In April_2019, Ronita was let go from her job as a Program Specialist with a local managed care organization. Three days after being let go from her job a community member knocked on her door to share the “good news of the gospel”, as the community member shared Ronita learned the community member was a retired pastor, 81 years young, played the banjo, built banjo’s, had computer skills (creating websites, using skype, creating YouTube videos, etc) and wanted to start a bible study in the community. He also was caregiving, for his wife who was 80 years young. He shared that his wife had a couple of hip surgeries and fell a few times in their home. They didn’t have any nearby family to provide support and were not aware of the state or county assistance that could provide in- home care support, for assistance. Ronita shared these resources with the community members and offered to assist with linking to these services.
In turn the community member begins to introduce Ronita to other community members he had been meeting, sharing the gospel with those he realized could use help with connecting to community resources. One of those community members was a young Hispanic woman,who had some chronic health issues and three small children with disabilities. Ronita learned that the young woman next door neighbor had been providing transportation, to and from doctor’s appointments to the young woman and children and providing advocacy assistance @ the doctor’s and school, for the past three years w/out any pay. The neighbor was not aware of state services that could pay her for the services she’d been providing. Ronita learned that this neighbor had relocated to Graham, from Maryland with her husband, had worked as an administrator @ the Galledat University for Deaf and Hard Hearing, knew American Sign Language (ASL) and was a seamstress. However, was not connected to any community resources where she could use her skills and shared knowledge, but she was meeting the needs of her neighbor filling the gaps. Ronita shared these resources with the community members and offered to assist the community members in navigating and linking to other resources that will be beneficial to her professional development. Ronita started mentoring this neighbor, helping her w/business development as a seamstress, independent contractor consultant as an ASL, certified Peer Counselor, licensed home care aide and currently working as a Peer Navigator Advocate/Mentor with CwCC. We all agreed as community members there was plenty of need in our neighborhoods to identify and connect our community members who were isolated, unaware of the various needed resources and how to navigate them for their quality of life and community engagement. We all had a desire, passion, and compassion to come together as neighbors, in the community to serve our most marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members, in Graham, surrounding rural areas and cities.
In October,2019, Ronita filed to become officially a 501(c) 3 nonprofit with the IRS, but the following year, in March 2020, COVID19 pandemic started disrupting services negatively impacting everyone, especially our most marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members. December,2020, CwCC applied for our first grant, $25,000. Ronita was able to purchase computers and equipment needed to outreach remotely to community members, to help navigate needed resources. CwCC had a volunteer team of 6 that provided direct services outreach, and professional services (accounting etc). In March,2021, Ronita contracted with Washington, Healthcare Authority as a “Foundational Community Supports” (FCS) provider, to provide supported housing, and employment services. CwCC also was awarded a grant, from Wa Office of Crime Victim Assistance (OCVA) to provide “Crime Victim Services” to community members.
Currently CwCC, has a team of 7, Peer Navigator Advocates (PNA) that are “Certified Peer Counselors “individuals with “Lived Experience”, providing “systems navigation” and advocacy, for our “core” services (supported housing, employment, and crime victim services) to community members, in Pierce, King, and Thurston counties. We received funding this current fiscal year (June1, 2022-July 30,2023-24) to expand our services and establish our “Health Wellness Empowerment’ program initiatives. CwCC is working to secure a building/office space, in unincorporated Pierce County as our homebase, for community development, and providing our “Health Wellness Empowerment'' program initiatives to our “Black Indigenous People of Color” (BIPoC), marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members, in this community and surrounding rural cities. CwCC has established a Recovery Residence, located in Graham, “Caring with Compassion Community House '' (CwCCH), that has been accredited by '' Washington Alliance For Quality Residences (WAQRR). CwCC has partnered with Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA), as “Microenterprise Development Organization” (MDO) to provide business development, technical assistance, to small business owners, entrepreneurs, in (BIPoC), marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members. CwCC was awarded the 2021-2022 Statewide & Urban Grants, for nonprofits MDO’s. CwCC helped 17 individuals with technical assistance navigating funding resources and business planning development, to create economic community development and financial empowerment. CwCC’s Mission is to practice person-centered care with a trauma-informed approach to ensure the physical and mental safety of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), underserved individuals, or are victims of criminal assault. We support everyone's potential, recognizing and building on their strength, and valuing purpose through community. This is our story…..
In turn the community member begins to introduce Ronita to other community members he had been meeting, sharing the gospel with those he realized could use help with connecting to community resources. One of those community members was a young Hispanic woman,who had some chronic health issues and three small children with disabilities. Ronita learned that the young woman next door neighbor had been providing transportation, to and from doctor’s appointments to the young woman and children and providing advocacy assistance @ the doctor’s and school, for the past three years w/out any pay. The neighbor was not aware of state services that could pay her for the services she’d been providing. Ronita learned that this neighbor had relocated to Graham, from Maryland with her husband, had worked as an administrator @ the Galledat University for Deaf and Hard Hearing, knew American Sign Language (ASL) and was a seamstress. However, was not connected to any community resources where she could use her skills and shared knowledge, but she was meeting the needs of her neighbor filling the gaps. Ronita shared these resources with the community members and offered to assist the community members in navigating and linking to other resources that will be beneficial to her professional development. Ronita started mentoring this neighbor, helping her w/business development as a seamstress, independent contractor consultant as an ASL, certified Peer Counselor, licensed home care aide and currently working as a Peer Navigator Advocate/Mentor with CwCC. We all agreed as community members there was plenty of need in our neighborhoods to identify and connect our community members who were isolated, unaware of the various needed resources and how to navigate them for their quality of life and community engagement. We all had a desire, passion, and compassion to come together as neighbors, in the community to serve our most marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members, in Graham, surrounding rural areas and cities.
In October,2019, Ronita filed to become officially a 501(c) 3 nonprofit with the IRS, but the following year, in March 2020, COVID19 pandemic started disrupting services negatively impacting everyone, especially our most marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members. December,2020, CwCC applied for our first grant, $25,000. Ronita was able to purchase computers and equipment needed to outreach remotely to community members, to help navigate needed resources. CwCC had a volunteer team of 6 that provided direct services outreach, and professional services (accounting etc). In March,2021, Ronita contracted with Washington, Healthcare Authority as a “Foundational Community Supports” (FCS) provider, to provide supported housing, and employment services. CwCC also was awarded a grant, from Wa Office of Crime Victim Assistance (OCVA) to provide “Crime Victim Services” to community members.
Currently CwCC, has a team of 7, Peer Navigator Advocates (PNA) that are “Certified Peer Counselors “individuals with “Lived Experience”, providing “systems navigation” and advocacy, for our “core” services (supported housing, employment, and crime victim services) to community members, in Pierce, King, and Thurston counties. We received funding this current fiscal year (June1, 2022-July 30,2023-24) to expand our services and establish our “Health Wellness Empowerment’ program initiatives. CwCC is working to secure a building/office space, in unincorporated Pierce County as our homebase, for community development, and providing our “Health Wellness Empowerment'' program initiatives to our “Black Indigenous People of Color” (BIPoC), marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members, in this community and surrounding rural cities. CwCC has established a Recovery Residence, located in Graham, “Caring with Compassion Community House '' (CwCCH), that has been accredited by '' Washington Alliance For Quality Residences (WAQRR). CwCC has partnered with Washington State Microenterprise Association (WSMA), as “Microenterprise Development Organization” (MDO) to provide business development, technical assistance, to small business owners, entrepreneurs, in (BIPoC), marginalized, vulnerable, underserved community members. CwCC was awarded the 2021-2022 Statewide & Urban Grants, for nonprofits MDO’s. CwCC helped 17 individuals with technical assistance navigating funding resources and business planning development, to create economic community development and financial empowerment. CwCC’s Mission is to practice person-centered care with a trauma-informed approach to ensure the physical and mental safety of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), underserved individuals, or are victims of criminal assault. We support everyone's potential, recognizing and building on their strength, and valuing purpose through community. This is our story…..