Submitted by Bruce Dammeier, Executive.
May is Community Action Programs (CAP) month around the U.S. and our team in Human Services deserves our appreciation for the important work they do serving our residents.
Pierce County’s CAP helps residents with early childhood education, energy assistance, rental assistance, home repairs, home weatherization and more. These are some of my favorite programs because of the direct impact they have on our neighbors. The smiles that come with a new wheelchair ramp, a repaired roof, or a young child who can say their ABC’s are awesome.
Carol Mensah manages the CAP division and give us a great explanation of the range of programs in this video:
My thanks to Carol for her leadership – and for sharing her personal story. Both Carol and Krysta are “paying it forward!”
It’s been a busy week for the CAP team as they celebrate their important work. Last Tuesday, representatives from CAP accepted a proclamation from the Council, and on Wednesday the CAP team participated in a ‘Poverty 101’ training. This professional development included presentations and activities meant to debunk common myths about poverty. They had to step into the shoes of their clients in a real-world scenario, prioritizing monthly bills with a minimum wage paycheck.
As I close, I want to remind you there is another important day to remember – Sunday, May 5 is Wear Red to commemorate missing and murdered Indigenous women and children.
You may not be aware but the County’s website includes a current list of missing Native individuals, and it is updated monthly. Sadly, eight people were added to the list last year, and another three already in 2024. I encourage you to look at the website and wear red on Sunday – and tell someone why you are doing it. We want to continue to build awareness and show support for the families and friends of these missing people.
Thanks for reading.
