Lacey Nonprofits and Charities

I attended an RYF symposium in 2018. As I prepared for military retirement RYF helped me immensely to do the soul searching necessary to determine what my next stage in life would be. The RYF team is genuinely supportive of helping not just women military and veterans, but also the spouses of military people. I quickly became a male ally of RYF, and eventually, joined as a board member to help RYF continue its mission.

Homes First! has such a great need in our community. I took a tour of one of their homes and heard from their residents and was deeply moved. This organization is amazing!

Have used their services for decades and found them to be very reliable and dedicated, even compared to other paid-for service providers.<br><br>I particularly value that they do not just offer privacy as a service but it's part of their core values to the extend that they'll even challenge subpoenas when served with one. <br><br>They are also particularly keen on helping activists to stay safe where communication leaks could endanger their lives.<br><br>Last but not least, in over 20yrs I found their servers uptime to be excellent.

I began volunteering with the Apparent Project in 2012 after visiting them on a trip to Haiti. Several times each year, I participated in their party box program marketing their Haitian-made items to my family and friends who LOVED the opportunity to make a difference in Haiti while buying beautiful things. <br><br>When they began their class sponsor program, I jumped at the chance to help in this way as well. I have been donating since 2018 when it began. I have had the opportunity to visit the school in Haiti and I love the way the teachers care for the children and offer so many hands-on learning activities. The love and education offered to the children is great and much more than they would receive at most schools in Haiti.

RTTC is growing and it's exciting to see! Now with the first full-time paid staff person (Executive Director), we have the personnel/expertise to plan more projects and we're doing so year-round, rather than just the spring projects that were the focus of the past. With a large population of very low-income elderly and disabled persons, as well as veterans, Thurston County is in great need of the services that this program offers. RTTC helps clients remain in their homes, making them happier and utilizing fewer resources for the family or the community in the way of specialized housing. With an emphasis on health and safety issues, RTTC will do a variety of repairs or installations, such as dealing with leaky roofs; installing grab bars; repairing rotted flooring in the bath, at the front door or on a front porch; replacing non-functioning switches or wiring; installing new windows to replace leaky old ones; install new plumbing fixtures as needed, etc. <br> <br>Clients have included a Vietnam veteran experiencing the ravages of Agent Orange, where RTTC poured a sidewalk to replace the stepping stones that were an impediment to the walker that he was now using. When Dani's roof started leaking beyond the point of a patch, the roof professional she contacted suggested she call RTTC. What ensued was practically a whole house make-over that took a month and involved dozens of incredible volunteers, both professionals and compassionate community members. At the end of it all, she and her two teenage daughters could stay in the 640 square foot home (!) that had been nearing a state of non-habitability. For Esther, who at 65 had been disabled for about 10 years, critters were gnawing at the edges of her foundation and she feared that they were soon going to be in the house; with the expertise of a local contractor and his crew, the gutters/downspouts (the origin of the problem) were replaced and the siding repaired. Following a full-house paint job performed by a local real estate company on their annual "giving back" day, she was in tears with happiness and a new found sense of safety. These 3 stories are typical of the homeowners receiving services from RTTC on a regular basis. <br> <br>If you're interested in being involved (need services, want to volunteer, want to financially support), call 360-539-7830. You will feel good and you will make someone else's life just a little bit better . . . maybe even a whole lot better!

Warm and welcoming spiritual community. I plan to participate more in the future.

Nisqually Land Trust is an accredited land trust. Accreditation means Nisqually Land Trust meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Nisqually Land Trust has demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate their commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. Learn More: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.

Cinderella’s Closet Network <br>A Not for Profit Providing a Community Service <br>Vision: To serve, mentor and inspire all South Sound girls and women by helping each other look and feel beautiful while becoming more self assured. <br> Our Mission: To provide low cost formal wear, free sponsoring of girls' to formal dances, help charities to support their formal activities, and create esteem building activities for girls through volunteering at Cinderella Closet Network or their school fashion shows. <br>Cinderella's Closet Network Charitable Service Programs for South Puget Sound Region are: <br>1. Low Rental Formal Wear Service: to any teen girl or woman, no discrimination for full community service to all who need (helps pay our bills: utilities, dry cleaning, and insurance) <br>2. Sponsor A Girl: a free program based on financial needs by referral from teachers, counselors, Foster Care or other community members or in exchange for volunteer help in our shop. This truly fulfills our purpose - no one is left out. We are community members helping community. <br>3. Self Esteem Building: a. Serve in our Network of volunteers at our boutique-like shop thus fulfilling their senior school credit requirements - fulfills part of our Vision and Mission. Supervise Court Ordered teens for their responsible community hours as directed. <br>b. . Opportunities for high school girls to model gowns at our or their school's promotional fashion shows or school programs using our gowns, <br>4. Community Charity Support: Providing free formal wear for other not for profits in our area for their special events which are often their fund raisers – we support our community’s charities. <br>In 2014, we loaned at low cost 169 gowns; 161 in 2013. In addition we also sponsored or provided our services free in to 29 deserving girls or women needing party dresses or formal wear in 2014 and to 44 in 2013. This included graduates from Union Mission Gospel woman’s Substance Abuse Program, St. Martins University, and Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. We gowned these ladies and girls for their charity fund raisers or special graduation. Various Theater groups also used six gowns. In 2014, six volunteer women supervised twelve girls as volunteers working in the Cinderella’s Closet boutique helping to do low cost rental to about 200 girls and women. <br> <br>How you can help! Come join us as a volunteer to help create heart-warming memories! Our adult volunteers are called "Fairy Godmothers." Donate your unused formal or party dresses whether short or long. We are a 501 3 (c) IRS approved charity for your donations - clothing, shoes, bags, jewelry etc. Give cash to Cinderella’s Closest to help make dreams come true in our sponsorship program! Be sure to come visit us for your formal wear needs or even just for the fun of it! <br> <br>Located at South Sound Lacey Mall, between Kohl's Dept. Store and Pets Mart off Pacific Ave. Open Hours: Friday 2:30 - 6 p.m., Saturday 1 - 4:30 p.m., Sunday 1:30 - 4 p.m. Groups by appointment. <br>By Fairy Godmother and Founder, Mary Ann Detzler