Community Projects

PROJECT: Team Focal Point in partnership with COMMIT 360
Autumn Baker, Erin Chung-Hoon, Chuck Cuzzetto, Logan Fink, Ebony Searles, and John Tapia

The mission for Team Focal Point was to provide community support and connection for young individuals across Kitsap County by bringing the resources out to them. Team Focal Point hosted a basketball tournament with an attached Spring Involvement Fair to broadcast community support and resources for youth from 2nd to 11th Grade. The event was held over both days of a weekend, with elimination games and the fair being on Saturday and the championship and BBQ being on Sunday. Additionally, Team Focal Point hosted a raffle for all attendees, encouraging growth of local businesses.

PROJECT: Hope Box by Team North Star in partnership with Suquamish Tribe Wellness Center
Ana Cuprill Comas, Darci McGuire, Greg Nance, Justyn Purser, Kate Davis

Establish a minimum of 10 additional locations of free naloxone, the opioid overdose antidote, with public access throughout Kitsap County. Supply naloxone to each location through the volunteer distributor’s partnership with the Washington Department of Health. Educate and train staff members at each naloxone distributor group through WA Department of Health or Kitsap Public Health. Disseminate naloxone cabinet locations to the community through platforms such as community partner websites, word of mouth, social media, and naloxone locator website at www.stopoverdose.org.

PROJECT: Kitsap Cooks by Team BLADE in partnership with Kitsap Community Food and Cooperative (CoOp)
Bob Morley, Lauren Goklani, Alysa Grimes, Darnell James-Gullette, Erinn Hale

Our project is a website that provides recipes, cooking videos, and other resources to help families cook at home using food they can find at the food bank. The website spotlights local resources such as the Co-Op, Kitsap Community Resources, and Bremerton Foodline. The website also includes a video tour of Bremerton Foodline. The recipes were developed by local chefs, and this recipe digitizes them for the first time.

PROJECT: The Historians by Team Four in partnership with The Kitsap History Museum
Brandon Myers, Laura Westervelt, Karisha Stanley, Kendra Schaff, Jessica Rein, Tatiane Simons

The purpose of the History Walk is to encourage families to walk outdoors together, spread awareness of local history, and foster an appreciation for participating in one’s community. The team developed a free, interactive walking tour that guides folks to 15 historic buildings and created access to informative videos about the buildings using signs with QR codes. An “I Spy” game was also created to engage the curiosity of all age groups and encourage folks to “look up” and appreciate the unique buildings. A kickoff event was hosted on May 11, 2024, to spread awareness of the tour and highlight local businesses.

PROJECT: Kitsap Parks Passport by Team Sasquatch Squad in partnership with Kitsap County Parks Department
Danessa Gray, Anne Presson, Marty Grabill, Renee Scherdnik, Kara Nichols

The Kitsap Parks Passport program is a creative solution born out of the Leadership Kitsap class of 2024. Recognizing the critical understaffing within the Kitsap County Parks Department, the Sasquatch Squad, led by Renee Scherdnik, Kara Nichols, Anne Presson-Williams, Marty Grabill, and Danessa Gray, embarked on an ambitious plan. Their initial goal was to alleviate the pressure on the department by shouldering the program’s weight through in-kind sponsorships and community support while driving public interest to our beautiful county parks. The broader mission: combatting screen time and fostering a deeper connection with nature and family. By offering the Kitsap Parks Passport program and its accompanying adventure kits through Kitsap Regional Library, the program hopes to inspire residents to disconnect from their devices and reconnect with the outdoors, ultimately promoting health and well-being.

PROJECT: Beyond the Badge
Jenifer Andersen, Susan Van Ort, Misty Tobin, Peter Tunis, Roxy Hockett
This Youth Academy is designed to assist in breaking down the barriers and stigmas between Kitsap County community youth and the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) and Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue (CKFR) and vice versa.   While there will be an element ridding the stigma of talking to an officer, the project’s primary motivations are to address a societal problem created by the pandemic, which is that children have either forgotten how to, or never learned how to, play in person and that there is a technological addiction that is prevalent hindering social interaction.  KCSO and potentially other organizations can build trust with the youth in our community and also serve as good examples for the children in activities that help them integrate with more conventional in-person, engaging activities.

PROJECT: Securing Your Load for Safer Roads
Jeremiah Marchand, Martha Evenmoe, KistiAnn Stecker, Jason Hedstrom, Jess Reicks
Team “Pivot!” produced an educational video highlighting the importance of Securing Your Load for Safer Roads. The purpose of the video is to decrease litter and improve safety on Kitsap County roadways. Raising awareness will reduce accidents and increase safety on our roads. The video will be debuted at the Bremerton Transfer Station to raise awareness, educate drivers and share free resources with the public such as load securement tools.

PROJECT: Inspiring Kitsap
Jayne Barton, Hailey Crow, Vanna Lombardi-Gillies, Tiffany Hye, Amanda Tjemsland
Team “SWAT” (Strong Women Advocating Together) worked with Kitsap Strong’s Future Bound program. The Future Bound program aims to empower youth in Kitsap County by providing them with the resources and support needed to reach their full potential. Team SWAT supported this effort with a video series of interviews covering several career paths for youth to explore, both traditional and not-so-traditional. 

PROJECT: Catalyst Public Schools on Campus Community Garden
Anna Aruzia, Joshua Goss, Michael Carson, Melynda Phelps, Kim Cizek-Allen
The “Kinder-Gardeners” planned and executed a redesign of the kindergarten/first-grade garden area at Catalyst Public Schools in Manette to enhance the educational values, as well as the social and emotional benefits of the space for the Catalyst scholars. Catalyst Public Schools, along with the Family Action Network, will provide the space, as well as input and advice about what is needed for the garden. Students and families were involved in garden workdays to get the space setup.

PROJECT: Foster Youth Financial Freedom
Allie McLaughlin, Jill Stanton, Ronnie Oswald, Pete Boissonneau, Branden Davis
Team Money Matters created an avenue for foster youth in the Olive Crest community to secure financial independence. They made independent youth banking a reality by partnering in first-of-its-kind account model at a local financial institution.  They also created a resources fair for teens aging out of the foster care system; bringing in local financial experts to focus on long-term financial planning. Post-event, they worked with Olive Crest to critically assess the fair to give them a list of community contacts to assist them in recreating a successful fair in future years.

PROJECT: Birkenfeld Stella Maris House Enhancement
Roniqua Smith, Brittany Corona, Tony Ives, Cammy Mills, Kelly McKinley
Team “Leftovers” identified and recruited impactful speakers, willing to work with clients at Stella Maris to deliver a series of workshops. The team worked collaboratively with Stella Maris and the content experts to develop curricula appropriate to the needs of the Stella Maris clients. In addition, the team worked with speakers and sponsors to ensure that the curriculum developed will be sustainable for years to come. They worked with Stella Maris staff to develop intake and exit surveys for clients, complete with a tracking system and follow up procedures. This will help determine the impact of the classes, but over time, will also help Stella Maris staff identify further needs their clients may have and the overall performance of Stella Maris itself.

PROJECT: Eleanor’s Inn: A place of comfort, safety, & hope
Jennifer Chaussee, Jenn Collins, Galina Georgieva, Terri Gleich, , Jené Grandmont, Sandra Starnes
Team Purple partnered with Poulsbo Parks & Recreation, Poulsbo Police Department to create a safe room for domestic violence victims. Sponsors included Poulsbo Liberty Bank, Peninsula Paint Centers, and Poulsbo Rotary Domestic Violence Committee.

PROJECT: Safe Parks, Sustainable Solutions
Vera Druschke, Ginny Duff, Wendy Fox, Josh Miller, Tyson Pothier
Team 2 Legit 2 Quit partnered with Kitsap County Parks Department, Kitsap County Public Health District, Kitsap County Risk Management, and the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Benevolence Foundation to purchase and install needle collection bins in several local parks displayed with a link to their safe handling training video.

PROJECT: Music Discovery Center Instrument Drive
Dustin Church, Miranda Fort, Katie Ketterer, Sarah Knox, Kjiersten McKinney, Irene Moyer
Team Rhythm Section partnered with the Music Discovery Center for an instrument drive to benefit and create awareness for the new local nonprofit. Sponsors included the Admiral Theatre, Rainbow Girls, and South Kitsap Rotary.

PROJECT: Misery Point Kiosk & Stewardship Event
José Castro, KaeCee Coates, Kathy Garcia, Courtney Norwil, Kym Pleger, Rhiannon Sayles
The Common Denominators partnered with Great Peninsula Conservancy to design and install a kiosk with interpretive signage at Misery Point, Seabeck. Project contributes included Illustrator Joanne Tejeda, Ms. Anna Robbins’ Fairview Middle School Sixth Grade Art Class.

PROJECT: Wild Society Community Hike Day
Kathleen Arndt, Vanessa Carlson, Alex Hardy, Jay Reynolds, Will Sapp
Team Sasquatch partnered with the Wild Society to coordinate a gear drive and inaugural Family Hike Day at Newberry Hill Heritage Park. Project sponsors included Costco, Grocery Outlet, Irene’s Photos & Design, Kitsap Search & Rescue, Newberry Hill Heritage Park Stewards, Target, and Town & Country Markets.

PROJECT: Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) Stewardship Program
Sarah Chamberlin, Jenny Higgs, Austin Kershaw, Bridget Glasspoole, Elsa Krier, Tatiana Epanchin-Troyan
Team Blue and Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) partnered to prepare Tyner Preserve near Port Orchard, WA for a volunteer event in March 2020 (canceled due to COVID-19) in addition to piloting a volunteer program for GPC’s Land Stewardship Program.

PROJECT: Connect & Care Georgia’s House Program
Kim Bialock, Alexa Orkiolla, Jessica Ouellet, Melinda Moore
Team Orange partnered with Georgia’s House of Bremerton to help residents reintegrate self-care into their lives and build healthy family-friendly activities. Georgia’s House helps women and children during transitional periods of their lives, assisting with life’s essentials such as shelter, safety, food, employment, goal setting, and other resources but did not have a solid structure for self-care.

PROJECT: Bremerton Boys & Girls Club + Law Enforcement Youth Program
Heather Lukashin, Ken Dickinson, Erina Kong, Michael Collins
Team Bridging the Gap partnered with the Boys & Girls Club of Bremerton and local law enforcement agencies to develop programming to end the stigmatism between minority youth and local law enforcement.

PROJECT: Hold on to Hope Suicide Prevention Toolkit
Claudia Mitchell, Bill Shields, Erica Cardiel, Joel Mapes, Dionne Deschenne, Jamie Jensen
The Hold On To Hope project focused on suicide prevention with the goal of decreasing the number of suicide deaths in Kitsap County, which we prefer to refer to as death by depression. A toolkit of resources was developed to support someone experiencing suicidal ideation. The toolkit was then mass produced and distributed throughout Kitsap County and beyond. In total, 4,000 toolkits were assembled and as of May 15, 2020, more than 3,000 have been requested. Inventory that remains as of June 1st will be delivered to Kitsap Strong, along with instructions and resources for their continuing to produce and distribute the toolkits to the agencies and organizations working to deliver them to those in need.

PROJECT: Kitsap Housing Navigation Center Community Outreach Plan
Mallory Wilde, Keri Sieckowski, Steve Gardner, Heidi Pape, Jeff Rogers, Christy Cooper
Team Invisible People – Navigating Homelessness partnered with Kitsap County Division of Housing and Homelessness to assist in conducting community outreach during the development of a Navigation Center. Outcomes included public awareness and understanding through our video with Drayton Jackson, FAQ forms for providing information to the general public at housing forums in the future, and data collected from interviews to assist Kitsap County leaders in making informed decisions.

PROJECT: Research and Develop an Updated Master Plan for the Illahee Forest Preserve
Tim Schanne, Cedar Simmons, Adraine Weber, Chris Wiley-Barone, Rachel Wilson
Illahee Forest Preserve (IFP) is approximately 700 acres of public and private land of pristine forest and primary watershed in an otherwise urban setting. IFP is preserving this unique area for current enjoyment and for future generations. In order to increase awareness, secure funding, and to provide a roadmap to IFP, “The Preservatives” Team set forth to develop a Master Plan. They met with board members, toured the preserve, facilitated a Mission, Vision, Values exercise, and researched history as well as future possibilities. The team presented IFP with a Master Plan, a living document in printed and electronic form that can be updated for current and future use. It speaks to the rich history of IFP, the dedicated hard work of volunteers, and to future suggestions.

PROJECT: Birkenfeld-Stella Maris House Community Resource Guide
Summer Anderson, Tom Angelo, Susan Cregg, Klayton Kuzminski, Marlaina Simmons
The Birkenfeld-Stella Maris House provides shelter and resources to women and children whose lives have been compromised. The team’s project entailed creating an intake questionnaire for the case manager, a resource guidebook to address specific needs for clients, and coordination of monthly Lunch & Learn sessions with community resource providers at the shelter. Team members spent an average of 70 hours each gathering, communicating, and coordinating with community resources throughout Kitsap County. The team faced many of the same obstacles, stress, and frustration as clients seeking information. Through three Lunch & Learn sessions, the team revived hope in clients by providing direct access to community organizations and meeting the residents where they were. Each month the community partner will continue to survey residents using the intake questionnaire and determine current needs and then reach out to the appropriate organization to coordinate the Lunch & Learn. The resident computer now also has an electronic copy of the resources with direct links to the services; which will be maintained through the community partner. Team “Hope Hustlers” improved access and awareness to resources throughout the community; which in turn will help reduce recidivism and improve the self-sufficiency of the residence of the Stella Maris House Shelter.

PROJECT: North Kitsap Fishline Shower and Laundry Program
Amanda Gardner, Renee Lane, Daniel Pariera, Carla Sias
Team “So Fresh and So Clean’s” goal was to set North Kitsap Fishline up for success in providing their clients the opportunity to have a safe environment to shower and do their laundry. The team identified similar facilities that exist in Kitsap County and examined different scenarios for how these services might be offered at Fishline. They worked with Fishline staff to identify a suitable location on the campus, develop general operating procedures – including staffing, and obtained estimates of construction and operating costs. So Fresh and So Clean successfully assessed the feasibility of operating shower and laundry facilities on the Fishline Poulsbo campus to serve the needs of North Kitsap’s homeless population. Out of their research, the team built a business plan and presented the plan to the North Kitsap Fishline Board of Directors. The plan and presentation were well received, and the Board is moving forward to initiate the plan to implement a shower and laundry program for their clients in North Kitsap.

PROJECT: Bremerton Parks & Recreation Kitsap Lake Freshwater Recreation and Safety Day
Kristy Allinson, Chad Birkenfeld, Nathan Fuiava, Kylie Purves, Michele Sauer
In alignment with Team Splash’s values of family connections at home and through outdoor activities, the team set out to educate community residents about the many outdoor activities available at parks in Bremerton. Team Splash showed how families can build strong relationships while safely enjoying the parks and having fun outdoors. The team put on a Fun and Safety Day at Kitsap Lake on May 4^thin conjunction with the opening of boating season. Community members got to experience the lake, connect with community, and learn about activities on and around the lake. Over 135 volunteer hours were contributed to park clean up, organizing, and executing the team’s event. Over 75 families and individuals participated in the event, interacted with community sponsors, engaged in activities on and off the water, enjoyed snacks, and spent family time together. The team created a great blueprint for the City of Bremerton Parks Department to hold similar events annually to promote Bremerton’s many other parks.

PROJECT: Kitsap Sexual Assault Center Open House & “I Ask” Awareness Campaign
Ericka Brunson, Lissa Gundrum, Adam Morris, Victoria Peters, Sean Schaffer
Team L.E.A.V.E.S. assisted the Kitsap Sexual Assault Center (KSAC) in launching a county-wide sexual assault awareness campaign during the month of April, using the National Sexual Violence Resource Center’s slogan, “I Ask.” The purpose of this campaign was to create awareness of the services provided by the Kitsap Sexual Assault Center and the Crime Victims Assistance Center. The month-long “I Ask” campaign was inclusive of an Open House event at KSAC’s Port Orchard location; a calendar of the month’s events, and sponsors; marketing materials; social media marketing throughout the month; a Color Run, organized by Naval Base Kitsap’ Sexual Assault Prevention and Response team; and a tool-kit that KSAC can replicate efforts for future campaigns. KSAC received exposure in the community, schools, military, with businesses, and other non-profit organizations. Because of the exposure and word of mouth from Team L.E.A.V.E.S’ campaign, volunteers have come forward offering help and financial assistance, and the Port Orchard Rotary Club raised $40,000 for KSAC! The impact of this project is immeasurable. If even one person utilizes the services provided by KSAC based on the efforts from this campaign, Team L.E.A.V.E.S.’ goal was achieved and the impact long-lasting.

PROJECT: Bridge to Bridge Urban Trail Guide
Jackie Adams, Matt Pickering, Gretchen Ritter-Lopatowski, Angie Tomisser
Team Red worked with Visit Kitsap Peninsula and Kitsap Sun Reporter Josh Farley to create a free guide for residents and visitors showcasing Bremerton’s Bridge to Bridge Urban Trail. The guide features a three-mile trail route that connects the Manette and Warren Avenue Bridges and highlights a wide-range of recreation uses, local events, attractions, dining, and shops. The pedestrian friendly trail connects neighborhoods and offers stunning mountain and water views, access to shorelines, public parks, and wildlife viewing. Thanks to Farley, the new guide includes a veritable treasure trove of hidden treasures and local lore travelers will discover along the trail. The free guide, contributed by Visit Kitsap Peninsula and printed by Bremerton Letterpress, is available at shops along the trail, in downtown Bremerton, and Manette. Patricia Graf-Hoke, Director of Visit Kitsap Peninsula notes that urban trails not only contribute to better quality of life for residents, but are a big draw for tourists looking for destinations that offer urban amenities, like award-winning craft brews, and easy access to nature. The new guide was distributed at Josh Farley’s Second Annual Bridge to Bridge Walking Tour scheduled for June 22, 2019. 

PROJECT: Youth Mappers
Alex Cervantes, Laura Daley, Megan Hudson, Ashley Oaksmith, Mark Rufener
Team Balance identified that there are many resources available to Kitsap County residents, and many places to find these resources. Yet, there seems to be a divide. Many people struggle finding the resources they need, even though they may be readily available at the source.

Team Balance addressed this need by partnering with the Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth and the Bremerton/North Kitsap Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition and implementing a program called Youth Mappers. This program created an opportunity for local youth to build leadership skills and work experience while providing a valuable “map” of our community’s resources. In the end the youth received a stipend, free training, and mentoring services in exchange for their time and involvement in the program.

The final product is a resource database made by teens, for teens. This database will be made available on the Kitsap County website, and will be maintained and disseminated by the Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth. It has the most current contact information from one hundred organizations that offer a variety of community resources for youth which includes food, health, shelter, and emergency resources. Team Balance also worked with Josh McDonald, an Olympic College student studying Computer Science, to create an app. This free app will contain the same information as the central resource database, but allows the information to be more easily accessible to tech-savvy county residents.

The Kitsap County Commission on Children and Youth has committed themselves to assisting with, promoting, maintaining, and updating this database as well as assisting in the continued development of the future Android and Apple app.

PROJECT: Kitsap Neighborhood Little Pantries
Erica Delma, Chris Myers, Eldridge Raymond, Sue Strachan, Bryan Wichert
In an effort to reduce food insecurity in Kitsap County, Team Two partnered with Kitsap Neighborhood Little Pantries (KNLP) founder Darla Bradish to support potential expansion efforts in our community of the KNLP project. Team Two built and installed four individual food pantries in partnership with local community organizations throughout Kitsap County and helped provide the infrastructure tools necessary for KNLP to expand in the future.

The team supported the exploration of nonprofit or 501c3 formation, as a way for KNLP to grow, attract and steward donations to meet community need. The team also supported KNLP in establishing and articulating the process a group, individual, or organization needs to navigate to install and host a food pantry. Written materials were created including a FAQ sheet and Host Agreement. In addition, Team Two provided signage and labeling stickers to Kitsap Neighborhood Little Pantries.

Team Two was thoughtful and intentional in determining who to partner with and where to locate pantries in high need, easily assessable areas. Each Neighborhood Little Pantry installed has a community host who takes responsibility for maintaining and stocking the food. The tools developed with KNLP to assist with establishing structure and process will promote the ease and establishment of additional pantries within Kitsap County.

“Give what you can. Take what you need.”

PROJECT: Tech Tool Essentials for Nonprofits and Volunteers
Lloyd Birch, Michele Filley, Dayna Katula, Kellie Pendras, Cathy Ripley, Norma Whitacre
Team HexaPros designed and implemented a three-hour workshop for volunteers working with non-profit groups in Kitsap County. Their Community Partner, Renee Johnson of WSU Kitsap County Extension, identified the need for volunteers to have basic training in free technological tools that are readily available online. She has worked extensively with volunteers over the years and has found that volunteers often spend time organizing and publicizing events, but do not always have the knowledge or training on tools that can help make these tasks much easier. The team’s goal was to not only show volunteers that these tools exist, but to also provide them with some practical hands-on experience.

30 people (maximum capacity) registered for the Tech Tools workshop, held on April 28, 2018 at one of Olympic College’s computer labs. HexaPros team members helped teach each of the sections. They taught participants how to use multiple Google applications, including Google Docs (word processing), Google Slides (creating slideshows), and Google Sheets (a program similar to Microsoft Excel). Attendees were introduced to Canva, an online graphic design program. Presenters walked them through the creation of a basic newsletter using existing, free templates. HexaPro team members were available for questions and technological aid. The day ended with a brief introduction to Doodle and SurveyMonkey. A supplemental handout was given to students containing links to other free software options.

Evaluations were extremely positive. Participants were enthusiastic and actively involved throughout the workshop and particularly enjoyed the hands-on opportunity.

PROJECT: Suquamish Art & Heritage Program
Cami Apfelbeck, Danielle Morsette, Denita Holmes, Aaron Elton, Allison Phayre
Team Generation Inspiration discovered through their core values exercise that they all placed a high value on family connections, both those at home and those within their community. Our society often feels fragmented with families divided by geography. This results in the loss of connection between generations. Their plan was to create a project where people of different generations and cultures could share and appreciate the richness of their different heritages and experiences.

The team worked with the Suquamish Tribe and Kitsap Regional Library – Poulsbo to create an intergenerational program sharing the Suquamish People’s culture and experiences. To kick off the Suquamish Art & Heritage program, the library hosted two community events: Cultural Storytelling & Sharing and Art & Weaving. These events featured Suquamish artists and performers of all ages sharing tribal history, song and dance, storytelling, Lushootseed language, traditional foods and medicines, art, and weaving. Each event included a craft table for all ages. Event attendance ranged from 40-80 participants, ages 1-60 years. The community expressed a strong appreciation for and connection to the Suquamish People’s experiences and culture, and they wanted to learn more.

Kitsap Regional Library is very interested in hosting additional events at the Poulsbo branch and is also considering replicating the program with the S’Klallam Tribe at the Little Boston branch. Suquamish Tribe elder coordinator, Della Crowell, will schedule and coordinate additional events as a liaison for the Tribe.

PROJECT:  Poulsbo Community Skate+Park Spark Campaign
April Birkenfeld, James Kent, Ophelia Davis, Alanna Imbach, Lynette Bird
Team Park-A-Palooza served as a contributing catalyst in bringing to life a new public park in Poulsbo. While it will take years for the new park to fully come to completion, the team believes they have played a meaningful role in: raising awareness of the proposed initiative; creating the opportunity for the community to provide initial input on design elements they’d like to see included in the future park; and bringing area residents together to create a public mural on the side of the Public Works building currently located on the hopeful site of the future park.

The project benefited from a strong partnership with the City of Poulsbo Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Poulsbo Skate+Park Committee. The project helped boost public awareness about the park proposal and gave residents a vehicle through which to weigh in on what they’d like the park to look like.

Designed by local artists Joshua Fisher and Cory Anderson, the mural depicts the community’s dreams and vision for a new park in the heart of Poulsbo, beautifying the existing wall with a mural that reflects the community, the parks, and the families that live in the neighborhood.

A Community Paint Day was held on Saturday, May 5, 2018. The event was a resounding success, with more than 150 people coming out to help bring the mural to life with their unique artistic touch, including Poulsbo City Mayor Becky Erickson and Kitsap area royalty.

The Poulsbo Community Paint Day was covered in front page stories in both the North Kitsap Herald and Kitsap Sun, as well as on a Facebook Live episode with Kitsap Sun reporter Nathan Pilling.

PROJECT: Stay on Course Workshop
Holly Paterson, Tracy Flood, Rich Miller, Laurie Davis, Alanna August, Renee Greenfield
Stay on Course is an Olympic College scholarship program that helps female students get ahead by removing the academic and personal obstacles to earning their degree. Team Impact Kitsap worked closely with program coordinator Amanda Gebhardt-Fuentes to plan and execute an event to support the Stay on Course program. Team Impact Kitsap arranged a one day workshop devoted to introducing students to professionals with different areas of expertise, and showing that staying the course to graduation is vital and unique to each individual.  By meeting professionals through their personal stories of hard work, perseverance, drug addiction to recovery, life changes following domestic violence, students saw their own stories and experiences mirrored in the work of the professionals. Connections were facilitated enough for students to stay after to discuss their career dreams and plans with the individual community professionals.

PROJECT: Conflict Resolution Club
Sanjay Bhatt, Martin Cockroft, Jeff Horn, Lisa McDonald, Jeffrey Menge
Team Conflict Crushers initiated the formation of an after-school conflict resolution club at Kingston Middle School (KMS) by facilitating a partnership between the school and the Dispute Resolution Center (DRC) of Kitsap County. The club, “Just Resolve It,” now meets twice each month at KMS and offers advising and content provided by the DRC. To spark interest among KMS students and provide initial training, the Conflict Crushers organized a day-long kick-off event for fourteen 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th graders. The event brought DRC facilitators, KMS counselors and students, and the Conflict Crushers together at Heronswood for a day of learning and fun. Benefits from school conflict resolution club and peer mediation program include greater student self-awareness, increased capacity for empathy, and learned strategies for engaging conflict constructively.

PROJECT: Bremerton Youth Performing Arts (BYPA) Program
Kay Ash, Kwang Kye, Jon Rauch, Carli Schmitz, Shaun Willis
The main focus of Team BEST’s (Building Essential Strengths Together) project was to introduce economically disadvantaged youth in Kitsap County to music and dance through a performing arts curriculum. Performing arts education helps youth prepare for many aspects of life.  By focusing on dance, participating youth learned commitment to work, had the opportunity to creatively express themselves, and through the process built self-confidence. The project not only aligned with the team’s common value and Leadership Kitsap goals but also New Life CDA’s mission of improving individual and family life with integrity and compassion. Tap dance classes began on January 31, 2017 with over 20 students age from 8 to 12 registered. Students held their first performance May 13, 2017. Expanded lessons and curriculum will continue through the Marvin Williams Center in downtown Bremerton.

PROJECT: Kitsap Connection
Robert Fisher, Jorge Nolasco, Sally Oranski, Beverly Frye, Leigh Kamasz, James Ramponi
Project “Kitsap Connection” was designed to unite potential volunteers with nonprofit organizations in need of board members. By using readily available freeware such as Google Forms, the team designed and tested a web based tool to match potential board members with nonprofit boards seeking board members. Prospective volunteers filled out a survey which correlated their responses to information provided in advance by local interested nonprofit organizations.  The results populated a database and sorted the organizations based on the percentage of questions matching.  Emails automatically were sent to both the participant and to the organizations identifying potential matches for both.  Another team objective was to address any fears or concerns potential volunteers may have with nonprofit board service.   The team chose to host a social event to address this issue. Kol Medina gave a presentation on the roles and responsibilities of board members and participants were encouraged to fill out the survey during this event. At the completion of the social event the team determined they successfully acquired enough responses to validate the tool’s effectiveness at identifying matches between potential board members and nonprofit organizations. Kitsap Community Foundation is excited to take over the survey tool.

 

PROJECT: Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Story Boards for Early Childhood Learning Center Amphitheater
Heather Beckmann, Matthew Hamner, Tleena Ives, Jon Tacey, Laura Wicklein
Team We-Ahm helped to organize, facilitate, and host a gathering with the Port Gamble S’Klallam community to determine the design for a Storytelling Area for a proposed Early Childhood Education Program Amphitheater. The first event included a meal and an esteemed storyteller, Elaine Grinnell. The event was attended by approximately 75 people, many of which were children. Team We-Ahm also coordinated with the PGST teachers to ensure that student input was solicited. The teachers incorporated a day of storytelling into their curriculum and sought input from the students on stories that mattered. Team We-Ahm also held a bench making event to construct benches for use at the auditorium. Team We-Ahm tabulated the information gathered at the event and shared that information with a chosen, local artist. The amphitheater is constructed and the design of the storyboards is forthcoming from the artist.

PROJECT: Bay Vista Commons Haberdashers’ Boutique
Damon Bell, Mary Berglind, Dana Coggon, Kody Russell, Justin Sivill
In partnership with Bay Vista Commons (BVC) staff and their residents’ council, the Haberdashers created a community “boutique, where residents could obtain their basic need items at no cost. BVC is a senior living housing solution for seniors in Bremerton and the greater West Sound Region that provides exceptional quality of service to all individuals, regardless of income. BVC serves over 70 residents, and approximately 80% of these residents are Medicaid clients receiving only $2/day to cover basic needs. The team collected in-kind and financial donations to provide the residents with sheets, pillows, towels, socks, and shampoo for the next two years, free of charge. The team identified a locking storage closet that would serve as the “boutique.” Olympic College donated Team Haberdashers’ reusable shopping bags for each resident. The team also provided BVC staff with promotional materials, flyers, donation receipts, and all the paperwork they need to continue soliciting community donations. BVC staff will continue working with community partners to maintain an ongoing supply of donations, including Raytheon, who has agreed to gather monthly donations from their employees and deliver them to BVC.

PROJECT: A Community Conversation – Immigrants in Kitsap County
 Audrey Barbakoff, Denise Frey, John Hurley, Frank Shaw, Tonya Stone
K.I.A.C. worked with the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (KIAC) to increase community awareness about the needs of Kitsap’s immigrant population, their barriers and challenges, community resources, and to foster empathy and connection between this population and the community at large. Team K.I.A.C. captured the stories of local immigrants and created short videos to share with the community. They helped KIAC plan and host a community conversation event held at Olympic College and attended by 32 participants. The team screened the films as the centerpiece of the evening and used a ‘World Café’ style to facilitate conversation. Each table had robust conversation and provided an opportunity for members of the community to learn from each other. In addition to creating awareness of and a sense of connection with our local immigrant communities, the event highlighted the incredible work done by KIAC. The organization reports that they will continue this model to foster ongoing community support for their organization throughout the county and neighboring counties.

PROJECT: South Kitsap Substance Abuse Prevention Awareness
Billingsley, Rick Christenson, Bob Miller, Janice Riley, Heidi Scheibner
Team P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E established a coalition that began meeting January 2016, focused on substance abuse prevention within South Kitsap. Substance abuse issues are well documented in South Kitsap. Kitsap Community Human Services, welcomed the opportunity to leverage the existing programs in Bremerton and South Kitsap. Team P.O.S.I.T.I.V.E put together a group of diverse community sector members that have an interest in substance abuse prevention through educating parents and youth. Team P.O.S.T.I.V.E. helped sponsor an “I Choose …” event at South Kitsap High School allowing students to express what activities they choose to do instead of using drugs or alcohol. Harlem Wizard’s basketball stars Showtime, A-Train, and Space Jam added to the fun by also signing the “I Choose …” poster boards. The newly formed South Kitsap Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition (SKSABC) meets monthly at the South Kitsap School District office and recently announced sponsorship and planning of Port Orchard’s National Night Out August 2, 2016. SKSABC is being overseen by Kitsap County human Services.

PROJECT: Brilliance Awards Luncheon
Rosalie Ferrara, Alexis Foster, Emily Harding Hill, Sherryl Hawes, Diane Weber
Our Girls Empowered through Mentoring and Service (OurGEMS) is a mentorship program established in 2008, supporting 200 girls ranging in grade level from 8th through freshman year of college, via partnerships with four school districts and 14 schools across Kitsap County. The program mission is to empower girls to reach their fullest potential by building self-esteem, promoting the value of education and instilling leadership skills through exposure to diverse experiences and perspectives. In collaboration with the OurGEMS founders, the Lady Lapidaries’ organized the first annual “Brilliance Awards Luncheon,” on Saturday, May 14, 2016 to bring all the girls together in celebration of their achievements. The event was well attended and succeeded in bringing the community, many community leaders, and a significant number of OurGEMS girls together to build relationships, celebrate achievement, and establish a structure for future events. Abigail Dominguiano, Miss Washington, was in attendance. Event highlights included: an inspiring Keynote address from Washington State Supreme Court Justice Mary Yu and performance of an original song by OurGEMS member Destinee Triplett. Nine awards were presented to the girls for Emerging Leadership; Community Leadership; Scholar Athlete; Most improved; and Distinguished Achievement.

PROJECT: So That Every Kid in Kitsap Smiles
Bill Davis, Michele Hinrichs, Sheila Cox, Lori Mannerude, Margret Mountjoy
Team Kitsap Smiles partnered with Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children (LDCC), a non-profit organization serving the Puget Sound which provides compassionate and effective dental care for children (ages 0 to 18) in need. Saturday, March 5, at the Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center (KIAC) in downtown Bremerton, Team Kitsap Smiles held a Dental Screening Day with LDCC to bring awareness to LDCC’s services and to connect the Clinic with Kitsap’s underserved Hispanic and Guatemalan communities. Thirty-four children were seen by dentists. Many Hispanic and other immigrant families attended and their children received a no-cost screening examination, including a fluoride treatment. Those needing further dental examination were given follow-up appointments at the LDCC clinic in Bremerton. The event was also a lot of fun! Several Kitsap Puma soccer players that interacted with the children, took pictures with them, and signed balls, as well as painting of faces. The team had goody bags for the children to take home and multiple drawing giveaways, culminating in a drawing for two Seattle Sounder tickets. The relationship between LDCC and KIAC continues, with discussion of future joint dental screening days.…so that every kid in Kitsap smiles.

Project: Camp Q
Diana Brink, Miah Davis, Gracie Johnson, Kelly Meade, Dedra Miller, Jim Mohr
The Aspire2Inspire Team is partnering with Q Youth Resources, a nonprofit dedicated to providing education, community, and a safe space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. In conjunction with our partner, we are organizing Camp Q, a 3-day, 2-night leadership retreat for LGBTQ youth living in Kitsap and surrounding counties.  The retreat provides a supportive environment that empowers youth to embrace their individual potential and to improve their leadership skills and to network with other youth. The team’s goal is to create a youth leadership experience for the Q Center that can be sustained for future years as a permanent activity of the center. Camp dates are April 24-26, 2015 at YMCA Camp Seymour in Gig Harbor.

Project: Dare2Share
Monica Bernhard, Trish Chargualaf, Russ Clithero, Pam Davis, Talia DeCoteau, Robin Henderson
Dare2Share’s community partner is ShareNet Food Bank located in Kingston. ShareNet provides the greater Kingston area with emergency food provision, screened emergency power and rental assistance for clients faced with shut off notices or eviction and a weekend take home food program for school children. Dare2Share’s goal is to increase community awareness by holding a symposium, raise funds for capital improvements and replenish food supplies by holding food drives at local school athletic events. The Suquamish Tribe has awarded a $5,000 grant to ShareNet. A luncheon fundraiser is being planned in the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribal community on Friday, March 27, 2015.

Project: SHINE (Sharing Hope In our Neighborhoods Everyday)
Cori Berg, Rick Feeney, Tim Maule, Deirdre McKeel, Kristy Yeadon, Mark Yergeau 
Team Shine, Sharing Hope In (our) Neighborhoods Everyday, has partnered with Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound.  Team SHINE is organizing two events. The first event is a Health and Safety Fair on March 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Orchard Heights Elementary located in Port Orchard.  There will be multiple health provider booths, games, a Zumba class, gardening workshop, and a bike rodeo.  Our second event will be hosted in May and will be a Dodgeball tournament, at Sidney Glen Elementary, featuring a playoff between law enforcement and fire district personnel.

Project: Kitsap Foster Care
Chad Enright, Garrett Jackson, Andi Reed, Konnie Strom, Deborah Welsh, Marvin YoungTeam Decisive? is partnering with Kitsap Foster Care Association (KFCA).  The team will be conducting a first-of-its-kind survey assessing Kitsap foster families, revamping the internet presence of KFCA, updating informational handouts, and hosting the annual Appreciation Dinner on May 20, 2015.

 

 

Project: Girls’ Day Out
Constance Blackburn, Jeff Faucett, Richard Larvia, Karen McKay Bevers, Melissa Reeves, Linda Simpson
With the Bremerton Boys and Girls Club (B&G Club) teen center having opened in November 2013, Team “E” saw an opportunity to support youth and promote this wonderful new facility. The team learned that the Boys and Girls Club was lacking in evidence-based programming for youth aged 11-14. The project narrowed their focus to girls because the Club’s “Smart Girls” had been in existence for many years, but the curriculum was outdated and the Club didn’t have resources to update it.

Girls’ Day Out included three components: 1) Girls Day Out Event: The team hosted a one-day event focusing on self-esteem for girls in Kitsap County ages 11 -14 and their mothers and/ or mentors at the Boys & Girls Club Teen Center in Bremerton. There were 111 participants, including a class from the Washington Youth Academy, and girls from 20 different schools throughout Kitsap County. 2) Resource Fair: An interactive, fun, informational fair was held during the event and awarded prizes for attendees who completed a quiz about the 16 participating organizations. 3) Smart Girls Curriculum: The team researched & developed curriculum for nine self-esteem workshops, providing a resource for the Boys and Girls to facilitate the “Smart Girls” program throughout the school year.

Project: ZipIt! Anti-Distracted Driving Campaign
Paul Andrews, Chasity Richardson, Pam Roland, Allison Satter, Bruce Thomas, Jon VanGesen
Leadership Kitsap Project Team Two, ZipIt, campaigned against distracted driving. The number one distraction for teens is texting while driving. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety claims that texting while driving causes 11 teen deaths every day. 13% of 18-20 year olds involved in car wrecks admitted to texting or talking on their mobile devices at the time of the crash. With these staggering statistics, Team ZipIt! had a goal to team up with Kitsap County Traffic Safety – Target Zero, who plans to end traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2030. Team ZipIt participated in several public awareness activities including the West Sound STEM Showcase at the Kitsap Mall where the team handed out ZipIt bags to put cell phones in when driving (reusable zip lock type bags with educational material and a physical barrier to remind you not text and drive). Over 10,000 PSNS employees read an informational article against distract driving in the “Salute”. Ted Sadtler and the Mattress Ranch filmed a commercial for ZipIt with the team that will be viewed by thousands; the team participated in the South Kitsap Mock DUI presentation to target teens, and walked in the Armed Forces Day Parade driving cardboard cars crashing into one another with a cardboard ambulance following closely behind. Team ZipIt! created a song to the tune of Devo’s “Whip It” to emphasize the message to not text and drive. When you are driving in your car, you must ZipIt!

Project: The ARC Family Room
Carlos de la Torre, Todd Faulkner, Beth Phipps, Cindy Ross, Laura Schaeffer, John Sprague
Leadership Kitsap’s ARCheologists discovered a rare artifact last fall, shined it up and preserved a remarkable dwelling for clients to socialize and learn new skills in. They partnered with the ARC of Kitsap and Jefferson Counties, a nonprofit organization serving those with developmental and intellectual disabilities, to re-paint, carpet and furnish a 44 x 24’ underutilized space. Over six months of the ARCheologists’ action steps, $12,000 in cash and in-kind donations contributed towards enabling the work of revamping an old cafeteria style room into a family room to completion. Magic is one word that comes to mind, along with the sweat and commitment of emerging leaders making a difference, but it first took a vision of what inclusion is and what that translates to for a population that is often overlooked and to an organization that is gaining a financial foothold after some slippery times. Even before the Open House Celebration came to a close, a message of sustainable hope came in the way of clothing donations and reservations from community partners ready to rent space as a means of revenue. Clients then escorted the Mayor of Bremerton in through the doors to view art and sit in a comfortable armchair.

Project: Volunteer Management 101 and Promotion of VolunteerKitsap.Org
Richard Cronk, David Emmons, Wendie Johnson, Trent Trapp, Katie Walters
Team VolunteerKitsap.Org’s project was to rebrand and drive VolunteerKitsap.Org to be a viable database of volunteers for all non-profits, regardless of resources. The site is hosted by the Volunteer Center of Kitsap, Mason, and Lewis counties. Goals were to double registered users, double registered agencies, substantially increase website traffic, and use of the database by five organizations for an event or project. The team exceeded these goals.

This is a free web-based platform that connects volunteers with well-matched opportunities to participate in their communities in areas that excite the volunteer; animals, kids, the arts, parks & recreation, etc. This free resource grants small non-profits with limited resources access to a large pool of energized volunteers they would not normally connect with. The team created a logo for the site and designed and distributed promotional materials to non-profits through attending non-profit gatherings, service organizations, and through the Kitsap Regional Library and local high school career centers. In addition, the team held Volunteer Management 101 Training for non-profit managers. The free event had a waiting list and was well reviewed by the attendees. Register. Volunteer. Connect.
www.volunteerkitsap.org

Project: Coffee Oasis Kingston – How we can do it
Isaac Anderson, Rick Andren, Donna Moreland, Cathlene Norris, Bob Pusey, Audrey Wolf

The North Kitsap Collaborators, focused on the “at-risk” youth in the town of Kingston. They partnered with The Coffee Oasis. Their efforts were endorsed by the Kingston Rotary Club, Kingston Kiwanis and Kitsap Community Foundation. They seek to provide increased awareness of the current need, address community concerns, and provide an option for assistance with the long term goal of establishing a Coffee Oasis Drop-in center. Their goals had four parts: 1) Plan and coordinate three community forums; 2) to solicit community feedback; 3) to create and turnover a community steering committee; and 4) to facilitate a fund-in-need event. The team held the community forums on March 20th, April 10th and May 1st at the Kingston Middle School. The first two forums had six panel speakers and conducted a town-hall Q&A session after the panel presentations. The last forum was a community workshop where four critical areas (Partnerships, Location, Fund-raising and Sustainability) were addressed. At the end of the last forum, a Paddle Call was conduct to raise transportation funds for youth in Kingston to receive assistance in Poulsbo. This paddle call raised $2,300.00 towards the Kingston program. All partners can take credit for making this project a success.

Coffee Oasis Kingston

Project: Port Orchard Boardwalk Expansion Project
Abbie Cates, Melody Sky Eisler, Mike Hoyt, Trish Tierney, Mike Wernet and Sunny Wheeler.
Leadership Kitsap Team One, “The Royal Family” partnered with The Port of Bremerton and The City of Port Orchard to focus on the first phase of the Port Orchard Boardwalk Expansion Project. Their efforts were focused towards assisting the Port and City with phase one of the boardwalk starting at the Port Orchard Marina Park and traveling along the water front, eventually ending at the Annapolis Foot Ferry. The group decided to do a project that would be inviting to the community and add enhancements to the new boardwalk including: a reflexology path, shaped like a compass rose that one can walk on; a public art chalkboard and waterfront themed mural including a section for the community to write their dreams in chalk on; and a beautiful metal bench to sit and enjoy the view. The project objective was to make an area of the board walk a destination for families that provide entertainment and educational opportunities to enrich the community’s enjoyment of the boardwalk. This project will promote arts and educational elements as well as encourage a sense of play and joy in the outdoors. This project could not have been successful without the cooperation from The Port of Bremerton and The City of Port Orchard and all the hard work and donations of our sponsors

Project: West Hills STEM Academy Rain Garden
Jane Blackman, Terry Cox, Elizabeth Hoey, Cathy Jones, Sarah Van Cleve
Team Two has partnered with the West Hills STEM Academy in the design and implementation of a Rain Garden at the annex. The project team will work with Academy students on the design, construction, and decoration of the garden. The project will include raising awareness in the community about the existence of the Academy and the STEM instructional curriculum. Our team will work with local community sponsors to get in-kind donations and assistance from the US Navy SeaBees for the excavation work. We will solicit and coordinate volunteer organizations to help with the construction of the Rain Garden.

Project: Pea Patch Shed and Kiosk Construction Project or Beyond the Pea Patch
Amee Barlet, Barb Dennis, Beccy Johnston, Monica Koolmees, Paula Rimmer, Kelly Sullivan
Team Three has partnered with the Kingston Village Green Foundation to build a training kiosk and storage shed for the Village Green Pea Patch. In addition, the project team will create a community education outreach manual that will contain nutritional and gardening education plans, as well as a stewardship plan for the on-going management and maintenance of the Pea Patch. The project team will also facilitate an art project incorporating nutrition/garden designs involving local child care centers and schools.

Project: Forest Ridge Park Stewardship Coordination and Implementation
Janet Aldrich, Nicole Floyd, Ty Heslop, Kim Jones, Kate Schneider, Jeremiah Wiley
Team Four has partnered with the City of Bremerton Parks Department to create the Forest Ridge Stewardship Group that will carry out park beautification tasks on a monthly basis. Work days will include noxious weed removal, trail maintenance, creating signage, repairing a cabin structure, park cleanup, and various priority projects. The team will create a parks stewardship template that can be used to revitalize other city parks. The project team hopes to make Forest Ridge Park a friendly place for neighbors to use.

Project: The Visionaries
Steve Duckworth, Iris Friday, Maggie Jones, Jessica Landis, Lindsay Weaber, Nick Wyatt
Team Five has partnered with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office to implement a permanent prescription drug take-back program. The project team will install secure drop-off boxes at the Silverdale and Port Orchard Sheriff Offices who will provide supervision and disposal of the medication, including controlled substances. The project team will host a community event to raise awareness of these drop-off boxes, as well as provide a forum on substance abuse and addiction and the environmental harm.

Project: Team Oasis
Sydney Clarkson, Forrest Ehlinger, Darcy Jenne, Jim McDonough, Donna Pledger, Caroline Tompson
Leadership Kitsap’s Team Oasis has partnered with the Hope in Christ Ministries, a non-profit organization that operates the Coffee Oasis and Teen Center in Bremerton. The Coffee Oasis is renovating their main building in Bremerton by adding a teen overnight homeless shelter. Team Oasis plans to contribute in two ways. First, the team hopes to raise awareness about the critical issues of homelessness in the area. Secondly, the team plans to help furnish three rooms within the new shelter. Renaissance High School students are creating shadow boxes that will be displayed at businesses throughout the county. The shadow boxes will include artwork and images that are encouraging and uplifting and bring light to the problem of teen homelessness. The furnishing component of the team’s project includes obtaining in-kind donations for items like bunk beds, mattresses, reading lights, bed linens, storage lockers, and coat hooks. Additionally, the team has worked with local media, such as BKAT, to spread the word about the work the Coffee Oasis is doing and the new shelter project. For more information about the Coffee Oasis and the Teen Shelter, go to www.thecoffeeoasis.com

> More on Leadership Kitsap’s role in developing the Coffee Oasis in Kingston here.

Project: Illahee Preserve: Promote Access & Awareness of a Heritage Park
Zeb Breuckman, Doug Campbell, David Dinkuhn, Jessica Guidry, Debbie Robinson
Team Two is teaming up with the Illahee Stewardship Committee to increase awareness and access to over 400 acres of community land. They have plans for site improvements to create an inviting entrance and user friendly facility with trail markers and maps. Recycled posts have been acquired to mark the trails. The team has measured trail intersections using GPS and created a map of the trail system. There will be an open house and Poker Walk with prizes and hotdogs on May 5, 2012. Festivities will be open to the community.

Project: Explore Your Plus – Station 31
Brian Adams, Cassie Carson, Sharon Fields, Ketti Lund, Doug Richards, Lorraine Viers
Team Three is working with South Kitsap School District to provide a time of exploration for students to discover their “PLUS” on March 30, 2012. This “Plus” explores student’s potentials and possibilities beyond high school. The event will be held at South Kitsap High School. The experience will connect students with professionals and businesses. The goal is to empower students to intentionally engage in a journey that extends beyond high school as well as utilize the opportunities that high school offers. A motivational speaker will kick-off the day followed by several opportunities for students to meet people that have careers in alternative fields to four-year college programs.

Project: Support Our Students Campaign (SOS Campaign) – Dream Builders
Rick Baxter, Tom Jacobs, Cherrie May, Kate Nunes, Meisha Rouser, Dora Summers-Ewing
Team Four partnered with the Olympic College Foundation and the Students in Need Group (SING). The Team will collect personal hygiene products, diapers, and grocery and gas cards to assist students in need at Olympic College. The Olympic College Foundation is a private, non-profit organization of its own and it seeks out gifts for student scholarships, program enhancements, capital projects, and cultural events and activities. They believe that if the basic necessities, such as hygiene and food, are taken care of, it will allow the students to focus on their education and future goals. Between March and May 2012 approximately 50 collection bins will be set-up around Kitsap County. Specific partners include Bainbridge, Central Kitsap, and North Kitsap School Districts as well as many area businesses across Kitsap. Go to www.kitsapsos.org for the addresses of all collection locations. At the end of the Support our Students (SOS) Campaign in May 2012, the Team goal is to pass on a year’s supply of hygiene and other personal care items to the Olympic College Foundation and SING.

Project: Smith Park Natural Classroom for Kitsap Community Resources
Brian Bunker, Cami Lewis, Jeannie Screws, Linda Testa, Yelena Watson, Nathaniel Welch
Team 1 is hard at work demolishing the old playground at KCR’s 1201 Park location in Bremerton. Team 1 will be installing a new natural play space for children in KCR’s early childhood programs. There are many opportunities to volunteer with planting, building, and general clean up.

Project: Heart for the Homeless
Schuyler Beaver, Jeannie Bulette, John George, Cindy Purser Drover, Debbee Straub, Ginger Waye
Team 2 is hosting a 5K fun run to benefit the Bremerton Rescue Mission. The run takes place Sunday, April 10th, 9:30 am at Evergreen Park in Bremerton. Entry fee is $15 and a T-shirt commemorating the run is available for $10. A total of nine bunk beds will be place in local homeless shelters due to the team’s efforts.

Project: The Senior Wish Project
Jennifer Allik, Brittany Bakken, Robyn Chastain, Sharon Purser, Holly Shepherd, Sharleen Yoakum
Team 3 is working with the Long Term Care Alliance of Kitsap County to grant wishes to local area seniors in order to encourage seniors to live life to the fullest and to raise awareness in the community of our growing senior population. The Senior Wish Project will be participating in the Annual Senior Conference on May 12th at the Kitsap Pavilion. The event is free and open to the public.

Project: HARK the Nature Sings
Colette Berna, Carrie Eastman, Penny Harrell, Jamie Osterman, Joanie Pearson, Jennifer Yeaman
Team 4 is working with the Hiking and Active Recreation for Kids (HARK) group of the Kitsap Mountaineers. HARK introduces kids of middle and high school age (with special emphasis on kids from families of limited opportunities) to the outdoors by providing bi-monthly activities such as hiking, kayaking, and snowshoeing. Donations for new and gently used outdoor equipment are greatly appreciated.

Project: Healthy Habits
Carlita Alegria, Jackie Brown, Rebecca Day-Friers, Diane Kostelecky, Nathan Post, Richard Townsend
Team 5 is working with the Boys and Girls Club of Bainbridge Island to remodel their kitchen, put in planters for a garden, and to teach healthy eating habits to the kids. The team is planning to work with Olympic College to bring in culinary instructors and current culinary students to work with the kids on cooking and nutrition.

Project: Newberry Hill Heritage Park
Mike Eilmes, Nancy Frank, Jennifer Fyllingness, Juanita Holtyn, Rick Smith, and Nena Von Sternberg
Team 1 has partnered with the Kitsap County Parks Department to create directional and interpretative signs for 250 acres of the Newberry Hill Heritage Park. This portion of the park is located closest to Newberry Hill next to Klahowya High School, and has a great trail system, but no signs. The team engaged the wood shop students at the high school to help build and install the signs. A volunteer group from the local Home Depot generously contributed their labor and materials for a new kiosk at the trail head, as well.

Project: Fun Run/Walk for Homeless Teens
Karen Hernandez, Chris Kasparek, Jay Melrose, Veronica Rhodes and Laurie Serdahl
Team WIOS (Walk In Others Shoes) hosted a Fun Run/Walk and Resource Fair on April 24, 2010 to benefit homeless teens in need in Kitsap County. WIOS partnered with the Kitsap Continuum of Care Coalition, local School Districts, and the organizations represented by the Coalition. The entry fee for the event was a donation of hygiene items, which were then packaged and distributed by the Coalition.

Project: 9/11 Memorial
Corinne Beach, Sandra Cross, Josh Hinman, Sarah Siegner and Sammie Simons
Team 3, Serendipitous, has partnered with Central Kitsap Fire & Rescue (CKF&R), who is receiving a piece of steel from the World Trade Center for use as an artifact memorial sculpture. The memorial will provide a place for honor, reflection, empathy, remembrance and education for future generations. The Team has worked closely with the 9-11 Memorial Committee, and partnered with CKF&R to organize the transportation and storage of the artifact from New York, develop and coordinate educational outreach, and work with the local 5th graders to create tiles reflecting the meaning of heroism that will be placed at the final memorial site. They worked with West Hills Elementary, Green Mountain Elementary, Poulsbo Elementary, and Sakai Intermediate School.

Project: Hope for the Homeless
Phedra Elliott, Genie Elton, Deanne Hull, Ellen McCracken and Kelli Warren
Team Hope for the Homeless partnered with St. Vincent de Paul to furnish the common living area in the new Birkenfeld Stella Maris House, a shelter for homeless women and children that opened in Bremerton in early 2010. The shelter houses up to 17 women and children for up to 30 days, providing them with stable housing and connecting them with resources to assist with the attainment of permanent housing, education, job training, child care, and employment. The Team invited businesses and individuals in the community to assist them and St. Vincent de Paul in the fight against homelessness. As a second phase to their project, they located helpful services to assist the residents in resume building, professional dress tips, beauty consultations, and interview skill building.

Project: Radicchio
Tom Fairchild, Marie Vila, Shelley Wood, Rebecca Allen, Juli Reynvaan, Heather Spiese, Kevin Kelly
Team Radicchio will partner with teachers and students at Armin Jahr Elementary School to develop a hands-on curriculum around health and nutrition. The project is three-fold: (1) a garden plot will be secured at Blueberry Park for 3rd and 4th graders to have an opportunity to plant, tend, and harvest crops; (2) gardening curriculum will be developed that will integrate into the school’s curriculum and; (3) physicians and gardening experts will visit the classroom with instruction and take-home items.

Project: The Nutrition Coalition
Alan Hoffman, Blaine Hardy, Gena Wales, Laura Melrose, Bud Price, Patty Henderson
The Nutrition Coalition will introduce children enrolled in the Head Start program to fruits and vegetables in a fun and interesting way. Through a series of lesson plans, preschool-age children will be presented with a hands-on experience that introduces the assortment of fruits and vegetables available and encourages children and teachers to the benefits of eating healthy.

Project: Born Learning Trail
Brenda McDaniels, Jennifer Forbes, Staci Fuller, Beth Leone-Mullins, Jeff Pfost, Carl Borg
The Marksmen will establish a Born Learning Trail at the Naval Avenue Early Learning Center. The trail will feature 9 different and interactive signs and stations for children, youth, and adults that encourage every day, teachable moments with young children. This kid-friendly trail encourages physical and mental development with fun and interactive learning games that parents, grandparents, and caregivers can play with children.

Project: Kids Get Active
Anthony Strickland, Kathleen Hackney, Chris Rowland, Valerie Oas, Angie Silva, Sid Williams, Debbie Laudenslager
Kids Get Active will partner with the Kitsap Gets Active Coalition and work with Cottonwood Elementary School 5th and 6th grade students to reduce childhood idleness through a rewards-based activity program. The students will be educated on the health benefits of daily exercise and encouraged to engage in physical activity and track their progress.

Project: Bicycle Rodeo
Marie Singleton, Gina Beckwith, Elaine Williams Bryant, Laurie Hoskinson, Carly Michelson, Chris Warthen, Rob Hopkins
The Crash Test Dummies will organize and participate in a Bicycle Rodeo at the Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue Safety Day at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds. The event will encourage bicycle use, promote safety, environmental awareness, and encourage education for all ages. Participants will be given a passport and travel to different stations learning about bike safety, rules of the road, proper helmet fitting, local bike trails and how bicycling benefits the environment

Project: KIDSERVE
Nancy Austin, Allen Banks, Irene Carper, Pat Murray, Kathryn Quade, Opal Robertson, Jessica White
KIDSERVE is an event to draw over 100 Kitsap County teens and their family to support the 19th annual Global Youth Service Day on Saturday, April 26, 2008. KIDSERVE will create the venue for the County’s future leaders to engage in a successful volunteer effort, make valuable connections and, most importantly, learn the importance of service and civic engagement.

Project: Teens4Teens
Tricia Hamill, Stormie Long, Jessie Palmer, Rand Riedrich, Jackie Siler, Theresa Smith
Teens4Teens partners with Stand Up For Kids (SUFK) to provide a form of respite to teens who may have to leave behind personal items when unforeseen circumstances cause them to suddenly leave their homes (e.g. emergency foster care). The project will assemble backpacks stocked with essential personal items that are distributed through SUFK partners.

Project: Project Homeless Resources
Debbie Brockman, Amanda Cheatham, Kelly Fisk, Audranne Mixon, Terri Porter, Andrea Spencer
Project Homeless Resources will partner with law enforcement agencies to create a resource handout for homeless individuals, and with public television station, BKAT, to create an awareness video about homelessness in Kitsap County. BKAT will air the video and encourage local businesses and service organizations to host “donation stations” to collect items for the homeless.

Project: Speak Out for Education
Jeff Bauman, Olga Fedorovski, Lucy Leu, Michelle Miller, Teresa Osinski, Dave Rosenberg
Speak Out for Education partners with the Kitsap Regional Library and the South Kitsap School District to bring local professional speakers into the classroom that answer the question students often ask, “Why do I have to know that?” It is a program that will connect classroom concepts to reallife examples.

Project: Smile Kitsap
Nathaniel Berwind, Brandy Fend, Patricia Hubler, Gina Huston, Chris Lee, Barb Sykes, Aimee Warthen
Smile Kitsap is a children’s dental health outreach campaign that will partner with Peninsula Community Health Services and provide on-site education to grades K through 3 with hands-on learning activities about dental health and proper dental care.

Project: Volunteer Kitsap!
Kathleen Cahall, Abby Crisp, Dave Finley, Art Malgapo, Charisse Ritzman, Sara Simrell
The Volunteer, Kitsap! team designed and implemented a public outreach campaign to launch Kitsap County’s new web-based Volunteer Center – www.volunteerkitsap.org This Volunteer Center supports all organizations in Kitsap County that utilize volunteers by improving the infrastructure that connects volunteers to organizations. A Volunteer Center is a convener for the community, a catalyst for social action, and a key resource for volunteer involvement. As more people volunteer, they make positive connections within our community. This new site joins over a hundred Volunteer Centers across the nation now using 1-800-Volunteer.org; a bilingual web-based portal where volunteers can find volunteer opportunities in their communities to use their skills to assist or to address year-round community-based needs. The Washington Alliance for Volunteer Engagement (WAVE) is funding the Center. The Volunteer, Kitsap! team participated in the vital drive to organize and recruit volunteers to meet the local community needs throughout Kitsap County. The team used a variety of methods to reach potential volunteers such as booths at the Kitsap Mall and other community events, newspaper articles, cable access television, presentations, pens and bookmarks, and even a highway reader board. Over 400,000 outreach contacts were made by the team through these methods. The goal was to recruit as many volunteers as possible through the website where a database is used to store records of volunteers’ account information. Recruitment of 1,000 volunteers averaging 5 hours per month would translate into a potential community benefit of over $1 million per year. The Volunteer Center database will be an ongoing endeavor overseen by the United Way and Kitsap County. This database will provide a long term tool that will benefit the Kitsap community for years to come by providing an ongoing pool of volunteers.

Project: Operation: Disaster Prep
Les Lee Arriza, Claire Bradley, Carolyn Day, Greg Hunt, John Rykala, Pam Townsend, Rachel Wellman
The Operation: Disaster Prep team partnered with local emergency management, housing authorities, the American Red Cross, the Chuck Wagon Senior Nutrition Program and Kitsap Community Resources and held a Disaster Preparedness Fair on April 14. The event took place at the West Park Family Housing Community Center with predetermined families. The fair included opportunities for individuals to receive emergency training while assembling 72-hour disaster preparedness kits. In addition to receiving the kits, all the adults were given important survival information by Phyllis Mann, Executive Director of Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management. At the same time, children ages 7-14 were taught basic first aid by the American Red Cross. Everyone learned important ways to protect themselves and their families and had the opportunity to pick up vouchers to attend additional Red Cross classes.

Project: Hunger Fighters Special Unit
Stephanie Charbonneau, Patricia Hennessy, Faithe Lester, Wanda Moore, Luke Morscheck, Roger Zabinski
The Hunger fighters Special Unit partnered with members of the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition, United Way of Kitsap County, Parametrix and Rice Fergus Miller to lead a campaign designed to increase awareness about hunger in Kitsap County. The Hunger Fighters produced a brochure and video for the Food Bank Coalition and hosted an outreach event at the Kitsap Mall in early May. At this event, they built an eight-foot tall food pyramid out of 971 cans, promoted the annual Letter Carriers Food Drive and provided families with information about food assistance programs available in our community. In addition, the Hunger fighters teamed up with junior high school students in South Kitsap to collect more than 8,000 individual diapers and worked with the Soroptomists to collect feminine hygiene products. These products, along with the 1,300 pounds of food used to create the food pyramid, were donated to the eight food banks in Kitsap County. Because of the generosity of so many individuals and businesses the Hunger Fighters special Unit also mad a $500.00 donation to the Kitsap County Food Bank Coalition.

Project: Connecting Kitsap
Kevin Buyer, Kathy Collings, Brennan Dobbins, Jill Johnston, Bonnie Michal, Chuck Sanders
Connecting Kitsap successfully placed twenty four donated and refurbished computers into the community. The computers have been placed at three different Kitsap County Consolidated Housing facilities, Martha and Mary Nursing Home, and Park Vista Assisted Living facility. In addition, computers were also placed with two individual seniors in the Central Kitsap area, the Friends of Avery, the Boys and Girls Club of Bainbridge Island, a Silverdale Kiwanis sponsored individual and Kitsap Community Resources Learning Center. Kitsap Computing Seniors will take over the project beginning July 2007. They will be using the resources that the team has gathered, including a storage unit which was donated for one year to hold computers until they are repaired and placed. Connecting Kitsap, “Linking the wisdom of the past to the technology of the future through community involvement”, would like to express sincere thanks and appreciation to our community sponsors and participants for the success of this project.

Project: Teen$ense
Jill Brenner, Peter Denis, Shannon Doran, John Forsman, Katy Kingsbury, May Westerback, Robin Williams
Teen$ense is a project that focused on making financial literacy fun for adolescents. Sponsored by CFA NW Mortgage Professionals and the Clearwater Casino, Teen$ense was able to put together a sustainable financial literacy program with the Suquamish Tribe. The project included a Train the Trainer session on Saturday, April 21. The Teen$ense team left the training session with several learning points. For example, one curriculum item the teens particularly connected with was a discussion called “Circle of Life.” They related to the historical self-reliance of traditional native communities; the understanding and respect for natural resources; and the ability to manage those resources by budgeting and saving them to address the needs of their people throughout the seasons. The teachers at the Tribal School plan to turn the Teen$ense project into a 40 hour math class this summer with the goal of increasing to a full semester in the fall.

Project: Raising Kitsap
Debbie Austin, Scott Bosch, Jay Burghart, Lea Duffy, Gretchen Olsen, Joe Payne, and Lene Price
The Raising Kitsap project involves the production of a marketing video and brochure to raise the community awareness of The Parenting Place program at Kitsap Community Resources (KCR). The 10-minute video explains the current and future needs within our county for The Parenting Place and how individuals can assist with volunteerism or monetary contributions. It highlights the variety of programs offered and links the program’s outcomes directly with building a healthy, successful community through strengthening families. Leadership Kitsap team members are also raising funds to support The Parenting Place and giving presentations at service organizations throughout the county including Bremerton Rotary on April 17, Soroptimists on April 18, and the East Bremerton Rotary on May 31. To date, over $2000 has been donated for supplies supporting children’s programs. Video footage was obtained by filming staff, participants, and volunteers in individual interviews, several classes, and general footage of Kitsap County provided by the Rice Fergus Miller VisLAB Film Crew and Harrison Medical Center. The video will be provided in VHS and DVD format to KCR for their future use and a version will also be prepared to air on BKAT. Production support for the video was provided by Rice Fergus Miller VisLAB, while Harrison Medical Center donated funds to produce the complimentary brochure.

Project: Hang On Kitsap
Gregory Platz, Scott Daniels, Jennifer Hayes, Sandy Scott, Ken Bagwell, Randy Corbell, and Barb Santos
Hang on Kitsap has devised a plan to help the older adults of Kitsap County stay safe with great success so far. Emails and phone calls flew between the team members as the two installation days were arranged. News releases, hand outs and community partners such as Catholic Community Services sent almost 100 names to the Kitsap County Health District which acted as the collection agency. Homes were personally visited by the members of the team to determine the scope of the help that could be given. Legal, liability and volunteer issues were all worked out without a single “Chocolate” – the teams’ predetermined code word for help. On March 25th and April 22nd the team assembled with their other partners from Lowe’s and the Fire Departments to make the final grab bar installations, check/install fire detectors and provide other safety information. When the blue T-shirt clad Hang On Kitsap team arrived, it was a mini Extreme Makeover team all the way to hugs and smiles of gratitude. The team is not about to rest yet. They have visions and have already completed serious leg work to leave a legacy. They are looking to provide the infrastructure so that more senior adults can benefit from an on going program. More to follow as Hang On Kitsap celebrates incredible days making a difference in the lives of Kitsap’s older adults.

Project: Sound Challenge
Jacquelyn Aufderheide, Bill Carlson, Troy Crisp, Mitch Gillen, Mindy Hager, Sauni Holt
Sound Challenge, held its kick off event on June 3, 2006, at the Silverdale Waterfront Park. The “Sound Challenge Regatta” was held from 10-4 p.m. and included participation by local business, sailing clubs, and others. The event was designed to be a fundraising opportunity for the Kitsap Sailing and Rowing Foundation as well as the official turn over of the Sound Challenge Youth Sailing program to the Kitsap County Parks and Recreation department. Demonstrations by the Kitsap County Search and Rescue team and the Suquamish tribe large canoes were planned. Local yacht clubs brought several full size sailboats to the marina for tours and display. Information and points of contact can be found at www.soundchallenge.org.

Project: Spoons Across Kitsap
Shauna Washburn, Eric Pickard, Michelle Cartwright, Ty Tabor, Jenny Sellar and Rick Schulgen
Spoons Across Kitsap Project Team presented a dinner party for children and their families on April 1 at Harrison Hospital in Silverdale. Spoons Across America is a program that provides and promotes food and nutrition education to children, families and teachers, through classroom, after-school, and community-based activities. The children arrived early to help set tables, decorate the room, and observe the chef as he prepared the meal. They were dressed in semiformal attire and many of the girls had had their hair done. The children helped the wait staff serve the meal and clear the tables for this event. Family members made comments that since their kid’s involvement in the Spoons program they were helping with dinner preparation at home and that they were paying more attention to the nutritional value of the meal.

Project: Mentoring
Skip Beahm, Joseph Gray, Leanne Ryan, Paula Florence, and Denise King
January is National Mentoring Month! On January 11th members of Leadership Kitsap’s Class of 2005 and project team one helped sponsor a Kick-Off Event for the Kitsap Youth Mentoring Consortium. The event was held at the Norm Dick’s Government Center in Bremerton and was attended by individuals from all over Kitsap County. The evening’s theme was “Pass It On,” and the event’s speakers shared stories of their own experiences as mentees and how they are now “passing on” those experiences as mentors, each in their own individual way. The event provided information about local mentoring opportunities and how community members can become involved in the youth mentoring consortium. The evening was highlighted with artwork from local elementary school children depicting their mentor experience as well as quotes being read by various presenters which expressed the impact of mentoring on Kitsap County’s youth. The attendants were encouraged to participate in the Consortium’s upcoming Pledge Walk that will take place on March 12th and will be held at the Kitsap Mall in Silverdale. The proceeds will benefit the Consortium’s Endowment Fund. Master of Ceremonies for the evening was Debbie Rowe, and the speakers included Chris Endresen, Chair of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners, Mayor Cary Bozeman, Mary Ellen de la Pena, Coordinator of Kitsap Youth Mentoring Consortium, Jennifer Green of the Kitsap Community Foundation, and Joey Gray, a current member of Leadership Kitsap Class of 2005. Leadership Kitsap Team ONE members include: Skip Beahm, Silverdale Water District, Joseph Gray, Lockheed Martin, April Mills, PSNS&IMF, Leanne Ryan, Sanchez Paulson Mitchell & Schock, Paula Florence, KCCHA, and Denise King of Olympic College. If you are interested in participating in the Pledge Walk, or would like more information about the Consortium program please call (360) 337-4878.

Project: Helping Homeless Men
Greg Fields, Michelle Hansen, Dan Schremser, Charmaine Scott, Kathy Thompson, and Susan Longstreth
Team 4 – Attacking the need for more homeless shelters for men and men with families. Team Four has partnered with Catholic Community Services and The Suquamish Tribe to increase awareness of homeless men and their families in Kitsap County. The most recent homeless census completed in 2001, estimated there are approximately 621 homeless individuals and families in Kitsap County; 176 of them are single men. There are resources scattered throughout the County to help the homeless, however, there are no resources for single homeless men or single homeless men with families. That is unless you count the four rooms available to men at The Suquamish Tribe located in the North end of the County. This transitional housing is not well known. If homeless men are aware of this housing they are under the false impression it is available only to tribal members. All men are welcome as long as the space is available. In January of 2005, Catholic Community Services will have a ground breaking for a new transitional housing facility for men and it will be called the Benedict House. The Benedict House will have 25 rooms available, one of which will be for men with children. There will be a training room with five computers to assist these men in taking online classes, acquiring GED’s, writing resumes, and many other necessary requirements for employment and housing. The goal of the Benedict House and The Suquamish Tribal housing program is to assist men in getting out of the vicious circle of homelessness and unemployment. You cannot get a job without an address and you cannot get an address without a job. Our Leadership Kitsap team has secured the maximum monetary donations as set forth by the Leadership Kitsap Foundation. Our sponsors are The Suquamish Tribe, KPS Health Plans, Air Management Services and Kitsap Xerographix. We have also secured in kind printing donations from Pollard Group, Inc, and we will be purchasing informational displays from Impressions Group. It is our intent to have the graphics provided for both the posters and displays by one of three school districts. We are having students of high school art classes compete for the marketing design. Winners will be awarded bonds from Kitsap Bank. We are also attempting to acquire the five training computers needed for the Benedict House training room. Team Four Project Members: Greg Fields, KPS Health Plans, Michelle Hansen, The Suquamish Tribe, Dan Schremser, PSNS&IMF, Charmaine Scott, Kitsap Community Resources, Kathy Thompson, Kitsap Credit Union and Susan Longstreth, Bremerton School District.

Project: TeenFest
Adam Brockus, Harriette Bryant, Alene Evans, Grace Greenside, Keith Hazen, Kelly Woodward
Team 2’s project is to develop and implement The Kitsap TeenFest, which is an all-in-one community event on many relevant and timely topics, products and services that can help teens deal with important teen issues, problems and challenges. The fair includes exhibits, mini workshops, demonstrations, and screenings. Teens can learn about the risks of romance and dating, how to register as a voter, how to fill out an income tax form, financial planning or how to fight fat and eating disorders to name a few. We hope to attract at least 100 teenagers and we will be providing incentives to motivate teens to visit each exhibitor’s booth. The Team is getting expert advice from Central Kitsap High School students. The TeenFest is scheduled for Friday, April 29th from 5:00 – 8:00 pm in the Kitsap Mall, Silverdale. Thanks to generous in-kind donations, our fair is fully funded. Admission to the event is free to the public.

Project: Reuse-A-Shoe
Terri Washburn, Randy Crenshaw, John Hudson, Diane Jennings, Melissa Tippets, Cameron Teller
Team Triple Play needs your help with a great community project! Team players include: Consider what happens when athletic shoes are ready to be retired. What if there was a way to keep old, tired and worn-out shoes out of landfills and convert them to basketball courts, tennis courts, athletic fields, running tracks, or playground surfaces? There is! It’s called Reuse-A-Shoe. This program, developed by Nike and the National Recycling Coalition, gets all brands of worn-out athletic shoes “back into the game” through a product containing NikeGrind. Our goals are to: collect a minimum of 5,000 pairs of shoes; apply to Nike for a grant to put a NikeGrind play surface at a County park to complete the recycling loop; and teach students the impact their purchasing decisions have on the environment through the Air to Earth curriculum used by Public Works. Shoe collection begins January 24 at twenty-six collection sites located throughout the county and runs through April 21. A complete list of collection sites is listed on our project’s website www.kitsapreuseashoe.org Not only are there community drop-off sites, individual companies (i.e. Manchester EPA Lab, Parametrix) and schools are collecting shoes from their staffs and families and charitable organizations (St. Vincent DePaul, Goodwill, food banks) are diverting unusable athletic shoes to our project thereby decreasing their disposal costs. Our project culminates in a collection event over Earth Day, April 23-24, in the Kitsap Mall parking lot under the big top. Our community partners include Kitsap Co. Public Works (insurance, printing, advertising, shipping materials, classroom presentations), DONOBi (development and hosting the website), Waste Management (collection bins), United Moving and Storage (storage of HUGE boxes of shoes), SWFPAC (collection and delivery of shoes), the US Navy Brig (shoe processing), and Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts (collection event help). Pepsi, Roundtable Pizza, and Albertson’s are donating food during the collection event. We are on the move and invite you to join us as we get Kitsap’s old, tired shoes “back in the game!”

Project: Bremerton ALIVE Shelter and Garden Place
Julie Johnson, Wendy Priest, VernaRae Oraker, Rob Henry, Damon McAlister, Lowell Sweet
The Bremerton ALIVE Play and Garden Place is an enhancement project that will provide a beautiful, safe, nurturing, fun garden and play area for women and children at the YWCA ALIVE Shelter. The project includes upgrading the children’s play area by providing a missing swing and slide and replacing wood chips with pea gravel. Landscaping will include planting several large shrubs for privacy, several small plants and a raised pea-patch garden for the children.

Project: Non-Profit Directory
Roger Gay, Debora Juarez, Matthew Keough, Kathy Nelson, Greg Roberts, April Stevens-Meyers
A spirit of collaboration and much brainstorming led us to one conclusion: Worthy organizations need funds and support to get their work done! Our project, “Resources: A Directory for Kitsap County Non-Profits and Community Project Volunteers,” will be a handy reference, listing local service organizations and companies wishing to make the most difference possible by investing in our community. Our community partner is Kitsap Community Foundation. As with any community project, there is a wide group of participants who made this book possible – THANK YOU!

Project: A New Start
John Gese, Judy Henry, Jodi Hultquist, Tamra Ingwaldson, Morgan Johnson, Tommy Rayfield
We partnered with Kitsap County Consolidated Housing, North Kitsap/Poulsbo Rotary, and North Kitsap/Bainbridge Island YWCA Alive Shelter. With the combined project the group took on the responsibility of developing a safe play area and play set for a newly renovated property to be used as a safe home for families leaving a domestic violence situation. The group’s goal was to make the families New Start more complete for the children by bringing the joy of play back into their lives.

Project: Bremerton Revitalization and Historical Monument
Kim Churchill, Larry DeBarthe, Don Thornton, Kyle Welling, Michelle Yeoman
We partnered with The Murals of Bremerton and the City of Bremerton to create an Art Deco themed portrait of Bremerton during the Harry Truman visit. The mural is located on the outside wall of the Soriano building and also commemorates on open air market operated by the Soriano Brothers. The team also has three benches donated by JPL Habitability. These benches are to be placed strategically by the City of Bremerton.

Project: Community Garden & Pea Patch
Deanna Peck, Tim Drury, Lois Bubong, Karen McNamara, Ed Szlosek
Leadership Kitsap team two partnered with the Port Orchard Care Center to transform a barren lot next to the Care Center on Pottery Avenue, into an attractive garden and gathering place that the community will be able to enjoy for years to come. Handicapped-accessible raised beds enable Care Center residents to grow their own fresh vegetables and flowers. Pea Patches are available to the public for a nominal fee.

Project: Bridge Partners
Jeff Black, Sandy Atkins, Linda Brown, Claudia Peetz, Denise Nesham, Denise Feldbush
This LK team partnered with Julie Johnson, Bridges to Success Displaced Homemaker Program Coordinator and Laurie Adamson, Olympic College Women’s Program Manager to develop a one-on-one mentoring service called Bridge Partners. Volunteers participate in the classroom, sharing stories of successful career transitions and listening to the challenges facing participants. Volunteers also provide curriculum support in areas needed by the program such as computer skills training. At the end of each quarter mentors are assigned to class participants for assistance with resume reviews, interview skills parctice, networking development and moral support for women who are transitioning back into the work place. This program assists Kitsap families in reestablishing a sound economic foundation where children can thrive.

Project: Service With a Smile
Jamie Estill, Connie Merrill, Marci Pinkerton, Denise Ledingham, Susan Chesbrough, David Walters
This Leadership Kitsap team partnered with Peninsula Community Health Plans. The team facilitated creation of a pilot program to provide affordable dental care services with the opportunity for participants to serve the community. PCHS provides these services on a sliding fee scale based on family income and size. Patients who choose to participate in the Service with a Smile program receive the dental servies they need by paying a set fee in combination with pre-determined volunteer hours contributed to various community organizations. The team obtained the assistance and support of community organizations willing to utilize volunteers and track hours for the specific purpose of obtaining dental care services.

Project: Kitsap County Foodbank Olympics
Mike Heesacker, Janell Whiteley, Donna Zajonc, Jill Miller, Chad Solvie
This LK team partnered with Kitsap Mall and local foodbanks to create an “Olympics” style event to educate , inform and promote giving to local foodbanks while having fun. Teams were formed from local businesses and Rotary Clubs by people who wanted to step up to the challenge of fighting hunger in Kitsap County. The project group enabled distribution of 14,000 pounds of food and more than $3000 in cash donations to local food banks as a result of this event.

Project: Lent Landing Flag Pole
Melinda Anthony, Eva Hornbeak, Shawn Embree, Gail Sackman
This team partnered with the East Bremerton Rotary and the Bremerton Parks Department to place a flag pole and a marble plaque at Lent Landing Bremerton Park. The flag and flagpole were dedicated June 26, 2002 to John “Bud” Hawk, 90th Infantry Division, World War II Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.

Project: Military Memorial at Evergreen Rotary Park
Bruce Bordenick, Peter Battuello, Melinda Earl, Pamela Zoeller, Ned Newlin, Dave Bartoldus
This team partnered with the Bremerton Parks and Recreation Department to renovate and improve the Evergreen Rotary Park military memorial. The site was cleaned, planters were replanted, and a plaque was added to identify the purpose of the site. A World War I veterens memorial. The plaque reads, “In memory of the local men who bravely fought and died in World War I to preserve freedom.”

Project: Community Leadership Scholarship
Louann Bean, Carl Tonge, Doug Earl, Lynne Lance, Diane Manning, Jan West
This team partnered with the Leadership Kitsap Foundation and the Olympic College Foundation. A scholarship was created for a deserving Kitsap-area graduating high school student planning to attend Olympic College. The scholarship of $1425 was awarded to Klahowya Secondary School senior A.J. Barse, based on his application which included his essay on how he has made a difference in his community.

Project: Kid City Playhouse
Maurice Correia, Diane Lenius, Shelley Kneip, Suzanne Plemmons, Chop Llamzon
This Leadership Kitsap team partnered with Holly Ridge to construct a quality cedar playhouse for the Kid City Child development center in Bremerton. Kid City provides quality child care for working families.

Project: Volunteer Gazebo
Annette Atkinson, Eileen Schock, Marilyn Rumble, Ken Collette, Roy Okamoto
Leadership Kitsap partnered with the Bremerton Parks and Recreation Department to construct the “Volunteer Gazebo” at Lent’s Landing Park. This gazebo symbolizes what can be accomplished through volunteer participation. Home Depot, Olympus Contractor, West Sound Technical Skills Center, and the Rotary Club of East Bremerton were active participants in the construction of the gazebo through donation of material, labor or funding for the project.

Project: KitsapVolunteers.org
Nancy Olson, Paulette DeGard, Wendy Kelly, Dave White, Kathrin Fortner
Leadership Kitsap partnered with Concurrent Technologies Corporation and United Way of Kitsap County to develop KitsapVolunteers.org, an interactive web site, designed to house a database of volunteer opportunities for citizens of Kitsap County. Prospective volunteers may choose areas of interest, times and locations of volunteer opportunities that meet their needs. Through the interactive web site, they are presented with available volunteer opportunities that meet their search requirements. Agency contacts are provided for volunteers on the web site to complete the information exchange circle. KitsapVolunteers.org puts volunteers in touch with agencies who need volunteers. Organizations may submit volunteer opportunities on the KitsapVolunteers.org Information Form electronically or by hard copy directly to United Way of Kitsap County. The web site and database were developed by Concurrent Technologies Corporation and is hosted by United Way of Kitsap County.

Project: Mosquito Fleet Historic Monuments
Ron Selvidge, Sara Scribner, Bob Cassis, Deb Howard, Connie Mueller
Leadership Kitsap partnered with the Kitsap County Commissioners to have ceramic monument plaques erected at sites where the Mosquito Fleet ported in Kitsap County. The project will benefit the entire County and will enhance the public experience of enjoying existing pedestrian paths, and will also mark a physical and significant start of the planned Mosquito Fleet Trail. Once the Monuments are erected, they will educate citizens of all ages about the local history of Kitsap County.

Project: Eye of Kitsap
Greg Leicht, Robyn Nagli, Larry Schoeberl, Tracy Thompson, Jan Williams
Leadership Kitsap partnered with Sinlcair Landing Association to install no-fee telescopes and donor plaques at the Bremerton Transportation Center and viewing platform in Port Orchard. The telescopes will enhance the livability of the two cities. The following organizations contributed to the $6,000 project cost or provided other support: Port of Bremerton, City of Port Orchard, Kitsap Transit, Bremerton Central Lions Club, Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Bremerton, Rotary Club of Port Orchard, URS Corporation.

Project: Kitsap County Time Capsule
Judith Rammel, Dianna Blom, Earl Smith, Michael Dill, Mary Anne Mascianica
Leadership Kitsap worked with the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners to develop a historic picture of the critical issues, events and culture of Kitsap County and place it in a time capsule to be opened in 50 years. Issues include growth management, environment, parks and recreation, education, transportation, and business.

Project: Garden in a Box (Urban Beautification)
Monique Bartoldus, Jennifer Stowell, Terrie O’Neill, Linda Joyce, Bob Simonoff, Rick Tift
Leadership Kitsap worked with the City of Bremerton to complete a beautification project in the gateway area (a 10×10 garden); and create a systematic manual and instructional video on how other interested groups can duplicate similar beautification projects in the future.

Project: Tax Aid Program Enhancement
Thomas Drake, Dawn Dressler, Laurie Cook, Bryan Moore, Sandra Van De Putte
Leadership Kitsap worked with VITA (Voluntary Income Tax Assistance) to recruit 150 volunteer tax preparers for the 1999-2000 tax season to prepare returns for elderly, low income, young and other persons who lack the skills and resources to prepare their own taxes. The group created a web site that solicits the help of volunteer tax preparers and advertises the nature and location of the tax preparation service.

Project: Community and Restorative Justice Survey
Mona Caler, Kristine Cowan, Karen Mason, David Smith, Scott Thompson, June Watterson
Leadership Kitsap Collected data through surveys for the Restorative Justice Project. The Restorative Justice Project receives federal funding to implement restorative justice in the Juvenile Justice Center and the broader community of Kitsap County. The data from the surveys will be used for program development, funding allocation, and evaluation.

Project: 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Jim Alvarez, Greg Belding, Kelly Gardner, Mark Hartman, Shirley Johnson, Rob Ruiz, Trudy Thuring
Leadership Kitsap partnered with the South Kitsap School District and the Juvenile Department to develop an after school program that would be incorporated into a grant proposal for the 21st Century Learning Centers Funding.

Project: Community School Speaker’s Bureau
Allan Butler, Eddie George, Marie La Marche, Pamela Martin, Brian Stengele, Laurie Strange
Leadership Kitsap and West Sound Human Resources Management developed a volunteer speaker’s bureau for community schools. Area teachers will access the bureau to find speakers for their junior or senior high school classes of activity groups. In this time of rapidly changing business trends, teacher, student, and community interaction is a necessary part of education.

Project: Welfare Reform Impact Survey in Kitsap County
Julie Graves, Dave Foote, Timothy Knapp, Janet Mayberry, Greg Steiger, Mark Summers
Leadership Kitsap and the Washington Welfare Reform Coalition gathered statistics reflecting how recent changes in law are directly affecting low-income families in Kitsap County.

Project: Mapping Kitsap County
Michelle Beardsley, Mike Botkin, Steve Boyer, Janis Castle, Linda Lay, Robert Seader, Diane Sugzda
This Leadership Kitsap project team partnered with the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor & Convention Bureau and the Kitsap County Historical Museum to create a tourist map of historical sites in Kitsap County.

Project: Educational Forum
Ione George
The forum linked the EDC with Schools

Project: United Way Survey
Laura Jull
Leadership Kitsap and United Way developed a survey that went to all United Way agencies and other key users of what is now United Way InfoLink. Our goal was to recommend to the steering committee working on InfoLink the key fields that should be used in the database.

Project: Business Educating Students and Teachers (B.E.S.T.)
Christine Avella, Steve Gunderson, Tim Lavin, Terry Madigan, Preston Prince, Arthur Wuerth
Leadership Kitsap and the Kitsap Chambers of Commerce developed and distributed a survey to determine if and to what extent Kitsap County businesses are interested in collaborating with Kitsap School Districts.

Project: Employability Education
Carol Blakley, Bob Brott, Irmgard Davis, Dan Hendricks, Ed Marquardt
Leadership Kitsap and the Economic Development Council held an employability education forum to establish communications among local businesses and organizations on issues related to employability.

Project: Environmental Resource Guide for Kitsap County
Redge Campbell, Robert Ferguson, Karla Moore, Clarence Nelson, Gary Simpson, Stacy Tucker, Tom Weed, Carol Whitehead
Leadership Kitsap, Electronic Commerce Resource Center, Bremerton High School, Kitsap County Information Services, and the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce provided Kitsap County residents with a data resource guide available.

Project: Mentoring Video
Roxanne Bryson, Linda Kroum, Joyce Montgomery, Marie Mulroy, Linda Yerger

Project: Research and Design of a Volunteer Referral Database
Mike Davis, Lynn Fleischbein, Brian Stallcop, Sean Hoynes, Stacy Dore’, Linda Miller, Joann Johnson, Marla Brady, Dan Weedin, Merri Rieger, Deborah Horn, Darlene Norris-Cook, Socorra Daluria
To create a way for volunteers to access volunteer opportunities that would suit them and a way for non-profits to solicit volunteers based on their needs. The project developed a database of volunteer opportunities accessible through the United Way office.

Project: Follow the Leader
Dave Olson, John Carlson, John Denis, Dianne Goebel, Mary Ann Harris, Mick McKinley
Leadership Kitsap, with the Bon Marche and The Sun, collaborated to provide an opportunity for youth (junior and senior high school students) to express their thoughts about leadership through an essay contest. The focus was on answering questions about the leadership qualities, especially as exemplified by a selected list of local leaders, The authors of the outstanding essay written about each of the leaders were invited to shadow the leader for a day at work to gain an even better understanding of the person’s leadership and role.

Project: Promoting Volunteerism is Kitsap County
John Denis, Mick McKinley, Steven Screen Angela Sell, Becky Wiles
Leadership Kitsap, with the local school districts, Port Orchard Foodline, Bremerton Parks and Recreation, and Kitsap Community Action Program collaborated to introduce volunteerism to students.