BREMERTON — The Suquamish Tribe, United Way of Kitsap County, and Kitsap Community Foundation have agreed to jointly fund and spearhead an effort in Kitsap County that will impact intergenerational poverty by reducing the occurrence and mitigating the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
In partnership with the Kitsap Public Health District, the three groups are seeking a passionate and entrepreneurial project director to help lead the development of this project and undertake this important work.
The project director will be a visionary, dynamic leader who can grow and lead the project, provide educational presentations and material about ACEs and related fields, act as the primary organizational backbone for this county-wide effort, and serve as a public ambassador for the initiative.
In the latter half of 2013, the funders agreed to collaboratively invest $1 million over four years towards intergenerational poverty alleviation in Kitsap County.
“I believe that nonprofits in our community can achieve more good when they work together and collaborate,” said Dave Foote, executive director of the United Way of Kitsap County. “United Way is proud to be part of this important collaboration.”
After engaging with the community for a year, including staging a conference attended by 175 people and taking part in the Kitsap County Health Priorities process, the funders agreed to focus their work on ACEs.
“Intergenerational poverty is an issue of particular importance to me personally and the Suquamish Tribe,” said Robin Sigo, Suquamish Tribe councilmember and treasurer. “I was very pleased that the Kitsap community told us that ACEs was where we should focus our work.”
In 1995, Kaiser Permanente embarked on the internationally renowned “ACE Study”. The ACE Study and countless subsequent studies have proven that certain adverse experiences during childhood are major contributing factors to many if not most of the poor life outcomes that people experience, including drug abuse, alcoholism, domestic violence, mental health issues, poverty, homelessness, heart diseases, and obesity. These studies have also shown have building resiliency in children and using trauma-informed practices throughout society can help people overcome their ACEs.
ACEs research and work is relatively new to Kitsap County.
“I’ve worked with children in Kitsap County for a long time,” stated Harriette Bryant, chair of the Kitsap Community Foundation, “And I’d never heard of this powerful ACEs research. I believe it has the power to help improve the lives of thousands and thousands of our children and adults.”
Working closely with the funders and the Kitsap Public Health District, an organization that is partnering with this project to bring ACEs work to Kitsap County, the project director is expected to work with nonprofits, government agencies, businesses, schools, and others to bring the power of ACEs knowledge and trauma-informed practices to Kitsap County.
“To put it in a simple way,” said Kol Medina, executive director of the Kitsap Community Foundation, “we are hiring a project director who will sprinkle the ACEs fairy dust all around our County.”
The project director will be hired as an independent contractor.
Questions and applications should be directed to Medina at 360-698-3622 or kol@kitsapfoundation.org.
