Articles by Julia Hunter

About Julia Hunter
Julia Hunter is the Membership & Learning Coordinator at Washington Nonprofits.
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Member Spotlight: Youth Services of Kittitas County – Mentoring as a way to transform your world

May 13, 2019 Julia Hunter

Burnout in the nonprofit sector is a trending topic these days. Best selling books have been written about it, self-care is a popular keynote topic at nonprofit conferences, and many nonprofit professionals feel it. In Ellensburg, WA, the nonprofit organization Youth Services of Kittitas County is demonstrating how their emphasis on the power of mentoring can be a tool to address the challenge of burnout in the nonprofit sector. Youth Services of Kittitas County has been operating in their region since 1969—50 years of providing services to the community. In 2013 they revamped their outreach and created a formal mentoring […]

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Member Spotlight: Helping Link – Supporting an Immigrant Community with ESL and iPads

April 10, 2019 Julia Hunter

When you move to a new country with a different language, you take an ESL (English as a Second Language) class. But where do you sign up for a class that teaches the new language of culture? This is when a nonprofit organization that knows the languages and community involved can make a huge impact. Generations of comprehensive support Helping Link, or Một Dấu Nối, was originally created to serve the waves of Vietnamese refugees resettling in Washington State under the Humanitarian Program for Former Political Detainees. Twenty-five years later, they have a thriving inter-generational, cross-cultural community. The key to […]

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Member Spotlight: Washington Main Street Communities – Strategy Transforming Communities Across Washington

March 15, 2019 Julia Hunter

The Main Street Story Have you ever had a lovely vacation in a delightful town with a charming Main Street? Maybe you have fond memories of a Main Street in the community where you grew up. Or you might even be lucky enough to live in a place with a Main Street Community! Since 1984, the Washington State Main Street Program has been helping communities revitalize the economy, appearance, and image of their downtown commercial districts. They do this by building a strategy centered around a community’s unique heritage and attributes, lifting up what is special about it to make […]

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Member Spotlight: Happy Pastures and The Council On Aging & Human Services

February 20, 2019 Julia Hunter

This is a story of Skeeter, Hammie, and a place called Happy Pastures. It is also a story about community and how nonprofits weave together services for people in need. Paige Collins serves as the Executive Director of The Council on Aging & Human Services and as the founder of Happy Pastures, a nonprofit livestock rescue based in LaCrosse, WA. As in other places, it’s not unusual for people in Whitman County to serve their community in many ways. Nonprofit volunteers and employees offer a variety of skills that contribute to a thriving community that, though may be spread out […]

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Member Spotlight: IRIS, Initiative for Rural Innovation & Stewardship – How to fall in love with a community

January 14, 2019 Julia Hunter

In a world that is steadily becoming more mobile, the communities of North Central Washington have discovered a great asset in how rooted their culture of community is. Many residents have a practice of cherishing their stories and passing down wisdom. These stories create a very connected community, despite people being spread out over an area that includes Okanogan, Douglas, Grant, and Chelan counties. The Initiative for Rural Innovation & Stewardship (IRIS) is building on this strong sense of place by gathering and sharing stories that enhance a sense of belonging, inspire action, and build community. They intentionally gather stories that […]

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Member Spotlight: Communities In Schools of Benton-Franklin – Cultivating leadership by investing in nonprofit staff

December 17, 2018 Julia Hunter

Students and their families are top priority of for Communities In Schools of Benton-Franklin. This is why they invest in their staff with competitive pay and benefits and investments in professional development. Communities In Schools brings resources and volunteers into schools to help struggling students get back on track. Their evidenced-based, Integrated Student Supports model goes beyond offering resources to students. Their people are in the schools forming sustained relationships with students and their families. Site coordinators in the schools empower students and families to navigate the system, and they walk alongside them through their journey. Lupe Mares served as […]

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Member Spotlight: West Seattle Timebank – Going Beyond Volunteering

November 16, 2018 Julia Hunter

Would you be willing to drive a neighbor to the airport? What if you could exchange that hour of driving with an hour of guitar lessons, or help fixing up your bicycle, or for a neighbor to feed your chickens while you’re out of town? Nonprofits depend on volunteers to provide services and promote their mission. But it can be difficult to recruit potential volunteers who feel like they don’t have enough time to contribute to the cause. In West Seattle, a nonprofit organization is re-writing this dynamic, honoring the value of volunteer time in a community culture that exchanges […]

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Member Spotlight: Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center – Capsizing Assumptions and Removing Barriers

October 17, 2018 Julia Hunter

   This summer the Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center challenged the status quo of how they offer services and risked disrupting their revenue stream. And it was a huge success. Their Free Tuesday Night Paddle Series offered a no-cost, one-hour paddle on Bellingham Bay. They decided to remove financial barriers to outdoor recreation and wanted to see who would come if they offered access to paddling for free. They were amazed to see more than 1,500 people who came for family-friendly, safe experience on the water, expanding the Boating Center’s understanding of the community they serve. What made the Free […]