We help improve well-being in communities with fewer opportunities for good health.
Check out our Communities of Focus 2024 Report!
See the work we’ve done, who we’ve worked with, and the impact of our partnership with you.
Want to join our monthly collaboration meeting on the 4th Tuesday each month?
Email us at communitiesoffocus@tpchd.org.
Zip codes shouldn’t matter
Zip codes shouldn’t decide people’s health. Neither should income or any other social or economic factor. But some Pierce County communities offer less access to opportunities to improve health than others.
We’re working to change that. We’re co-creating strategies with our Communities of Focus—East Tacoma, Key Peninsula, Parkland, South Tacoma, Springbrook and White River—to help ensure people who live, work and play there have a fair chance to be healthy no matter the zip code.
People who live in our Communities of Focus experience greater challenges to earn an income that’s not just livable but allows them to thrive. They also face barriers to access higher education and training. And those communities offer fewer options for affordable housing, transportation and healthy foods.
These factors all affect health and life expectancy. Communities of Focus is an essential program in our work to address systemic problems that harm people’s well-being in Pierce County.
Together, we co-created our vision statement with partners from all 6 Communities of Focus.
Vision
Communities of Focus are equitable neighborhoods where all people who live, learn, work and play thrive. (Photo: Springbrook Park.)
A thoughtful process to choose communities
When we began, we asked ourselves three questions:
- What does the data tell us?
- What do people in the community tell us is important?
- Which communities are interested in partnering with us and have the assets in place to do so?
We began with the 2015 Tacoma-Pierce County Health Equity Assessment. It compared people’s health in each Pierce County zip code. We looked at nine data points:
- Life expectancy.
- Poverty.
- Unemployment.
- High school graduation.
- Frequency of mental distress.
- Smoking.
- Obesity.
- Diabetes.
- Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
We came up with a list of 14 zip codes where those data points showed people had the worst health outcomes and fewest opportunities to improve them.
We then looked at how prepared we were to begin work in each area, as well as which communities were interested and able to work with us. We decided to start with places in which we’d already built relationships and begun the kind of work that supports lasting changes.
In 2017, we asked East Tacoma, Springbrook and Key Peninsula to partner with us as the first Communities of Focus. In 2018, we added White River, South Tacoma and Parkland.
Mission
We partner with Communities of Focus to establish and maintain mutually beneficial relationships to address inequities, strengthen partnerships and improve the overall health of Pierce County.
The work to improve community health
Once we’d established the Communities of Focus, we rolled up our sleeves. Between 2017 and February 2020, we worked with community partners to:
- Develop priorities. We used data and reached out to people to learn what they cared about. We looked for any overlap between our work and those priorities. We recruited staff with an emphasis on lived experience and trusted relationships.
- Create programs, policies, systems and environmental changes to improve health.
- Focus our work and measure it based on four strategies:
- Customer service, including how we make changes to the way we do our work based on community feedback.
- Partnerships, which lead to meaningful change in the community.
- Investments, including staffing, contracts and participatory budgeting.
- Civic engagement, which gives people a chance to lead and get more involved in their community Our goal is to share our platform with community leaders and empower emerging leaders to find their voices.
A starting point for our COVID-19 work
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we were able to quickly help our Communities of Focus. Our work and partnerships allowed us to:
- Engage groups COVID-19 disproportionately harmed on how best to help.
- We held listening sessions and learned how to help with things like food justice, safe and affordable housing, economic security, transportation and behavioral health.
- Create trusted testing sites, hand out masks, educate and engage people.
- Find trusted voices to help amplify vaccine messages.
- Hold more than 375 vaccine clinics in locations communities trusted.
- Invest more than $800,000 in community-based groups serving our Communities of Focus and People of Color.
Our future
Our COVID-19 work will help guide our Communities of Focus work forward. We learned how important it is to do things like:
- Co-create with partners and people who live, work and play in these communities.
- Center community leadership in decision-making.
- Measure each community’s strengths and needs.
We’ll use those lessons as we reorganize and refocus. We’ll work toward community-driven solutions to address complex problems like racism, housing and food access.
If you’d like to help, you can:
- Attend our meetings for partners and people who live, work and play in these communities. We hold those meetings on the fourth Tuesday of each month.
- Invest time and money in Communities of Focus.
- Ask how you can join the community-led planning meetings in each Community of Focus.
- Offer training and opportunities for community leadership.
- Share information about CoF with others.
- Contribute ideas and suggestions to improve conditions for health in CoF.
Want to work with our Communities of Focus? Email us at CommunitiesofFocus@tpchd.org.
Community coalitions
View tables below for a list of Pierce County community coalitions. Most coalitions meet online or in person. Contact the facilitator before attending, as changes may occur.
Questions? Contact Marcy Boulet at (253) 576-9582 or mboulet@tpchd.org or Tony Smith at tsmith@tpchd.org.
Geographic Youth and Human Services Coalitions
| Coalition | Website | Meeting info | Contact info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Community Services | bethelservices.org facebook.com/bethelcommunityservices | Fourth Tuesday, 3–4:30 p.m. Virtual via Zoom. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Erina Foote (253) 800-6850, ext. 6 bcsinfo@bethelservices.org |
| Eastside Collaborative | Third Friday, 11 a.m.–noon. Virtual via Teams. | Marcy Boulet mboulet@tpchd.org Tony Smith tsmith@tpchd.org | |
| Eastside Tacoma Community Leaders | Contact facilitator for meeting info. | Christian Lopez-Moreno voicetacoma@outlook.com | |
| Franklin Pierce Youth First! | fpyouthfirst.com facebook.com/fpyouthfirst instagram.com/fpyouthfirst | Third Friday, noon–1:30 p.m. | Rebecca Morales (253) 298-3074 Rmorales@fpschools.org |
| Hilltop Action Coalition | hilltopactioncoalition.org facebook.com/HilltopActionCoalition | Fourth Monday, 6–7:30 p.m. Bryant Neighborhood Center 1619 6th Ave., Tacoma | Jennifer Lacy (206) 941-6832 jlacyconsulting@gmail.com |
| Lakewood’s CHOICE | lakewoodschoice.com facebook.com/Lakewoodschoice | Fourth Wednesday, 3–4 p.m. Virtual via Zoom. Meeting ID: 845 0866 2732 Passcode: 104332 | Marcos Sauri marcos@lakewoodschoice.com Monique Ferrer monique@lakewoodschoice.com |
| Lakewood Community Collaboration | cityoflakewood.us | Second Wednesday, 9–10:30 a.m. In person, location changes monthly. Hybrid option via Zoom. | Shannon Bennett sbennett@cityoflakewood.us |
| North Pierce County Community Coalition Fife, Milton, Edgewood | First Tuesday, 4–5:30 p.m. Fife School District Boardroom 5802 20th St. E., Fife | Beth Ann Johnson bajohnsonfreelance@gmail.com | |
| Springbrook Connections | facebook.com/groups/1495382024089417 | Not currently meeting. Contact facilitator for more info. | Kinney Knauls (253) 302-3166 springbrookconnect2014@gmail.com |
| Sumner-Bonney Lake Communities For Families | sumnersd.org/community1/cff-coalition | First Thursday, 3–4:30 p.m. (does not meet in July). Gordon Family YMCA, 16101 64th St. E., Sumner Hybrid option via Teams. Contact facilitator for Teams link. | Marilee Hill-Anderson (253) 200-1856 marilee_hill-anderson@sumnersd.org |
| White River Families First Coalition | facebook.com/profile.php?id=100068642474757 | Fourth Monday, 3:30–5 p.m. Buckley Fire Station, 611 S. Division St., Buckley Hybrid option via Zoom. No meeting in July or December. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Mary Beth Holmes (206) 200-4229 marybethholmesprc@gmail.com |
| White River Partnership | sites.google.com/view/whiteriverpartnership/home | Second Monday, 10–11:30 a.m. Marion Grange Hall 27725 Sumner Buckley Hwy, Buckley Marion Grange Hall 27725 Sumner Buckley Hwy, Buckley Hybrid option via Zoom. | Meagan Rhoades meaganrhoades05@gmail.com Jer Argo jargo@whiteriver.wednet.edu |
Pierce County Health, Human Services, and Issue-based Coalitions
| Coalition | Website | Meeting info | Contact info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access and Functional Needs Coalition | Fourth Tuesday, 9 a.m. Pierce County Emergency Operations Center 2501 S. 35th St., Tacoma | Wyatt Godfrey (253) 798-2209 wyatt.godfrey@piercecountywa.gov | |
| Associated Ministries | associatedministries.org | Faith Community Quarterly Meetings Rotating Tacoma churches. | Sandy Windley (253) 426-1506 sandyw@associatedministries.org |
| Family Support Services Network | tpchd.org/fsp | Fourth Friday, 10–11:15 a.m. Virtual via Teams. | Juvy Bertoldo Radford (253) 649-1011 fspartnership@tpchd.org |
| FAST Team | First Wednesday, 1–2 p.m. Pierce County Emergency Operations Center 2501 S. 35th St., Tacoma | Wyatt Godfrey (253) 798-2209 wyatt.godfrey@piercecountywa.gov | |
| Kids Mental Health Pierce County | kidsmentalhealthpiercecounty.org | Last Thursday, 1–2:30 p.m. Virtual via Teams. | Ashley Magnum ashley.mangum@multicare.org |
| Latinx Unidos of the South Sound (LUSS) | facebook.com/LatinxUnidos | Third Saturday, 10 a.m.–noon. Contact facilitators to request Zoom link. | Anaid Yerena & Lorenzo Cervantes latinxunidossouthsound@gmail.com |
| Leaders in Women’s Health | Leadersinwomenshealth.org facebook.com/TacomaBreastHealth youtube.com/channel/UCDaMU-8aXcOZOTTPQHrtWBQ | Second Wednesday. Virtual via Zoom. | Alicia Klein & Leah Ford admin@leadersinwomenshealth.org |
| Mid-County Leadership | Meets in-person 3 times during the school year. Usually on a Wednesday, 8–9:30 a.m. in January, April, and October on the PLU campus. Contact facilitator for more info. | Lance Goodpaster lgoodpaster@fpschools.org (253) 298-3010 | |
| Perinatal Collaborative of Pierce County | tpchd.org/healthy-people/family-health/pcpc | Quarterly meetings. Second Monday, noon–1:30 p.m. Visit our website to register for email notifications and to receive Zoom meeting invitations. | Jax Hermer jhermer@tpchd.org |
| Pierce County Aging and Disability Resource Center Community Forum | Fourth Wednesdays of September, November, January, and March via Zoom. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Matt Santelli (253) 348-1065 matthew.santelli@piercecountywa.gov | |
| Pierce County Community Engagement Taskforce | workforce-central.org/pccetf | Bi-monthly first Wednesday, 9–11 a.m. | Tamar Jackson (253) 254-7348 tjackson@workforce-central.org |
| Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness | pchomeless.org | Fridays, 9–11 a.m. | info@pchomeless.org |
| Pierce County Human Services Coalition | facebook.com/PierceCountyHSC | Meetings are held 4–6 times a year. Usually at Community Health Care Hilltop Clinic. Contact facilitator to join mailing list and receive meeting info. | Courtenay Chamberlin (253) 380-0681 buildingastrongercommunity@gmail.com |
| Pierce County Immunization Coalition | facebook.com/PierceCountyImmunizationCoalition | Fourth Friday, 7–8:30 a.m. Virtual via Zoom. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Kate Cranfield (253) 649-1770 PierceCountyImmsCoalition@gmail.com |
| Pierce County Oral Health Coalition (PCOHC) | pcohc.org | Second Wednesday, 1–3 p.m. Virtual via Zoom. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Dawn Jacobs (253) 579-5695 djacobs@tpchd.org |
| Pierce County Prevention Collaborative (PC2) | tpchd.org/keeptalking | PC2 Leadership Team Fourth Monday, noon–1 p.m. (Leadership Team only) PC2 Regional Meetings September (virtual); December (in person); March (virtual); and June (in person). Contact facilitator for time and date. | Monique Meyers (253) 377-5349 mmeyers@tpchd.org |
| Pierce County Early Childhood Network | facebook.com/PCECN instagram.com/pcecn1 | First Wednesday Virtual meeting. More info and to register: pcecn.org/partnership-meeting | Muriel Herrera-Velasquez muriel@pcecn.org |
| Pierce County Early Childhood Network Action Teams Childcare Voice, Data, Equity, Family Voice, Health Provider Voice, Policy and Advocacy, and Resource Navigation and Access | Visit our website to find more info and register to join us at monthly Action Team meetings: pcecn.org/action-teams | Muriel Herrera-Velasquez muriel@pcecn.org | |
| Puget Sound Asthma Coalition | psacasthma.com | Third Thursday, noon–1 p.m. Virtual via Zoom. | Denise Frakes dfbluesky@yahoo.com |
| Puyallup Coalition to End Homelessness | Second Tuesday, 9 a.m. Puyallup Library 324 S. Meridian, Puyallup | ||
| Tacoma-Pierce County Black Collective | theblackcollective.org facebook.com/BlackCollectiveNW | Every Saturday 8:45–10 a.m. Virtual via Zoom. Contact facilitator for Zoom link. | Christina Blocker christina@momentumpsp.com Korbett Mosesly korbettm@gmail.com |
| The REACH Center Community Networking Meeting | First Wednesday The REACH Center, First Floor 714 S. 27th St., Tacoma |
Grant writing help
Need help writing grants? We have tools for you!
Watch our Grant Writing 101 Training and Funding Cornucopia video provided by our partnership with Virginia Mason Franciscan Health and find some other helpful resources.
Communities of Focus in the news
- The Key Peninsula has become a Community of Focus (Key Peninsula News)
- Pierce County nurses make house calls to give COVID-19 vaccines (KING-5 News).
- Vaccination rates in rural Pierce County are low. A local pastor wants to change that (The News Tribune).
- Tacoma has $100K for arts on the Eastside, South End. Residents will decide how it’s spent (The News Tribune).
Learn more
- Connecting people with help they need in Key Peninsula and White River.
- White River community heroes unite.
- Community priorities handout.
- BOH study session, October 19, with Tono Sablan and Zena Galindo from Springbrook (Begins at 2:10).
- How we’re helping older people and those who face barriers to vaccination.
- Sharing Power to Improve Population Health: Participatory Budgeting and Policy Making.