall 2020 grant cycle are focused on improving lives in our communities, a mission that is even more urgent during these challenging times,” Ms. Simon noted.

First Federal Community Foundation Board Chairman, Norman J. Tonina, said that the Foundation is proud to play an even more critical role in our communities as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to make a devastating impact on people’s lives. “We are acutely aware that many of our neighbors are experiencing great difficulty, with the ranks of the most vulnerable increasing daily. It’s our honor to provide support to these worthy organizations that are providing a lifeline to so many in need.”

Fall 2020 Grant Awards were made to:

• Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the Grab & Go Meal Program, which provides prepared meals for distribution by three nonprofits on Bainbridge Island and in North Kitsap to people experiencing food insecurity as a result of the current economic crisis.

• Bainbridge Island Boys & Girls Clubs: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide full-day childcare services and meet the growing need caused by COVID-19 for affordable childcare, remote learning support, peer connection, physical activity, and social-emotional growth opportunities.

• Bayside Housing & Services: $25,000 Affordable Housing Grant to provide essential services, including transitional housing, meals, and case management assistance in finding jobs and permanent housing, for two Jefferson County families of three for one year.

• Blue Skies for Children: $5,000 Community Support Grant to provide bicycles and helmets, school-related computers and flash drives, tutoring, graduation fees and more for approximately 40 children, ages 6-18, who are homeless, low-income, or in foster care in Whatcom County.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula: $10,000 Community Support Grant for the Learning Support Center in Sequim, funding increased staffing, upgraded technology for virtual learning, and new equipment to provide safe, direct educational support for more low-to moderate-income, disadvantaged children, ages 6-18.

• Boys & Girls Clubs of Whatcom County: $10,000 Community Support Grant to fund scholarships for 40 children from low-income families to engage in online classes and receive additional academic, emotional, and social support in safe, equipped and supervised distanced learning sites.

• Catholic Community Services of Western Washington: $5,000 Community Support Grant to fund supplies for the volunteer Olympic Bluebill Builders, retired engineers who install life-saving safety equipment such as access ramps, grab bars, and handrails in the homes of the elderly and those with disabilities in Kitsap, Clallam, and Jefferson Counties.

• Communities In Schools of Whatcom County: $10,000 Community Support Grant to increase trauma-informed, one-to-one and group tele-mentoring for in-risk and at-risk, homeless, and extremely low-income students, connecting them to needed basic resources, technology and a caring adult who will coach them through these difficult times of isolation, frustration and other potential risk factors.

• Jefferson Community Foundation’s Housing Solutions Network: $25,000 Affordable Housing Grant to promote Jefferson County’s economic recovery by protecting and expanding the availability of affordable housing for its workforce with “Housing Connections,” a program that trains new landlords, connects them to local lenders for renovations, and also helps match them to renters.

• Key City Public Theatre: $30,000 Economic Development Grant for the completion of the Facility Expansion and Improvement Project, to provide for better accessibility, address COVID-related safety issues, and reopen the Theatre, which contributes to the sustainability of Port Townsend’s historic districts.

• Kitsap Conservation District: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the Farm-to-Food Bank Program, delivering fresh fruits and vegetables from local farms to the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition, providing hungry community members with healthy food while also supporting a vibrant local farm economy.

• Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center: $5,000 Community Support Grant to serve immigrant families affected by the pandemic by providing rent, energy, legal and food assistance, and more.

• Morningside: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the High School Transition Program, a skill-building, weekly job club which prepares Clallam County students with disabilities, ages 16-21, for work, inclusion, and independence after graduation.

• Northwest Youth Services: $10,000 Community Support Grant for the REVIVE Behavioral Health Program, which provides access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment for Whatcom County’s low-income youth and young adults experiencing housing instability and homelessness.

• Olympic Angels: $5,000 Community Support Grant to engage 80 new community volunteers to provide long-term relational support, and make deep connections with 30 new foster children and their caretakers in Jefferson and Clallam Counties in the year 2021.

• Parkview Services: $25,000 Affordable Housing Grant to provide no-cost HUD housing counseling services to prevent foreclosures for approximately 40 struggling homeowners in Whatcom, Kitsap, Clallam and Jefferson Counties.

• Port Angeles Waterfront Center’s Field Arts & Event Hall: $50,000 Economic Development Grant to underwrite the construction costs to achieve LEED Certification, which directly contributes to reducing carbon emissions, energy and waste, conserving water, prioritizing safer materials, lowering community exposure to toxins, and reducing operating costs.

• Puget Sound Voyaging Society’s Community Boat Project: $5,000 Community Support Grant for Shelter From The Storm, a job, leadership and life skills training program, with paid internships for post-high schoolers, ages 18-25, in Jefferson County.

• Scarlet Road: $5,000 Community Support Grant to increase case management hours and serve more clients through the Aftercare Program in Kitsap County, which empowers survivors of sexual exploitation to achieve self-sufficiency.

• Serenity House of Clallam County: $30,000 Affordable Housing Grant to purchase a service vehicle that provides the maintenance team a secure space for tools and materials, and the mobility required to maintain 75 units of low-income housing, a night shelter, three offices in Port Angeles, Forks, and Sequim, a youth drop-in center, and thrift store.

• Skookum Kids: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the Academic Mentors program that serves 60+ Whatcom County foster families by providing weekly one-on-one mentoring for students with a safe and healthy adult to help them catch up and stay on track with their schooling.

• Soroptimist International Of Port Angeles Jet Set: $5,000 Community Support Grant for Live Your Dreams Awards, a grant program that provides women in Clallam County, who are the primary financial support for their families and who are overcoming enormous obstacles, with resources to improve their education, skills, and employment prospects.

• The Answer For Youth: $5,000 Community Support Grant for the STAR Lab, providing access to computer labs, 10 months of grade school and high school tutoring, and 12 months of job skills training and job search assistance to homeless, disadvantaged, and marginalized youth and young adults in Clallam County.

• The Port Townsend Main Street Program: $65,000 Economic Development Grant to underwrite an events and marketing campaign that supports the sustainability of local businesses, increases Port Townsend’s visibility and attracts people and spending to the business districts that have been hard hit economically by the pandemic.

• Wild Bird Charity: $10,000 Community Support Grant for the Wild Bird Starfish Food Bag Program that provides nutritious, kid-friendly, easy-to-prepare weekend meals for children who qualify for free or reduced meals in school districts in Whatcom County.

ABOUT FIRST FEDERAL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION:

First Federal Community Foundation is a private charitable corporation that began making grants in 2015 with a gift of stock and cash valued at nearly $12 million from the parent company of First Federal, when the Bank was converted to a publicly traded company. This gift underscored First Federal’s commitment to continue its tradition of giving back to the communities it serves.

In that same spirit, First Federal Community Foundation is committed to creating broad impact and improving the quality of life in the communities in which First Federal, the Foundation’s sole donor, maintains full-service branches.

For more information, contact Jan Simon, Executive Director, at jan.simon@firstfedcf.org or 360-417-3112.

For a PDF version of this press release, click here.