Pierce College student turns class project into successful non-profit

As part of the coursework for Management 283 or Principles of Management, Dr. Paul Gerhardt asks his students to come up with a business plan for a non-profit organization. For Shatone Martin, the class project had perfect timing.  

“I went to my teammates and said: I actually have this idea, and I want to start this in real life,” Martin said. Her teammates agreed and the project became the start of Lifting Spirits with Helping Hands, a 501c3 non-profit that collects unused and essential medical equipment and gets it to the people that need it most.  

Martin first began collecting supplies for what would become Lifting Spirits with Helping Hands in 2019, after an illness left her in need of medical equipment to assist with her mobility. Because of her experience, she discovered how expensive and difficult it can be to get the equipment you need.  

Martin’s first donations went to the Tacoma Rescue Mission – as part of their project for Dr. Gerhadt’s class, her group needed a tangible result to their work. Helping Hands is still working with the Tacoma Rescue Mission, and community organizations like the Tacoma Pierce County Coalition to End Homelessness, Sea Mar Community Health Centers, and others across the south sound. Martin says the response has been “humbling.”  

Martin grew up hearing about Pierce College, her mother’s alma mater, and knew she wanted to get her business degree here. In 2022, she earned an associate degree in business administration from Pierce College and has returned to school to work towards a Bachelor of Applied Science in business management. Although her health causes her days to be unpredictable, Martin says her Pierce College professors and classes have been flexible, allowing her to take care of herself first.  

“I always wanted to get my degree from Pierce, that was my plan from the beginning,” Martin said. “I’ve been able to do it virtually when I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to go back to school.”  

Part of what has allowed Martin to be so successful at Pierce are the accommodations provided to her by the college’s Access and Disability Services office.  

“My first quarter back was brutal because I was going through rehab and trying to be able to walk again,” Martin said. “All of my professors were super fantastic, they allowed me grace when I really needed it.”  

Martin added that any student who has even a passing thought that they might need an accommodation for a class should contact the ADS office.  

“They came up with an individualized plan for what I needed and offered me accommodations I didn’t even know I could ask for,” Martin said. “I have a special chair that makes it easier for me to sit when I do attend classes in person, they made sure I would be able to get up and take breaks when necessary, so they’re a phenomenal resource.”