Rowena Lung Alcorn (1905-1996) and Gordon Dee Alcorn (1907-1994) were collaborative authors, writing articles on Northwest history, Native Americans, biology and other topics (1). Their separate careers were in the visual arts and biological sciences.

Born in Tacoma in 1905, Rowena Alcorn began drawing while young, sketching Native Americans at age 7 as her family camped at Browns Point (1). By age 20, she had joined her sister in Santa Barbara, California, to study art (2). At the time of their marriage, Gordon was a biology professor at the University of Idaho in Boise and it was there she began painting portraits of the Nez Perce people (2). After they returned to Tacoma, she taught art at The University of Puget Sound, Grays Harbor College, and Pierce College (1). A portrait of Henry Sicade, Puyallup tribal leader, was commissioned by the Tacoma Public Library, where it hangs as of this writing in 2023 (3). A concurrent interest in writing led to her founding the Tacoma branch of the National League of American Pen Women in 1956 (2). She died in Tacoma May 3, 1996 at age 91.

Gordon Alcorn was born in Olympia in 1907 and graduated from Lincoln High School in Tacoma in 1926 (4). He received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Puget Sound and his doctorate from the University of Washington (4). He began teaching full-time at UPS in 1946 and was named chairman of the biology department in 1951 (4). He helped found the Slater Museum of Natural History there and was its director for 20 years (4). The campus of the University of Puget Sound was named the Gordon Dee Alcorn Arboretum in 1976 (4). An environmental activist, he was instrumental in preserving Nisqually Delta as a wildlife refuge, as well as Swan Creek in Pierce County and three Grays Harbor County islands (5). He died age 86 in Tacoma on March 25,1994 (4).

The Alcorns together wrote over 100 articles (1). Seamen’s Rest was of particular interest as Rowena Alcorn’s mother, Velma Lung, was a neighbor and personal friend of the founding Funnemark family (6). Mrs. Brigitte Funnemark and her daughter Christine Funnemark maintained the mission which ministered to the material and spiritual needs of sailors (6). Christine Funnemark went on to be a founder of the Tacoma Rescue Mission (6).

What is now the Tacoma Ministerial Alliance was first organized as the Tacoma Ministerial Union on June 11, 1883 at the First Presbyterian Church on Railroad Ave. The initial goal of this group was for evangelical clergy in Tacoma to come together for ‘fellowship, mutual encouragement, etc..’ (1) In the 1904-1905 Constitution and Roll of Members of the Ministerial Alliance of Tacoma, the object of the Alliance is “to promote Christian fellowship among the brethren and to advance the religious and moral interests of our City and State.” (2)

The Sixth Avenue Baptist Church, 2520 Sixth Avenue, occupied two different buildings at this site from 1904 until 2010. The church was organized May 21,1901 in a meeting of fifteen people held at Sixth Avenue and Anderson Street. With funding from the First Baptist Church they began holding services and hired a pastor. The first church building was constructed of wood at Sixth and Pine and dedicated February 7, 1904. By 1906 the membership totaled 168 and a Ladies’ Missionary Society had been organized (1).

By the early 1920s the need for a larger building was evident and plans for a new church were drawn up by the architectural firm Heath, Gove, & Bell (2). The former building was moved to the back of the lot for use as a community center and the new building was constructed with a Wilkeson sandstone exterior. Robert Walker, church member and president of the Walker Cut Stone Company donated the cost of the labor. The new building was dedicated April 12, 1925, and in 1926, a pipe organ was purchased from Sherman Clay Co. and installed.

By 1941, church membership had grown to 478. An additional building intended for education and Sunday School was first proposed in 1948. Fundraising and design began at that time, although ground was not broken until 1963, by which time the original wooden building had been demolished. The new wing was dedicated January 12, 1964 (3).

In the late 1960s, a need for revitalization was recognized and a young pastor was engaged. The church shared its space with different agencies such as Associated Ministries, the Food Bank, and Habitat for Humanity. An effort was made to engage UPS students and a non-denominational group of teenagers was organized, the J.C. Generation. Space was provided for Lamaze Group, Writer’s Club, and Delong Preschool (4). Nonetheless, membership declined by 50% between 1975 and 1985 to 164, as indicated by a congregational profile commissioned in the mid-1980s (4,5).

By 2009 attendance at Sunday service had dwindled to 25. The church building was put up for sale and the last service was held there January 31, 2010 (6,7).

As of this writing in 2023, the building houses a wedding venue business, Events on 6th (8). It also serves as home for the congregation Soma Tacoma (9).

The Illema club was organized in 1901 by Mrs. Edwin Sharpe, Mrs. Frank LaWall, Mrs. J.W. Clare, Mrs. Stanton Warburton, Mrs. John L. Mills and Mrs. W.B. Coffee. The name Illema is taken from the first letters of all of the founding members' first names, although they kept this a secret in initial appearances in the Tacoma Daily News. The group met biweekly at rotating houses around Tacoma. The group appears to have always had a literary focus rather than social or philanthropic. The final recorded meeting was on September 25th, 1977. The club colors were green and white and the club flower was the white carnation.

The Woman's Club was launched on October 27th, 1904 in the home of Mrs. J.Q. Mason and led by president Reverend Abbie E. Danforth. Danforth, appointed in 1889, was one of the first female reverends in North America. Danforth had been a pastor at the Park Universalist Church since 1902 after moving west from the Unitarian Church of Kent, OH.

Among the club's contributions to Tacoma were the creation of a female owned and operated "rest room," designed to be a "place offering almost retirement of home during unemployment hours" which would "prove a boon to hundreds of women and girls in Tacoma." The "rest room" appears to have been organized by Danforth in order to do for "women what the Y.M.C.A. is doing for men." This association with temperance groups continued in August 1913 when Danforth was elected president of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The "rest room" was located in the Chamber of Commerce building on December 3, 1904 and led directly to The Woman's Club Hotel, which would open a year later. This institution, also open only to female patrons, was located nearby at 714 Pacific Avenue.

The Woman's Club also opened a physical clubhouse on 426 Broadway St. in 1915, intended to create a physical meeting space for all of the federated study clubs in the city, which remained extant until 1960. That said, Mrs. Abbie E. Danforth is still recorded hosting the final meeting of the Woman's Study Club in May 1965 from her home at 1322 N. Yakima St. The motto of The Woman's Club was "there is no higher duty than to work for the good of the whole world."

The first and final published meetings of the Illahee Study Club were June 16, 1915 and March, 6, 1977. The first recorded president of the Club was Mrs. C.O. Lynn and the final president was Mrs. Clyde Henderson. The club colors were pink and green, the club flower was the test-out rose and their motto was, "the desire for knowledge increases ever with the acquisition of it."

The Alpha Study Club was organized in 1905 and federated in 1914. The group was originally created only for women of Tacoma's south side, and admitted no more than 20 members at any time. The focus of the group was primarily on the cultivation of its members, although there were minor philanthropic efforts following WWII. The last published record of an active meeting was on May 4, 1980. Club colors were pink and green, the club flower was the carnation and their motto was "in great things unity, in small things liberty, in all things charity."

The Alling Park Garden Club was organized on May 7, 1947. The Club's objectives were to “give beauty to others, study plant material, promote new ideas in plants, trees, birds, and the wise use of our natural resources.” The Alling Park Garden Club fulfilled their objectives through hosting programs, exhibits, garden tours, plant exchanges, and other special projects such as Garden Therapy and Civic Development. Eventually a Junior Alling Park Garden Club grew out of the original. The Alling Garden Club was a member if the Capital District of Washington State Federation of Garden Clubs and the National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc.

The Topaz Circle began in Tacoma in November 1901 as a local branch of the Women of Woodcraft. It was named after the November birthstone. [1] The Women of Woodcraft was a women's auxiliary of the national Woodmen of the World fraternal organization founded in 1890. [2] The Topaz Circle organized various social and educational programs for its members including lectures, dances, readings, and performances. The organization continued to host gatherings in Tacoma through the 1980s. [3] The Woodmen of the World has is now WoodmenLife, a not-for-profit, privately held insurance company for organization members. [2]

Robert Wayne Ramsey was born on October 9, 1920, in Byron, Washington to farm owners Prentice and Della Ridout Ramsey. He participated in the National Guard and was called into service with the 161st Infantry at Camp Murray. He met his wife, Georgia Kathryn Hayner, and they married on December 24, 1940 before settling in the Olympia area. Ramsey held many jobs over the course of his life. He worked in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), served in World War II and the Korean War, taught floriculture at Oregon State University, served as president of Landscapers Northwest, as senior partner at Chaffee-Zumwalt & Associates design firm, a partner of Mann, Milegan, Morse & Ramsey in Seattle, and the manager of the Snake Lake Nature Center. While at the Snake Lake Nature Center, he helped to start the Junior Naturalist program.

After Ramsey retired, he continued to hold membership in many different groups and societies. Ramsey led hikes for the Boy Scouts of America and a member of the the Puget Sound Mycological Society, where he served as a board member from 1969 to 1974 and president from 1970 to 1972. He was also a member of the Tahoma Audubon Society, being a charter member from 1969 onwards, board member from 1969 to 1976, and president from 1973 to 1975 and again in 1983. He chaired the Nisqually River Basin Study from 1973 to 1974.

Robert Ramsey also was also given the title of Pierce County’s Resource Conservationist of the Year in 1972. He was also appointed to a statewide committee for non-point water pollution abatement planning from 1976 to 1981 and being a chairman for it from 1980 to 1981. He was also a member of the Pacific Northwest Key Council for scientific study, identification, and keys for northwest mushrooms from 1977 to 1997. He also served as a chairman for the McNeil Island Committee for conservation matters during its change from federal prison to state prison from 1979 to 1983. Ramsey was also an author, writing works such as “Two Steps to Destruction”, “Onsite Surface Water Management”, “Pathway Planning”, as well as preparing a hypothesis for the origin of the Mima Mounds found in Thurston County, WA from 1988 to 1992.

Theo Kissick and his wife Delilah were active members of the Hix n’ Chix square dance club of Tacoma, Washington. The Hix n’ Chix were affiliated with the Rainier Council of the Square and Folk Dance Federation of Washington. Theo and Delilah were part of the organizing committee of the 30th Annual National Square Dance Convention held in Seattle June 25-27, 1981. More than 20,000 dancers from across the US and from Australia, England, New Zealand, Sweden, Holland and Japan registered for the event.

The Poetry Appreciation Club Tacoma was founded in 1934 by Flora C. Rosenberg (maiden name Goodale and also referred to as M.M. Rosenberg). Flora Rosenburg was a Tacoma poet who served as president of the P.T.A and of the Tacoma Women’s Club. The meetings took place at her house and the bylaws were written in November 1934. In a tribute to Flora Rosenburg after her unexpected death in 1937, fellow members of the poetry club wrote “Due to the wise guidance of Mrs. Rosenberg, her laboring unselfishly to plan and work out our lesson sheets...the members of this class have a comprehensive and invaluable outline on the art of verse writing.”

As time passed and membership changed, the club continued to meet, and took detailed records of their activities with meeting minutes, lesson plans, and yearly scrapbooks. The closing of the summary letter from the Secretary- Treasurer from 1975-1976 reads “may each member have more knowledge, deeper friendships and special memories to remember this year.” The summaries of yearly activities emphasize both the study of poetry and social activities, mentioning luncheons and Christmas gift exchanges. Additionally, the club had a collection of their own writings compiled together under the name ‘The Quest.’ The lesson plans throughout the years ranged from poetry form and techniques to Shakespeare, Black poets, Poems from the Bible, and French poetry. The club meeting continue to show up on the weekly bulletin in the Tacoma News Tribune until December 1984.

The Tacoma Art Museum was developed out of the Tacoma Art League, which was founded in 1891. It was incorporated as the Tacoma Art Society in the 1930s and took its present name in 1964. Since 1934 the museum has built a permanent collection that includes works by Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, Robert Rauschenberg, Pierre Auguste Renoir, John Singer Sargent, and Andrew Wyeth.

The museum has been exhibiting works by the Pacific Northwest glass artist Dale Chihuly since 1968. Chihuly grew up in Tacoma. Other Pacific Northwest artists represented include painters Rick Bartow, Fay Jones, and Jacob Lawrence, and printmaker Anne Siems, among many others. The museum also showcases traveling exhibitions such as “Picasso: Ceramics from the Marina Picasso Collection” and “Landscape in America 1850-1890.”

In May 2003, the Tacoma Art Museum moved into a new building located at 1701 Pacific Avenue. Designed by Antoine Predock, the 50,000-foot building has a stainless steel and glass exterior. The Museum appointed a new chief curator, Patricia McDonnell, in May 2002. McDonnell was chief curator and adjunct art history professor at the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

Ernest Norling was born in Pasco, WA on September 26, 1892. In 1895 his family moved to Ellensburg, Washington. Norling attended Whitman College where he majored in math and physics. After college he worked as a draftsman for the city engineer's office before moving to Chicago. He studied at the Chicago Art Institute and the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and then moved to Seattle, where he began teaching art at the Cornish School. While teaching, Norling wrote "Perspectives Made Easy" (1939), a book on the use of perspective in art. He was one of fifty artists in Washington to take part in the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) during the Great Depression, creating documentary paintings of the Civilian Conservation Corps at work. Norling worked as an artist for the Seattle Times and as the art director for the Boeing Aircraft Company Preliminary Design Unit. He worked as an illustrator for a number of children’s books, including the Kenneth Gilbert books Bird Dog Bargain (1947), Triple Threat Patrol (1953), and Cruise of the Dipsy Do (1954). Norling and his wife, Josephine Stearns, also worked together on a series of "Pogo" books that featured a dog inspired by their daughter's pet. The novels explored underrepresented topics in children's literature such as lumberjacking and train mechanics. Over 12 years, Norling and his wife produced 20 childrens books set in the Pacific Northwest, including Pogo's Train Ride which is part of this collection. He also created commissioned works for the University of Washington, which included a mural for the student union building, now known as the HUB, in 1949. The mural depicted individuals and events from the University of Washington's history from 1861 to 1925. Ernest Norling died in Seattle, Washington in March 1974 at the age of 81.

Penelope H. Loucas was born in Roundup, Montana in 1940. She received her B.A. in English and French Literary Studies, as well as an M.A. and Fulbright Scholarship in Modern Greek Poetry and French Surrealism. She was appointed Curator of Exhibitions from 1988-1990 at the Tacoma Art Museum. She specialized in multi-cultural interdisciplinary studies and exhibitions including but not limited to: Modern and Contemporary Realism in the West, American, Asian and Canadian Contemporary ceramics, as well as Native American art. Much of her curatorial work looked at and promoted artists within the Northwest region of the United States.

From 1983-1985 she opened an art gallery in her own apartment, by the name of “The Upstairs Gallery” in Helena, Montana. She later took her curatorial experience to Tacoma where she owned and directed a similar “Penelope Loucas Gallery” apartment space from 1990-2007. Penelope was a part-time professor of Languages & Literature and Academic Writing for International Students at Pacific Lutheran University from 2003-2007. She also served as an adjunct professor at University of Washington from 2000-2003, as an Education Consultant at Clover Park Technical College in 1999 and lectured at the Evergreen State College in Summer 1991. At different points in her career she held many administrative positions, locally Director of the Tacoma Arts Commission, and a Grant Writer/Director of the Enumclaw Arts Commission.

The Tacoma Actors Guild was founded in 1978 by college professors Bill Becvar and Rick Tutor as a professional theater company. Their first production was "Guys and Dolls." Over their years of operation, the Guild produced musicals, plays, and educational programs. The executive committee made the decision to suspend Tacoma Actors Guild operations in December 2004 due to ongoing financial troubles. The organization had been experiencing losses in the previous few years before the shutdown was announced, and additionally they owed a considerable amount to creditors. However, the Bellevue Civic Theater decided to stage and produce shows for two and a half years in hopes to give TAG time to regroup and continue their work. While that, alongside the leadership of a new executive director provided some improvements, the financial situation failed to change enough, causing the Actors Guild to officially shut its doors in March 2007, following the final production of “Proof.” TAG’s playwright at the time commented, “It's not an easy decision to pull the plug, but the professional midsize theater model is hard to maintain these days."

Frederick Gamble Jr. was born to parents Frederick O. Gamble and Mary L. Witzman on June 12, 1915, in Memphis, Tennessee. His family was involved in the arts, and Frederick Gamble Jr. was the third generation of professional musicians. While in grade school, Frederick Gamble Jr. and his family moved to Washington state, settling in Puyallup. After graduating high school, Gamble took care of his family’s fox farm business and his siblings due to his father’s ailing health and the death of his mother.

Following the liquidation of the family business Gamble began his journey into the arts by becoming a street singer “ballyhooing” films. He later moved from doorman to advertising man, and then theater manager until Frederick Gamble Jr. partnered with Sidney P. Dean in running the Lakewood Theater and four other theaters. Gamble served as director of the Seattle Community Concert Association. He was also active in local music circles and advocated for musicians. Gamble toured the country as a tenor. He debuted at the Carnegie Hall in New York City on October 6, 1953. (1)

Gamble moved to New York City in the 1950s, where he worked as a sales manager for Custom Shop Shirtmakers from 1954-1961, and later, he joined the Whitehouse and Hardy clothing firm, where he oversaw their training program from 1961-1965. He also worked for Damon International from 1966-1975, managing the warehouse outlet and as a sales executive for the southern branches. Frederick Gamble Jr. died on September 11, 1991. (2)

The Bing Crosby Historical Society was formed in 1978 as a fan club for the singer Bing Crosby. It was founded by Kenneth Twiss, who was the President of the Society until he stepped down due to health concerns. The Society published quarterly newsletters about the life of Crosby, important dates in his life and career, and society updates. Annual gatherings were also planned and hosted by the Society, with speakers attending that had known Crosby during his life. The BCHS held a small museum and displayed memorabilia until 1993, when it closed due lack of funding.

The Wyche Story league was founded in 1935 in Des Moines, WA and disbanded in 1961. An organization for creative writing, the league held meetings and hosted writing workshops and other events. These records contain programs from story-telling events in Washington, and the meeting minutes and scrapbooks created by the league.

The Tacoma Writers Club was a creative writing organization that operated in Tacoma between 1919 and 2015. The club aimed to provide exposure to local writers and opportunities for members to workshop their writing, generally short form fiction. Notable members include Maggie Kelly, a columnist at Senior Scene Newspaper, Freda Matlock, a spoken word poet, and Amelia Haller, a local poet whose poem is etched in glass at the trolley stop in front of the Washington History Museum in Tacoma.

The Broadway Theatre District Taskforce was established 1989 to “create and oversee the vision” of the Broadway Theatre District Campaign. The Broadway Theatre District Campaign began in 1988 as an initiative by the Executive Council for the City of Tacoma in order to establish permanent, modern facilities within which the Tacoma Actors Guild could operate. Inspired by the Portland Performing Arts Center, the goal of the campaign was to provide physical space for Tacoma’s cultural development and to help “revitalize” the downtown area per the 1987 American Cities Plan for the Central business District of the City of Tacoma. The plans included expanding the Pantages Theatre to include the adjacent Jones Building and the renovation of the entryway of the Pantages Theatre into an art gallery. The Rialto Theatre, built in 1918, was renovated by 1991, and the campaign also worked directly with Pierce Transit to incorporate public transport into the district. The Theatre on the Square Building was newly constructed during the project for the purpose of housing the Tacoma Actor’s Guild.

The Orpheus Club of Tacoma was founded on May 4, 1903, at St. Luke’s Parish House. Their first appearance as a chorus fell on the evening of Wednesday February 3, 1904, at the First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma for a memorial and benefit concert in order to aid the family of William Buchanan Gibbons. (1) The first official concert as a club was the night of Monday June 20, 1904, at the Masonic Temple. Inaugural concert members included Dr. A. Draper Coale, Charles A. Hook, Ralph C. Cunningham, Thomas J. Handforth, Walter E. Liggett, Donald McPherson, Jonathan Smith, William A. Bull, Robert Davies, William W. Seymour, George A Stanley, Orrello C. Whitney, Charles S. Crowell, Herman A. Lembke, Harry R. Maybin, Louis W. Pratt, Dr. Benjamin S. Scott, Paul Shaw, Gilbert G. Chapin, W. P. Cameron, George S. Davis, William W. Dow, Samson E. Tucker, Dr. Randall Dow, Samson E. Tucker and Dr. Randall S. Williams, and Keith J. Middleton. There were 700 guests in attendace. The following day the Tacoma News stated: “In attack, volume and tone, shading, color, balance of parts and harmonious blending of voice, points which make or mar in choral singing, all these were notably good, and the result in the ensemble was complimentary in the highest degree to the musical intelligence of the club and the skill of its director.” (2)

During the clubs’ peak years of the 1930s, membership reached 72 active members. Throughout the century, the Orpheus Club performed at various notable locations including the Stadium Bowl, Camp Lewis Theater, Tacoma Theatre, Chamber of Commerce, the Veterans Hospital, the Masonic Home, Cushman Hospital and McNeil Island. (1) The club performed in the Pacific Northwest region at least twice a year since their Inauguration through the mid-1990s. (2)

Art Popham was a sports announcer, talk show host, and columnist. Born in Kansas City, Missouri on January 16, 1950, Popham had a career in public relations for the Oakland Athletics before moving to Tacoma in 1976. There, Art Popham would become a sports announcer for the Tacoma Twins, Tacoma Yankees, Tacoma Tugs, and the Tacoma Tigers. He hosted the shows PM Tacoma and The Art Popham Show. He was also a business columnist for the Tacoma News Tribune. He died on July 31, 2002.

KAYE 1450 AM is a Puyallup-based radio station that was started in 1951 and which is currently known as KSUH-Hankook. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was involved in a national debate with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) about free speech, as the station heavily featured right-wing political topics. Many of the conflicts of the 1960s were discussed on KAYE, such as civil rights, welfare programs, urban renewal, patriotism, socialism, and the antiwar movement. Since these topics were not discussed in a manner that showcased multiple perspectives and leaned heavily to the political right, KAYE was accused of violating the Fairness Doctrine as outlined by the FCC. Thus began a long legal dispute over KAYE's possible suspension and its petition for renewal. In November 1973, after reaching a settlement, Jim Nicholls, the owner of KAYE at the time, agreed to leave the station after which ownership of the station passed to Henry Perozzo. Under Perozzo's ownership, KAYE became KUPY. The station formerly known as KAYE is now KSUH-Hankook. Jean Suh has transformed it into the first Korean-language radio station in Washington. The station now features a range of Korean music, Korean-language news, legal advice, and promotion for local businesses.

The object of the National League for Woman’s Service was “to coordinate and standardize the work of women of America along lines of Constructive Patriotism, to develop the resources and to promote the efficiency of women in meeting their every-day responsibilities to Home, to State, to Nation and to Humanity; to cooperate with the Red Cross and other agencies in meeting any calamity-fire, flood, famine, economic disorder, etc. And in time of war to supplement the work of the Red Cross, the Army and navy, and to deal with questions of women’s work and women’s welfare.” [1] This league was created when the United States began to enter into World War I in early 1917, with the Tacoma Daily Ledger reporting on March 29, 1917, that “this emergency organization has been formed as the result of the bitter experience of European nation in the present terrific struggle. Germany had already carefully cataloged the industrial strength of her women and had little difficulty in making the necessary rearrangement which freed thousands of men from industry.” [2]
The Tacoma Daily Ledger reported on May 6, 1917 that 800 women had signed up for service, quoting the State Vice Chairman for the league in explaining, “this National League for Women’s Service means right now simply an opportunity for American Women to show their patriotism in tangible form.” [3]

Altrusa International Club was originally founded in 1917 in Tennessee. The purpose of Altrusa is to provide a location for women leaders in professions to work together to help their local community and world. Altrusa International Club of Tacoma was organized December 7th, 1938, and chartered April 26th, 1941. The group had biweekly meetings, starting in September of the year, and ending in July of the next year for the summer months. Lyle Ford Drushel, former Dean of Women at the College of Puget Sound was elected the first president of Altrusa in 1939. New leaders were elected at the end of every member year in June and July.

The women that were members of Altrusa were given roles to fulfill, such as President, Treasurer, Historian, Secretary, and others. These women organized different social engagements, dinners, and volunteer opportunities. Early on, Altrusa members focused on hosting dinners and fundraisers to donate money to organizations in need. Some examples of this are donating bone tools to Mary Bridge Hospital, purchasing war bonds, and donating money to UNICEF. Later in its history, Altrusa organized events and fundraisers to provide welcoming shelter for those affected by crime and homelessness, donated scholarships to college students in healthcare and education fields in the Tacoma/Pierce County area, and organized donation drives to help children access age-appropriate books.