Tacoma Community House and Tacoma Historical Society partner for upcoming TCH Centennial
As far as nonprofits go, 100 years is a long time. A lot of things happen to an organization over a century and documenting them can be difficult at best. Tacoma Community House has done a great job of documenting the major historical shifts that have occurred in our history, but some of the more intricate elements that have caused those shifts are hidden in the past. Since TCH will be celebrating its centennial next year, the board and management have deemed it important to reflect upon the past 100 years and explore the details of our organization. The Tacoma Historical Society will help Tacoma Community House uncover those details over the next six months. Tacoma Historical Society (THS) is a volunteer-supported, local nonprofit organization dedicated to telling Tacoma's stories and raising awareness of the unique social, political, and cultural history of Tacoma. When TCH Development / Communications Officer Derrick Rhayn ran into the Tacoma Historical Society Executive Director Mary Bowlby last winter at a conference, he jumped at the chance to partner. "I realized that we had access to an organization that specializes in research, storytelling, and presentation. This is just the connection we needed to jumpstart our research for our Centennial Celebration."
From there, conversations began between the two organizations about how they could collaborate to fulfill overlapping goals: For TCH, it was uncovering linkages, stories, participants, and other parts of its history that have made it what it is today. For THS, it was telling another important story that is part of Tacoma's intricate and captivating history.
Beginning in June 2009, THS will be providing a researcher to support TCH in its efforts to explore and document their history. This will be a six-month process that will conclude in December of this year. At the end of that time, TCH will have a published history, a better understanding of the shifts in its history, and an idea of who the major players have been over the last 100 years. TCH and THS are exploring creating an exhibit at the THS exhibit space.
"This is a great example of collaboration between two nonprofits to meet mutual goals and fulfill mutual missions," Rhayn said. "I'm excited about what will be uncovered, and what we will learn about the DNA of TCH that has made us such a successful and distinctive organization."
Stay tuned to TCH for updates on this exciting project, and if you have a connection that you would like to share, please go to our website and fill out the short Centennial Connections Survey.
TCH’s Employment NOW Program receives $115,907 allocation from City of Tacoma
The economic recession is impacting communities across the country, and Tacoma is not immune. The latest figures show that jobless rate in Pierce County is 10.6%, which is double what it was in spring 2008. This trend has certainly impacted businesses and the economy of the Greater Tacoma area. As part of the national response, the City of Tacoma recently received an additional $772,715 in Community Development Block Grant funds as part of the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly referred to as the stimulus package. These funds are intended to get projects started quickly and to create new jobs. The city will use these funds to support a variety of projects in Tacoma.
One of the elements of this block grant is work readiness trainings and assistance for those who are out of work. The city solicited proposals from local nonprofits for this funding, and the Human Services Commission evaluated the proposals, which were received from five local nonprofit agencies. After review, the Human Services Commission awarded the entire allocation of nearly $116,000 to Tacoma Community House.
This grant supports Employment Now, which works with unemployed individuals to help them find jobs and to develop the skills they need to be employed. The program provides workshops on various topics, case management, assistance in job searching, help creating résumés, and support in learning how to market skills and experiences. Additionally, the program provides support to participants in looking for jobs online including assisting them as they fill out online job applications. For those who are in need of basic skills, English classes, or GED classes, Tacoma Community House provides those services on site and can link Employment Now participants to those programs.
An estimated 950 city residents will access this program over the next 19 months, bringing the total for Employment Now to 1,500 over the next 18 months. This program is a direct response to the need for more job training services in our community, and is one way that Tacoma Community House is improving our community.
Learn more about the city's stimulus money in the Tacoma Weekly's article this week