Community forum on April 28, 2018 at Tacoma Convention Center. This page has power points, pictures and evaluation information from the forum. Check out the follow-up presentation to Pierce County here as well.
This community forum was intended to educate the public about homelessness countywide. Homelessness is an emergency that is growing continuously. It is invisible; we only see about 5% of the people who are experiencing homelessness, and those we don't see are not people we normally think of as people who would be experiencing homelessness.
The forum was intended to inspire community action countywide to mitigate the effects of poverty, which is the cause of homelessness
Participants could attend any or all of the sessions.
Take a look at the program here. This contains the agenda and the bio of each speaker.
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At left, Keynote Speaker Pamela Oakes, Gates Foundation. Ms. Oakes was introduced by Cassandra Mitchell, KeyBank, at right.
The day closed with a panel discussion among elected officials.
Left to right, WA State Senator Jeannie Darneille, Pierce County Councilmember Connie Ladenburg, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards; and Moderator Cynthia Stewart, President, League of Women Voters of Tacoma-Pierce County.
Ms. Colby presents data and offers observations about Pierce County homelessness at this point in time.
Two of the other presenters on this panel were LaCreasha Jackson (above, left) and Samantha Iverson, McKinney-Vento liaison at Tacoma Public Schools (above, right). Not pictured was Gerrit Nyland, Catholic Community Services.
Closing the Affordable Housing Gap by Damiel Murillo
and Jill Severn, representing Quixote Village, a community of tiny houses located in Olympia, WA.
and Jacques Colon, Equity Health Coordinator, Pierce County Public Health Department.
Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities Report Summary
Comments by Adriane Wilson, an African-American citizen who has been homeless, are here.
Shown above, left to right, Gwen Whiting, Susan Rohrer and Ned Witting, convener for the discussion.
See the presentation to the Pierce County Council Select Committee on Human Services here: https://online.co.pierce.wa.us/cfapps/council/iview/committeeMeeting.cfm?id=3120 (fast-forward to approximately 20 minutes). This page includes links to the power point and supplemental handouts as well.
See guest editorial by Larry Seaquist and Cynthia Stewart in the News Tribune, July 7, 2018, https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/article214416329.html.