RISE Network

RISE Network began out of necessity, when one of its founders saw a need in her community and went to work filling it. 

While attending an outreach opportunity in Republic, Wa., one of our founding members overheard other individuals discussing a need for additional food for school children. Upon further inquiry, she learned that several families have little or no food to feed their children when they are home from school over the weekend. For whatever reason, many of these families do not qualify for the SNAP (food stamps) program, or the amount allotted is insufficient to meet the needs of the family. 

Having a background in nonprofit work, more specifically with food insecurity issues, our founding members went to work making phone calls with contacts they had made in the food insecurity network, finding and making arrangements to pick up food from Northwest Harvest in Spokane (a distance of 130 miles one way) and delivering it to both the Republic and Curlew schools. This grocery run continued at least twice a month, or more depending on availability, throughout the 2021-2022 school year. With the help of the Communities in Schools program, Northwest Harvest, and VFRC-Colville Food Bank, the program has grown to provide pre-bagged food for children to take home over the weekend, and continues each school year.

While working with the schools, RISE Network was made aware of another need that many of the school children were experiencing, that of having warm coats, hats, and gloves during the winter season. We made inquires in Republic, and Colville (Stevens County), to see if there were agencies that could help with this need. What we discovered was that there was a great need in both counties for this service, and worked with another agency, Catholic Charities, as well as numerous thrift stores, to purchase coats, boots, snow pants, hats, and gloves for children in the Republic and Curlew schools, with donated funds, while Catholic Charities saw to the needs of children in Stevens County. We also developed a relationship with the owner of Kelsi’s Closet in Colville (a clothing resale retailer), who actively sought monetary donations as well as putting aside cold weather gear throughout the year, which she donated.

Both Stevens and Ferry Counties averages around 43” of snow, and a median temperature of 21 and 19 degrees respectively, each year. We continue to receive donations from individuals, as well as purchasing items found at thrifts stores for this program. The program is promoted on Facebook, through the schools, as well as to the parents receiving supplies through the diaper program.

In making contact with Catholic Charities for the coats program, we came in contact with Patricia Taylor, the Prepares Diaper Coordinator for Catholic Charities. We worked with Patricia to become the Prepares representative in Ferry County, building the program from 14 children to almost 60. This program provides diapers and pull-ups, as well as diapers wipes, to families with children under the age of five years old. The program also has the ability to provide cribs, car seats, clothing, formula, and other baby items, when available. 

This program tends to operate differently in Ferry County than in other counties due to many families having only one vehicle and the working parent not being able to take time off work to pick up the items during scheduled delivery times, or they may not have a working vehicle at all. One of our founding members will deliver diapers and other items to homes of those without running vehicles, and to those where the working parent is not able to take time off work to come to the office.

From this Diaper Program a Facebook group called Ferry County Baby Exchange was created. Here group members, comprised of parents, grandparents, and other interested individuals, can work together to gift each other needed items for their children. No buying or selling is allowed. Recently a local family lost literally everything they owned due to a house fire. Within one week, this family had all the clothing needs for their children met, as well as most items to furnish a home again. There have also been numerous premature babies born in our area recently. The group members have been able to pass around premie clothing to help families with this new challenge. This Facebook page has been a huge blessing to all of its group members. That is the power of social media and having groups that promote community.  

An assessment of poverty by county, conducted in 2021, showed that two of the three counties in Northeast Washington also experience a greater degree of poverty than the State’s average of 9.9%. Pend Oreille reported 9.8%, while Stevens reported 12.8% and Ferry reported 17.1%.3.