Partnership, collaboration, and collective action requires that passionate, skilled, and accessible individuals within systems connect, find common ground, pool perspectives and resources and take risks together. We explore pathways and possibilities and accept that in the work of building safe, healthy and resilient communities–the map gets handed out at the end of the journey.
Whatcom Family and Community Network honors the adventurous, steadfast and curious individuals who we partner with in the work of building capacity and a culture of health and wellbeing. Hats off to the Resilience Network, ACEs/Resilience Team and the Whatcom Prevention Coalition and many others!
Our partners, too numerous and diverse to fully list are individuals and organizations: teachers and schools, elected officials and government departments, artists and institutions, middle and high school students and associated student body clubs.
current partnerships
Whatcom Prevention Coalition
Whatcom Prevention Coalition (WPC) is a project currently supported by a US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Drug Free Communities (DFC) grant. We are part of a decade long funding partnership for this work with DFC. For sustainability beyond the DFC grant, WPC garners support from Whatcom County Health Department and Washington State Division of Behavioral Health and Rehabilitation (DBHR). The Coalition itself, is a group of committed individuals and professionals who are passionate about healthy youth development through positive environmental community prevention strategies.
Ferndale Community Coalition
The Ferndale Community Coalition is a collaborative group dedicated to building and strengthening the capacity of the community with the goal to create safe and healthy environments where youth and families thrive. The FCC focuses on promoting healthy youth development by: sharing best practices; combining resources and fostering collaboration; preventing youth substance use, dating violence, sexual assault, suicide and unwanted teen pregnancies. Through data-driven decision making, advocacy, and awareness they work collaboratively to develop strategies and programs that address the concerns of our community. Their work includes developing and updating organizational policies, implementing evidence-based student and parenting programs, offering youth and parent trainings, after school programs, one-on-one student support and supporting youth that are inspired to be positive influences on their peers.
Website: Ferndale Community Coalition
Building Healthy Communities/Gang Prevention Work
A WFCN partnership between Law Enforcement, Juvenile Corrections, Social Service Organizations, Schools, and Whatcom County Health Department, along with focused grant work done by Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center, Brigid Collins Family Services and Communities in Schools. Aimed at building healthy communities, reducing violence, drug trafficking and substance use among youth.
M.A.D. – H.O.P.E.
A partnership between Bellingham School District and WFCN, to reduce and eliminate suicide amongst 10 to 18 year old students in Whatcom County. M.A.D. – H.O.P.E., a peer to peer intervention curriculum designed by Bellingham High School students in response to suicide attempts and deaths in their community, is available county wide to middle school and high school students, parents and educators. Currently this program is funded by Washington State DSHS/Division of Behavioral Health and Rehabilitation (DBHR) and the Drug Free Communities Grant funded by the Federal government’s Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Columbia Valley Community Connections Group
A partnership between the Mount Baker School District, Whatcom County Health Department, The Opportunity Council’s East Whatcom Regional Resource Center (EWRRC) and WFCN. CVCCG meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month at EWRRC on Kendall Road in Maple Falls.
Shuksan Community & Family Night
WFCN is honored to partner with Shuksan Middle School, Bellingham Police and Fire Departments, Communities in Schools, Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center and numerous social service organizations to host the annual celebration of community and family at this fun, informational event each late Winter.
Better Together Breakfasts
A partnership between LOVE, Inc, A Hope and a Future Foundation and WFCN–we bring together non-profit Christian leaders for networking, unity and prayer to support connection and capacity building in this sector of the community. Better Together Breakfasts meet monthly on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. at OverEasy restaurant on James Street in Bellingham.
Connect! Youth engagement in youth mental well-being efforts with National Council for Behavioral Health
Update pending
Community Action Response Innovation Network (CARIN) neighborhood connection maps and resources
Update pending
Resource Roundtable: Solving for a Better Future for Resource Access
Update pending
recent/past partnerships
Family Language Exchange Project
A partnership with Birchwood Elementary school, residents of the Birchwood neighborhood, and WFCN to connect families across language barriers. Fun and educational social events and outings that encourage English to Spanish language exchange builds relationships between children and parents; children to their peers and parents to other parents to create a more connected, integrated and safe neighborhood experience.
W. Maplewood Community Cares Project
Working with residents living near W. Maplewood Street in the Birchwood Neighborhood, this year and a half effort aimed to connect diverse apartment complex residents and identify local leadership to work on placemaking projects funded by Whatcom Community Foundation (WCF). WFCN co-hosted with community leaders several “pop-up” events, like a Pumpkin Carving party; Community Barbecue, Birchwood Cares Cafe meeting and a park clean up at Shuksan Meadows Park where diverse community members could connect, show care for their community, and celebrate the potential and future of the neighborhood. This work also sparked a Birchwood Neighborhood Welcome Guide and an effort to identify individuals in the apartment complexes who would reach out to new residents–greet them to the neighborhood, connect them to activities, opportunities and events happening in the area. This partnership continues through the Birchwood Kapow efforts lead by Sustainable Connections and another grant through WCF.
Community Capacity/ARC3 Research and Evaluation Project
WFCN along with 4 other communities in Washington State participated in a 2 year long research project funded by ACEs Private-Public Initiative (APPI) and conducted by Mathematica and Community Science researchers. The project focused on measuring a community’s capacity to impact exposure to Adverse Childhood Experiences through a variety of types of community capacity and mobilization efforts. Read the study.
Columbia Neighborhood Equity Diversity and Inclusion Workshops and Meals
Update pending
