Greetings neighbors, I’m here today to state the obvious: kids are only kids once — no do-overs. And too many of them are struggling to thrive. Being and doing our best as a community to help set children up for success means making their mental health a priority. That priority got a purposeful boost in 2022, with encouraging results. And now that progress is at risk, even...
Are you ready to make a real difference in your community? The Youth Philanthropy Project invites high school students from across Whatcom County to step into the role of community changemaker. As part of this leadership program, you’ll learn how philanthropy works from the inside—exploring local issues, reviewing grant proposals, and deciding how to invest...
Earlier this year, the Whatcom Community Foundation partnered with the City of Bellingham to learn together about the needs and challenges of our local small and mid-sized housing and shelter providers. The findings were compiled in the a report in September 2023: Capacity Building for small and mid-sized housing and shelter providers: Needs, priorities, and...
Hello neighbors! What a stunning summer it’s been, especially considering the extreme heat experienced virtually everywhere else in the country. But our community has not wholly escaped the consequences of hot dry conditions– as I write, the Sourdough fire is not expected to be contained until October; I just spoke with partners about relief funding for...
Hi Neighbors - We’re focusing this and the next two issues of THRIVE on economic opportunity in Whatcom County. With such a big topic, it’s good to start at the beginning — so let’s talk about babies! After that, we’ll look at the many benefits of employee ownership and then conclude with the Millworks, a community...
Friends - As part of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re spotlighting the state of youth mental health in Whatcom County. Tragically, as many of you have seen in the news, a young person in our community died by suicide earlier this week. So here we are, living the statistics outlined below. We wrestled with whether...
