Domestic Violence Summit (1998)
Bellingham-Whatcom County Commission Against Domestic Violence Website

Domestic violence is a community issue. It not only affects the victim, but entire families, our schools, and places of work. In March 1998 Whatcom Coalition, the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, St. Joseph Hospital and the St. Luke's Foundation co-sponsored a summit on domestic violence prevention. The Summit explored the ways our community can prevent domestic violence and improve the lives of its many victims.

As a result of the summit, Bellingham City Council and Whatcom County Council each pledged funding to start a county-wide Commission on Domestic Violence. The 27-member commission is comprised of citizens and representatives from law enforcement, the court system, schools, human service agencies and local business. The Commission provides leadership in our community's effort to reduce and prevent domestic violence by implementing a comprehensive plan. The plan promotes coordination and increased collaboration of agencies and services that respond to domestic violence cases and increases community understanding about domestic violence. For information about the Commission, contact Sue Parrott at 360-312-5700 or email: mail@dvcommission.org

Transportation Summit (2001)
Final report pdf (pdf, 814k)

The Puget Sound region has the dubious distinction of having the most congested transportation system in the country and the average U.S. household spends more money on transportation than food. It's statistics like these that motivated Whatcom Community Foundation, Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities, the City of Bellingham, and Whatcom County to sponsor a countywide summit on transportation in May 2001.

Learning About Children Together

The Learning About Children Together (LACT) (formerly Early Childhood Caregivers Learning Together Team) project improved early childhood care by providing education and support to adults who share responsibility for daily nurturing, supporting, and encouraging young children to discover and learn. It brings families and childcare teachers together to increase understanding of children's development, effective behavior management, health and safety issues, and community and family resources.

The goal of the Learning About Children Together project was to improve early childhood care by creating long term partnerships between families and childcare teachers who share the care of young children. These partnerships help parents and providers to better understand the "ages and stages" of their children's development. The partnership also helps keep childcare providers in the profession, thereby providing children with stable and consistent care, which fosters children's development of attachment and trust.

Early Breast Cancer Detection

The goal of the "Early Breast Cancer Detection" project was to increase the number of women age 40 and over (with a special emphasis on women age 50 and over) who received mammograms and eventually decrease the mortality of breast cancer in Whatcom County. Emphasis was placed on increasing community and health care provider education, early detection (through screening mammography and proper medical exams) and enhancing access and scheduling for screening mammography.