Submitted by TOGETHER!
We hope everyone is staying warm and safe with these cold temperatures! After a busy and amazing holiday, it’s hard to believe we are in the new year of 2024. We are excited to announce that Stephanie Lopez is our new Director of Tumwater Community Schools and here is Stephanie’s interview about her becoming director!
What made you want to be the director for TCS?
Being able to serve as a Tumwater Community Schools Manager for the last three years has been the most rewarding years of my professional career. To have built trusting relations with not only the TOGETHER! staff, school staff and community organizations, but with the students and families themselves has come with multiple challenges yet has been incredibly rewarding. The Community Schools Model empowers students, staff, families, and the community to collaborate and generate ideas, where both schools, community organizations and community members co-create a plan that addresses the unique challenges and barriers that students and families may face. Having witnessed so much growth withing the organization since the beginning of my time, it highlights TOGETHER!’s values are the core of who we are, and we continue to make ongoing progression as an organization. After being led by an incredible leader, Sierra Abrams, who was not only a mentor, yet someone who provided valuable guidance and reassurance as a director, I knew I was ready to take the next step, which led me to want to pursue the path of becoming the Director for the Tumwater Community Schools Program. I feel confident in our Tumwater Community Schools team and that we will continue to provide support, encouragement, and guidance to the youth and families we serve. Continuing to maintain successful relationships, yet also creating new partnerships that will only enhance and evolve our program. I am beyond thrilled and excited for this next chapter!
From your experience working for TCS how has it impacted on the students and families?
I have proudly served as a Tumwater Community Schools Manager since February 2021. With my time spent at Tumwater High School, I have ensured the students and staff not only know of Community Schools, but also understand how our program can support them based on their individual needs. We work with a lot of youth and families who need support yet are not always sure of organizations who can help and how they can help. One of huge benefits of the TCS program is that we have a direct presence within the school buildings, which not only makes our services more accessible, but we connect with students daily and create a strong trusting foundation. Within each of the schools, we have resource centers available to all students and families, which allow for our Community Schools Managers to connect on a more personal level with students. Resource Centers hold essentials that a student may need while they are at school. This could include, clothing, shoes, school supplies, hygiene/dental/menstrual supplies, food, etc. Not only do we have Community Resource Centers within our school buildings, but we also provide in depth case management by supporting each family based on their individual needs, serve as mentors, work directly with school staff to serve as a support system and partner, provide at home basic needs supports; to include rental/utility support, and connect students/families with resources/community organizations who can help to remove barriers that a student/family may be challenged with.
We work with a lot of low-income and homeless youth/families who face multiple barriers that affect not only their academic success, but their overall well-being. These barriers often include; financial struggles, lack of/or stable housing, language barriers, reliable transportation, food instability, lack of resources, health care, mental health challenges, social discrimination and so much more! Our Tumwater Community Schools program has made a tremendous impact by supporting families regardless of their status or how they identify. Because of the great relationships we share with our school building staff and our presence in the schools, we remain available and accessible to those who need our assistance by providing wrap-around support that benefits the youth.
Any updates we can share with readers?
With my transition from being a Community Schools Manager and into becoming the TCS Director, we are currently in the process of hiring a Community Schools Manager to fill that position at Tumwater High School. We are excited to not only add a new person to our Tumwater Community Schools Team, but to our organization, TOGETHER!
If anyone wants to help TCS, how can they?
We are always seeking and in need of donations. Items we are always in need of to fill our resource centers include; hygiene/dental/menstrual products, new/gently used clothing & shoes, school supplies, food, individual packages snacks, water bottles and home toiletries (toilet paper/paper towels/laundry soap). We also always need gift cards from either Fred Meyer or Safeway for families to use for gas or groceries. We are appreciative and grateful for all donations!
During the summer we hold two free events available to TSD students; our Back-to-Basics Immunizations Clinic and Sports Physicals events. We will also be holding our “6th” Fore Kids Golf Tournament Fundraising event! We are always looking for volunteers and encourage you to reach out if you are interested in volunteering!
Hopes for 2024?
My hopes for 2024 is to continue to build strong partnerships within our community and the school district, raise more funding to provide additional client assistance to the families we serve, and expand our reach in terms of supporting more families and students with their individualized needs. Something else we are excited and hopeful for is to host a “Housing Summit.” We plan to bring community members, agencies, organizations, school staff and more to the table to talk about affordable housing, or therefore lack of, and how we can raise awareness and work towards implementing a plan to not only house families but keep them housed successfully.
Since 1989, TOGETHER! has been on a mission to advance the health and wellbeing of all young people. TOGETHER!’s work is poised at the forefront of public health science and educational justice, strategically working to achieve a vision that all young people are supported, safe and valued. To learn more, visit the TOGETHER! website.
