Month: February 2023

In celebration of Black History Month, we asked Delmar Algee of Human Services to chat with our partners from the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance (TMA). The team at TMA is doing work today that will change the history of many people in our community. You will see in the video below a fantastic example of what can happen when people use their shared cultural experiences, knowledge, and respect to build bridges and develop trust. In many instances, it is only because of that common culture that a struggling person accepts an offer of help. Located in the Hilltop community in Tacoma, TMA works to prevent people in the African American community from sliding into homelessness.  Additionally, their staff reaches out to those without a home to give them the support and…

One of the best parts of this past week was meeting with the chairs of the four new employee resource groups (ERGs) that launch today! If you haven’t heard the term before, an ERG is an employee led, self-directed, voluntary group that offers employees an opportunity to network, develop their careers and help us attract new employees. ERGs offer people with similar interests or backgrounds the chance to meet on their own time to provide support, encouragement, allyship and some fun.  Currently, we have ERGs serving the LGBTQ+, Black/African-American, Hispanic/Latine, and Veteran employees. Along with Raul Leal-Trujillo of Human Resources, I met this week with the chairs of the four ERGs: Anika Moran (Human Services), Aaron Copado (PPW), Matt Milenkovic (Human Resources) and Eric Brown (PPW). They welcome everyone who…

  It was hard to watch.  A year ago, Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine. (Actually, the Russian efforts to subjugate Ukraine extends back to 2014 with the annexation of Crimea). Many of my generation and older can vividly recall Soviet tanks rolling into Czechoslovakia in 1968 to crush an independence movement - and before that in Hungary in 1958.  But this time was different.  The Ukrainian people stood up to what appeared to be the overwhelming Russian military.  They fought for their freedom - and I was inspired by their courage. But they could not stop the devastation wrought by the invading forces.  Cities, homes, schools, and hospitals were attacked, and many civilians had to flee their country which had become a war zone.  Millions of refugees fled - to…

This week we launched a critically important tool to make sure we serve everyone in Pierce County. The Equity Index website is now live and County employees are getting trained on how best to use this new way to consider the breadth and impact of our programs and initiatives. You can learn more about the Index here and I encourage you to check out the interactive maps that allow you to see how a proposed project can benefit those who need it most. [caption id="attachment_3866" align="aligncenter" width="1764"] A screenshot of the Equity Index across Pierce County[/caption] [caption id="attachment_3867" align="aligncenter" width="1679"] A screenshot of the map that shows access to a variety of services and support[/caption] I think it is fair to say that in the past, investments and policies were…