City of Tacoma Inclement Weather Resources
For the seasonal beds, Tacoma Rescue Mission will operate a shelter at Holy Rosary Church starting November 15, 2023, until the end of March 2024, this shelter will provide 50 beds; anyone wishing to access these beds should go to the main Rescue Mission campus.
For acute inclement weather events (when the forecast is for 35 degrees with wind/rain or 32 degrees and colder) the below locations will be open to provide shelter, which is a total increase of 120 additional beds:
Tacoma Rescue Mission - will expand Holy Rosary Church an additional 20 beds
Catholic Community Services’ Nativity House (702 South 14th Street) - will be providing overflow shelter beds for an additional 80 beds.
Valeo Vocation (415 South 13th Street) - will be providing 20 overflow beds for young adults 18-24 years of age at the Beacon Young Adult Shelter.
You can also find safe sites, showers and day centers, or overnight shelters in your area below.
Community Resources - Assistance
This section of the Resources Hub helps with Assistance for multiple things; Rent, Phone / Internet, Food, Children's and family's needs, etc.
Help Me Grow Pierce County Diaper Bank
There are 11 diaper bank locations open for families in Pierce County. Information for each diaper bank location including open hours is available on Help Me Grow Pierce County, or calling 2-1-1. Families are able to pick up a 3-day supply of diapers once per month at their nearest location.
Family Resource Center
Family Resource Centers help children, families and communities thrive. They provide the help and resources you need. Each resource center has unique services. They design each center to meet the needs of the community around it. In September, They referred families to more than 81,000 community resources. They also offered dozens of classes, support, community events and meetings.
Dry Tikes & Wet Wipes - Diaper Bank for families located in Thurston County
Many direct-service providers in Thurston County do give out diapers, but are limited to once or twice a month; Dry Tikes & Wet Wipes has provided diaper access to families five days a week, 5 hours a day. Many of the clients seeking emergency diapers are working poor single-parent families, who place their children in daycare, and cannot drop their babies off if there are no diaper supplies.
Outreach at Pregnancy Aid of Tacoma
Offers help to women who are pregnant. Helps with maternity clothes. Will supply baby items 2-3 weeks before the due date. Baby item may include car-seats, layettes, strollers, tubs, baby furniture, diapers, formula etc., depending on the donations. Also has a small clothing bank for older children (up to about 5) in the home, and a small food bank (includes baby food). Assistance is provided once every two months until the youngest child is 5 years old.
Free Youth Transit Pass
As of September 1, 2022, people 18 and younger can take transit for free thanks to Move Ahead Washington, a statewide transportation funding package.
All youth can ride transit for free. Riders age 13-18 are encouraged to use an ORCA card if they have one. Community Transit is partnering with many local school districts so that students will soon be able to get ORCA cards at school. Youth who do not have an ORCA card can still ride for free. Children age 12 and under do not need an ORCA card.
Celebrate You Foundation
Celebrate youth on their birthday and every other milestone in between to let them know they are valued, worthy and we care about them. To be eligible to receive a Birthday Bundle or attend a Birthday Bash, the youth must have an open case in the state of Washington. Any adult in the life of the youth can make a request for their FREE cake, cupcakes, or cake pops and birthday party supplies.
Ali’s Prom Project
Ali's Prom Project is committed to ensuring the opportunity for every teen to attend prom and other memorable events feeling confident, empowered, and beautiful regardless of financial and personal circumstances. For the first two years in operation, the project served primarily youth in foster care. In 2018, Ali’s Prom Project expanded to serve all low-income, foster, and homeless youth in need of assistance. Learn more, donate, or look for a dress on their website.
Resources for those living with HIV / AIDS
PCAF is dedicated to assisting persons living with HIV to meet their needs for food, housing, healthcare and personal support. PCAF provides personalized case management services to people living with HIV and extensive outreach, education, and/or prevention programming to help stop the spread of HIV and combat HIV related stigma.
ORCA Lift Program
ORCA LIFT is a reduced adult fare program that is offered to individuals that meet the eligibility requirements up to or equal to 200% of the current Federal Poverty Level Guidelines*.
If you qualify, you will be able to pay $1 per one-way trip on the following transit agencies’ services:
Sound Transit Services
King County Metro
Seattle Streetcar
Kitsap Transit
Everett Transit
Pierce Transit and Runner services
Community Resources - Support
This section of the Resources Hub is a list of groups to supports parents, caregivers, families and children.
STAR Adoptive Parent Group
Amara's fall 2022 Strong, Tough and Resilient (STAR) Adoptive Parent groups start soon. If you or someone you know is an adoptive parent looking to connect with other adoptive parents to create real community, our STAR groups are the perfect place to start.
Group participants have the opportunity to share and better understand the challenges and joys of adoptive parenting while building new friendships. STAR groups can also help adoptive parents find the best way share their children’s adoption stories with them.
Family Connection Program
The FCP offers support for parents whose children are placed in foster care and those who are caring for the children as they work to build a collaborative, child-centered partnership.
Their services include: Facilitated comfort calls or letter exchanges soon after placement, Connections Meetings
(in person, virtual and paper options), and Caregiver and parent relationship support provided by experienced peer mentors.
Pregnancy support
Are you a woman of color who has experienced the loss of a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, TFMR, or infant death? Join a Return to Zero Hope virtual support group! It is important for women of color to feel a connection to others who have experienced a similar loss, and to talk about their loss in a safe space.
Family Resource Center
Family Resource Centers help children, families and communities thrive. They provide the help and resources you need. Each resource center has unique services. They design each center to meet the needs of the community around it. In September, They referred families to more than 81,000 community resources. They also offered dozens of classes, support, community events and meetings.
Community Resources - Activities, Education, and More!
This section of the Resources Hub is a list of discounted activities for families!
WASHINGTON YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY (WYCA)
The WYCA provides a highly disciplined, safe and professional learning environment that empowers at-risk youth to improve their educational levels and employment potential and become responsible and productive citizens of the state of Washington. This is a FREE Life Intervention-Credit Retrieval program where any eligible resident of Washington state willing to live in housing provided on campus in Bremerton, Washington for five months can immerse themselves in a focused approach for getting back on track in school and better equipped for life.
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium Discounted Tickets and Memberships
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium offers discounts for individuals and families who qualify for any of the programs. If you have a Washington photo ID and current documentation showing that you participate in any of the programs below, you are eligible to receive the discounted admission or membership. Tickets and Memberships can only be purchased at the gate. Photo ID and documentation must be presented.
Eligible programs: EBT/Washington Quest, P-EBT (Pandemic EBT), WIC nutrition program, foster parenting & kinship care
Youth @ Work
The Youth@Work website is part of EEOC's Youth@Work program - a national education and outreach campaign to promote equal employment opportunity for America's next generation of workers. The Youth@Work program includes free outreach events and partnerships with industry, education, and human resource leaders.
Tacoma Children's Museum Foster Family Memberships
The Children’s Museum of Tacoma is proud to support our community by providing free memberships for all foster care families in Pierce County. To sign up a foster family for a free membership visit the Admissions Desk at the Museum and bring your guardianship documentation.
Fostering Conversations Podcast: Real and Raw Conversations About Parenting
For bio, foster, adoptive or blended families to increase understanding of issues we all experience as families. Each episode explores a different topic, including Behavior & Trauma, Navigating Holidays, Kinship, Fostering as a Single Parent, LGBTQ+ Foster Parents, and more.
TAKING POSITIVE ACTION WHEN LIFE FEELS OUT OF CONTROL
Throughout the parenting journey, there’ll be problems with work, relationship changes, and financial ups and downs. You can’t control everything that happens, but you can learn to manage how you react. Learning to juggle work, family, relationships, and being a parent – all without losing your cool – takes practice and time, but can make a big difference for you and your family.