The LOOP Newsletter: October 2021
The Pierce County Community Engagement Task Force is making many new and exciting changes that will help us collaborate, grow, and continue to bring economic mobility to individuals and families in Pierce County.
Our main meetings will now be held every other month to provide more time to focus on our initiatives. However, we will always have spaces for conversations. Our new bi-monthly email newsletter provides information on future meetings, events, and more so we can all stay connected…
Initiative Updates
Collaboration for a Cause was started in 2020 to fill the vast need for disaster-relief goods at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force has since joined with Goodwill to continue holding large-scale collaborative events to provide much-needed resources and services to Pierce County’s most hard-hit areas.
NEXT MEETING
Thursday, October 21, 1 – 2 pm
The Collaboration for a Cause Initiative meets on the third Thursday of every month.
The Lens of Equity recently completed our Lens of Equity Mini-Series, which focused on the four components of an equitable organization: People, Policy, Practice, and Promotion. The committee is currently planning a 2022 summit for organizations to learn how to start their journey toward a healthy workplace culture.
NEXT MEETING
Tuesday, October 19, 10 – 11 am
The Lens of Equity Initiative meets on the third Tuesday of every month.
The Speaker’s Bureau offers speakers who have lived experience with homelessness and other challenges to organizations and agencies for presentations. Our goal is to have these stories be used as a sounding board for new ideas and initiatives to better serve our community.
NEXT MEETING
Thursday, October 21, 3 – 4 pm
The Speaker’s Bureau Initiative meets on the third Thursday of every month.
In case you missed it
The Corner
In our latest episode of The Corner, we spoke with special guest Samuel Bradshaw, Business Solutions Manager at WorkForce Central. The Business Solutions Team at WorkForce Central provides rapid wrap-around services to businesses in Pierce County including hiring support to find qualified candidates, connection to upskilling and training for workers, layoff response services and prevention, and more. Click here to watch the video and learn more about the work WorkForce Central’s Business Solutions team is doing in the community.
Hire 253 – Project Homeless Connect
On September 17, HIRE 253 in partnership with Project Homeless Connect served over 160 attendees and provided resources on registering to vote, childcare, veteran resources, health insurance, employment, and more. Click here to read more about the event.
Task Force Speaker Speaks Out
Growing up, Nastachia Frederick experienced physical, mental, and sexual abuse. Today, she shares her story to help others enduring hard times. As a Task Force Speaker, Nastachia was recently featured on Facilitating Voices: An Outlet Podcast. Listen to the conversation here.
Next Task Force Meeting
Native American Heritage
Join us at next month’s Task Force meeting on Wednesday, November 3 from 9 to 11 a.m. as we discuss and move forward with our initiatives. Our featured presentation for November will be centered on Native American Heritage.
Our guest speaker is Kimber Starr, who is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and descendant of Muscogee Creek. Kimber is the Executive Director of the Tahoma Community Land Trust, which focuses on creating generational wealth and affordable housing for BIPOC and low-income peoples across Pierce County. She is a community organizer, local realtor, a 2023 MPA Candidate at the University of Washington, and a single mom to two kids and one dog.
Featured upcoming events
Held on October 8 from 5 to 7 pm at the Urban Elk in Tacoma, the Task Force Social will give us the opportunity to network and reconnect. We are looking forward to meeting you in person, especially as we launch additional workshops and conversations within the Task Force. Please be sure to RSVP here so we can get a headcount for the event.
Hire Pierce County virtual job fairs will land on the third Thursday of every month for the remainder of the year on October 21, November 18, and December 16. The Hire Pierce County job fair employer interest form can be found by clicking here. For more information, email BusinessSolutions@workforce-central.org.
To join an initiative or receive an invite to our meetings, email
Chloe Wilhelm at cwilhelm@workforce-central.org.
