Communities Building Impact

During her pregnancy, Madeline Fry felt like something was missing. An urban Indian from the Algonquin Anishinaabeg from the Eastern Woodlands of Canada, she sought community here in Seattle, which led her to United Indians of All Tribes Daybreak Star Doulas program. Madeline first learned about Daybreak Star Doulas through a training program for indigenous women. The program became a critical support after she gave birth to her daughter Winona. Born hypoglycemic, Winona spent five days in the neonatal intensive care unit, creating an unexpected interruption in Madeline’s healing process.“I felt like I should be strong enough to do this all on my own,” explains Madeline. “I internalized so much of the discrimination Native people experience in the health care system — I needed community to tell me that what happened wasn’t my fault.” Camie Goldhammer, Daybreak Star Doulas’ program manager, and her team of doulas provided the postpartum care critical to Madeline’s recovery. “Our doulas take on the traditional role of a grandma or an auntie — we are bringing indigenous practices of women supporting women back to our community.” In Washington State, maternal mortality rates among Native American and Alaska Native mothers are unacceptably high: almost one woman dies for every 500 live births. In King County, one in every hundred infants born to American Indian and Alaska Native mothers dies within the first year of life. Daybreak Star Doulas — launched in 2019 with funding from Best Starts for Kids — works to disrupt these trends and to promote health and well-being for Native families. Camie worked closely with a cultural advisory board to design a program that is “completely Native in every way,” with an all-Native staff delivering services embedded in indigenous practices and culture. “My focus is [on] incorporating traditional medicine and indigenous practices into how we support women through pregnancy, birth and postpartum care, no matter the outcome of the pregnancy. We are decolonizing how we provide care by ensuring more indigenous women have cultural knowledge to support our community through their experiences.” The care and support Madeline received, from navigating challenges with breastfeeding to help with cleaning the house, were foundational to her healing and bonding with Winona. As Madeline shares, “Traditionally in our culture, we raise babies together. If I’m feeling a longing for community, others probably are too. We can fill that gap and create a somewhere-away-from-home community.”

"More than anything, the doula program provided a community for me where I felt supported as a new mom." – Madeline Fry

Since age 13, Ashley has been going to the Den — a program for teens offered through Maple Valley Community Center and enhanced with funding from Best Starts for Kids. Now a senior in high school, the Den has made a lasting impression on Ashley, both in terms of the relationships she’s built with the staff and her peers and in helping her define how she envisions her future. “The Den made me the person I am today. I am more confident with myself. I know how to talk to other teens and adults, and I’m not afraid to stand up for others.” The Den welcomes teens in with a huge mural on the wall that says “you belong here.” It’s a space free of judgment, where teens like Ashley feel accepted for who they are and for whatever struggles or challenges they are facing. “We create a space for teens who often feel isolated to know that they are not alone,” explains Angela Dodd, the Den’s Director of Youth & Intervention Services. Angela, along with her colleagues, engages teens ages 12 through 18 years three days a week with programming that focuses on life skills and leadership opportunities. Through the Den, young people like Ashley can participate in Datewise, a peer educator program that trains teens to present at local high schools on healthy teen dating and how to recognize and prevent abuse. “From basic money management skills like understanding the difference between a checking and savings account, to creating safe spaces to talk about dating violence, we provide opportunities for teens to be real about what they are dealing with today — while preparing for the future,” explains Angela.

 The opportunity to volunteer and connect with the local community through the Den has been incredibly rewarding for Ashley, who proudly shares how she has “become passionate about helping others who have had a rough time in life.” And while Ashley thrives on supporting others, she has become an inspiration to her community as well. As Angela shares, “I really admire Ashley’s openness to everything and her willingness to help no matter what’s going on in her life.”

 As Ashley gets ready for the next chapter of her life, with plans to study criminal justice and forensic science, there’s no doubt that giving back to her community will be a part of her future. The Den brings positivity into the lives of many teens, helping them grow into adults with a strong sense of community and belonging. 

"The Den will always hold a special place in my heart. The relationships I have built with others taught me so much about life." – Ashley

The White Center Community Development Association (WCCDA) has deep roots in the community, embodied in their ability to organize and implement community vision. “Our work is to elevate the voices of families and communities in White Center. We have the ability to build and hold relationships in a different way — relationships that are centered on an anti-racist, relational approach to systems change,” says Sili Savusa. “The story of the WCCDA is really about the community getting a sense of their own power.” A project for self-determination and community ownership, the White Center Community HUB shows that power coming to life. Led by the WCCDA, in partnership with Southwest Youth & Family Services, HealthPoint, Capitol Hill Housing and King County, the new building will provide valuable education, health and housing services while embracing White Center’s cultural diversity and sense of community. Communities of Opportunity supports the WCCDA in their community-building and trust-building work. That work has created a strong foundation for the HUB project throughout the early phases of planning and pre-development. Designed in response to the identified priorities of White Center community members, the HUB development is envisioned to be a place of “Hope, Unity and Belonging,” a place where working families can find affordable housing along with essential services that provide stability and create greater opportunity. The vision for the project includes the creation of 86 high-quality affordable homes and a place of learning, health and welcome where the community can connect.

The HUB will celebrate White Center’s diversity through art, music and community-wide events and activities. A culturally relevant family resource center will offer alternative education classrooms, workforce training, small business incubation, youth development, integrated behavioral and physical health services and a community garden. It will serve as a home for the WCCDA and other White Center community-based organizations. As the community works toward an expected groundbreaking in early 2022, the HUB incorporates the spirit of the vibrant, ethnically and culturally diverse community that is White Center, where two-thirds of the residents are people of color and almost one-third of the residents are immigrants/refugees. Acknowledging that the project is on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People past and present, the WCCDA and partners are working alongside tribal leadership to make that acknowledgement real in both the design and function of the building. The leaders at WCCDA hold a unique role in their ability to organize and implement a community vision of physical and social spaces that affirm and strengthen the assets of all members in the community.

"The best way we know how to do this work is to make sure the community is our partner." – Sili Savusa, Executive Director of the White Center Community Development Association and resident of White Center.

Jim Naisher and his extended family of seven are enjoying their new home in West Seattle. With support from Tamara, his case manager with Open Doors for Multicultural Families, Jim navigated what can often feel like insurmountable barriers to finding a stable living situation. Originally from the Marshall Islands, Jim, his parents, his sister and her children experienced challenges ranging from chronic health issues, language barriers and financial instability — all of which contributed to their struggle with maintaining housing and employment. The Naisher family faced multiple evictions and spent a year and a half living in homeless shelters, where they eventually learned about Open Doors and connected with Tamara in 2018.

The Youth and Family Homelessness Prevention Initiative (YFHPI) partners with organizations like Open Doors to make sure families like the Naisher family receive the help they need to find housing and are connected to services and resources so they can maintain it.

According to Tamara, a lot of families aren’t aware of all the resources that are available to them. Tamara helps make those connections. Intensive case management combined with flexible funding from Best Starts gives case managers like Tamara the ability to support families in many different ways. After 16 months, despite tireless efforts, Tamara was growing more concerned about the Naisher family’s ability to pay their rent. That’s when the news came — they would be receiving a voucher for Section 8 housing. Jim found the perfect house, working with Tamara to put everything into place for move-in day. “I want families to find housing that is a good fit — and that means working side-by-side to help families make decisions that are right for them.” In March, Jim and his family moved into their new home. “There were so many moments where I almost gave up. We were so stressed out and at our breaking point. But Tamara kept telling us one day, everything will be ok, and now here we are.” It takes a community to create safety nets for so many families. For the Naisher family, their community became stronger with help from Open Doors for Multicultural Families.

"I want to tell my community, and everyone, that the journey we had to go through made us stronger." – Jim Naisher

 Photo credit: Gervasio Sapriza