Submitted by TOGETHER!
Since 2015, TOGETHER! and Tumwater School District have been partnering to provide no cost back-to-school opportunities for students and families as part of the Community Schools program. This year we celebrated Year Five of this successful partnership by hosting the two largest-to-date Back to Basics events in collaboration with over 130 volunteers. 235 middle and high school students received no-cost School Sports Physicals allowing access to school athletics and engagement. Over 260 school required immunizations were provided to 100 children with a total of over 500 families attending both of these Back to School Readiness events. In addition to the Sports Physicals and Immunizations, families dropped in for free haircuts provided by Olympia Barber School, received information about healthcare options from Molina Healthcare, dental resources from Sea Mar along with primary care information. Partners on site included SafePlace, Puget Sound Energy, Family Support Center, and the Tumwater branch of the Timberland Regional Library all providing resources to families. Over 2,500 school supplies were distributed.
Back to Basics would not be possible without our community partners. Medical partners from Tumwater Family Practice Clinic, Providence Sports Medicine, Providence St. Peters Family Medicine, Vision Health, and Providence Tumwater Valley Physical Therapy generously donated their time to help ensure that students have access to athletics. Thurston County Medical Reserve Corp and Thurston County Public Health served as lead for the Immunization Clinic, one of three available in Thurston County during this back to school season. Food for volunteers was donated by community members, the Tumwater FRESH Program, and Smart Foodservice in Tumwater. Back to Basics could not be possible without our generous sponsors. Thank you, Molina Healthcare and Tumwater Rotary, for supporting the health of the community!
TOGETHER! is a local nonprofit organization that advances the health and well-being of all youth through impactful programs that align with their core values of equity, mobilization, and systems change. They partner with schools, local governments and other community organizations to provide services such as free after-school and drop-in programs, in-school resource coordination, health promotion, and substance abuse prevention. For more information about our programs and how you can be involved, please visit www.WATOGETHER.org.
