Giving Back

Laura Clark, Executive Director of the Whatcom Humane Society said when asked about WCD:

     “WHS is so lucky to benefit from their generosity and big hearts…they are true friends to the animals in our shelters and we appreciate them so much”

WHS advocates for animals; educates the community to promote humane treatment and respect for animals; and provides for abandoned, injured, abused, or neglected animals.

As the oldest nonprofit animal welfare organization in Whatcom County, WHS has been committed to caring for domestic, farm, and wild animals in need since 1902. To do this, they operate three care facilities: A domestic animal shelter, a farm facility, and a wildlife rehabilitation center, collectively caring for over 5,000 animals annually.

As an open admission shelter, Whatcom Humane Society turns no animal away, regardless of age, breed, temperament, and physical or medical condition. In addition, WHS provides 24/7 animal control & rescue services for the majority of Whatcom County—including the cities of Bellingham, Ferndale, Blaine, Sumas, Everson—and unincorporated Whatcom County and has relationships with both the Lummi & Nooksack Indian Reservations. They also offer humane education programming for K-12 students, animal welfare workshops and events for all ages, and public services that include a community pet food bank and low-cost spay/neuter and microchipping.

www.whatcomhumane.org

Stephanie Sisson, Bellingham Food Bank’s Outreach Coordinator said when asked about WCD:

     “In the face of SNAP cuts, inflation, and economic difficulties, it is the lovely people of Whatcom County that step up to keep our doors open and food on the shelves. Most of our funding is community driven and we couldn’t do it without their support”

The Bellingham Food Bank's mission is to reduce hunger in Whatcom County by providing access to food and other essentials, building a regional hunger relief network, and disrupting racism. The food bank's vision is a community with a thriving food system where everyone has equitable access to food. 

The Bellingham Food Bank has been providing free food since 1972. They offer a free grocery program, drive-thru, and home delivery. The food bank also works with other food banks in Whatcom County to distribute millions of pounds of food each year. 

The Bellingham Food Bank's work is supported by donors, volunteers, and partners. In 2022, 80% of the food bank's funding came from community members. 

www.bellinghamfoodbank.org

NSEA’s mission is to engage our community to recover wild salmon for future generations.

Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs) were created by the WA state legislature in 1990. It is a statewide network of fourteen nonprofit organizations that engage local communities, volunteers, and landowners to enhance and restore salmon and steelhead populations in watersheds across Washington state. Each of the state’s 14 RFEGs is a separate, local, nonprofit organization with its own board of directors and is supported by its members. 

As an RFEG, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) creates partnerships with landowners, tribes, local businesses, volunteers, agencies, and other non-governmental organizations to lead our community in successful restoration, education, and monitoring projects. 

They are a 501 c(3) community-based, non-profit organization focused on reversing the trend of declining salmon runs in Whatcom County. They enhance river, creek, and riparian habitat while educating people of all ages to provide Pacific Salmon & Steelhead the best chance at survival. 

www.n-sea.org

Max Higbee Center (MHC) is a non-profit organization that provides community-based recreation programs for youth and adults with developmental disabilities in Whatcom County, Washington. MHC’s mission has four broad aims:

    To provide opportunities for personal enjoyment and enrichment through a diverse range of leisure activities.

    To promote the social, physical, emotional, and cognitive growth and development of participants.

    To assist participants to achieve greater independence in their lives and increased involvement in the community.

    To promote and embody justice, diversity, inclusion, and equity in our organization and within our community.

Max Higbee Center is a grassroots organization founded by educators and families of people with developmental disabilities who wanted quality recreation opportunities in Whatcom County. Max Higbee, a professor at Western Washington University, spearheaded this movement. The Drop-In Center gained status as a non-profit organization in 1984 and was then renamed in honor of its founder.

www.maxhigbeecenter.org

The mission statement of FACES Northwest is to help children, adolescents, and young adults with autism grow socially and academically, and to be active participants in their community. 

In 1997, a small group of concerned parents came together, all looking for the same beneficial treatment and support for their children with autism spectrum disorder. The unique nature of autism, with the tremendous stress it inflicts on families, demands ongoing and focused individual support for each child and their families as a whole.

At the time there were no educational or recreational programs that supported the specific needs of children with autism during the summer months and school breaks. Over the summer their children stagnated or regressed, negating any gains made during the school year. These families responded to the critical need for year-round education and support for children with autism by founding the non-profit organization Families for Autistic Children's Education and Support (F.A.C.E.S.).

www.facesnorthwest.com

The Mission of the Whatcom Land Trust is to preserve and protect wildlife habitat, scenic, agricultural and open space lands in Whatcom County for future generations by securing interests in land and promoting land stewardship.

Whatcom Land Trust employs a three-pronged strategy to accomplish its mission – legal securement of land, land stewardship and restoration, and community engagement in conservation action. Permanent land protections are secured through outright purchases, gifts and transfers, including those that have created 15 parks and preserves, the establishment of conservation easements for farmland, wildlife habitat, and other purposes, and the facilitation of land exchanges that increase landscape connectivity, improve ecosystem biodiversity and restore natural systems to support the recovery of key fish and wildlife species. 

We engage the Whatcom County community in conservation principles and actions by showing the impact of human activity on ecosystem health and connectivity, and by inspiring meaningful connections between people and land.

www.whatcomlandtrust.org

The mission statement of the Whatcom Hospice Foundation is to: Improve awareness of Whatcom Hospice services, Strengthen funding for Whatcom Hospice, Provide compassionate care resources, and Give individuals choice in end of life issues

The Whatcom Hospice Foundation works with PeaceHealth to provide high-quality end of life care to all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. 

Donations to the Whatcom Hospice Foundation help to: 

• Provide charity care and under-reimbursed care

• Provide medications, therapies, and comfort items that insurance doesn't cover

• Provide education programs for family members and volunteers

• Provide specialized medical equipment

• Provide bereavement services and spiritual care

www.whatcomhospice.org

The Lhaq'temish Foundation's mission statement is "Nilh Xwenang Tse Schelangen Este Nexw Xwlemi", which translates to "this is our way of life in Lummi". The foundation's mission is to support the health and wellness of the Lummi community through cultural, social, and economic abundance.

Since 1997, they have developed and facilitated numerous projects focused on improving the health and vitality of our community. They have helped raise and administer funds for the (countywide) COVID Pandemic Response, the Lummi Blackhawk Singers, Lummi Ventures Partnership, Paddle to Lummi 2007 & 2019, the Lummi Boys and Girls Club, the House of Tears Carvers, Lummi Youth Canoe Family, Lummi Youth Wellness Center, Lummi Youth Basketball Tournaments, Natural Resource Enhancement projects, Language Revitalization efforts, community emergency response efforts, various youth canoe clubs and sports teams, and more.

The Lhaq’temish Foundation also extends its 501(c)3 nonprofit status, through fiscally sponsored projects, to various community projects aligned with our mission. This maximizes the impact of the Foundation and helps support the natural community leaders who give so selflessly to support the healing and well-being of our community.

www.lhaqtemishfoundation.org

Animals as Natural Therapy's mission is to improve mental and behavioral health through equine-assisted and animal-guided programs and mentorship with special attention to youth and veterans in Northwest Washington.

Since 1999, Animals as Natural Therapy (ANT) has offered animal-guided mental & behavioral health programs for youth, veterans, families, & elders. their work is based on the knowledge that animals can teach important life skills such as respect for self & others, healthy boundaries, self-management, empathy, and clear communication.

Their Equine Assisted Learning (EAL) programs utilize techniques from PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship) and EAGALA (Equine Assisted Growth & Learning) models, while their Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) program integrates clinical mental health treatment with horsemanship to uniquely address a variety of participant needs, including anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, and PTSD.

www.animalsasnaturaltherapy.org

The mission statement of Baker 542 Ride is "Let me win, and if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt". 

Baker 542 Ride is a ski and snowboard team that trains at Mt. Baker and competes in Special Olympic events.

www.facebook.com/baker542ride/

NAMI Whatcom is a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization. They are dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness by providing free support groups, classes, and education forums to the community.

All their programs are free, and led by trained volunteers who either live with a mental health condition or have a loved one with a mental health condition. Their nonprofit operates with the support of their members, donations and grants.

www.namiwhatcom.org

Dominique's Closet is a non-profit organization that provides free medical supplies to people in need, regardless of insurance coverage or income. Their mission is to help get medical supplies to those who need them.

At Dominique’s Closet, they strive to provide dream wish, emotional and financial support to families who are dealing with the physical and emotional stress of a child’s illness. They provide a variety of resources to help families navigate the challenges of their child’s illness. 

www.dominiquescloset.org

Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood is a non-profit family planning organization that has been helping people of all ages make responsible choices about their sexual health since 1969.

They are dedicated to offering expert reproductive health care services and age-appropriate sexuality education. Their core belief centers around safeguarding your fundamental right to bodily autonomy.

MBPP serves Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties and offers a wide range of health services during daytime, evening and Saturday hours. Many qualify for FREE services through a variety of programs.

hwww.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-mt-baker

The mission of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services (DVSAS) of Whatcom County is to support people impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation, and to lead the community in ending these abuses of power.

Serving individuals throughout Whatcom County, DVSAS is a volunteer-driven 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to heal victims and end domestic violence and sexual assault. With client-centered, accessible housing and support services, DVSAS empowers victims and survivors while offering safe housing and the possibility of a new life. Their commitment is to provide the full spectrum of support and services that victims need after the trauma of partner violence or sexual assault, while also offering prevention education to break the cycle of violence once and for all. Through important collaborations with law enforcement, local school districts and countless community members and organizations that are active participants in this work, they are building a world where every survivor has the support they deserve and there is a future free of domestic violence and sexual assault.

www.dvsas.org

The mission statement of Make-A-Wish is "Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses". 

Make-A-Wish is a nonprofit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses. The organization's mission goes beyond fulfilling wishes, as it aims to provide experiences that can inspire hope, bring joy, and sometimes even help in a child's recovery.

Make-A-Wish works with a network of volunteers, sponsors, and medical professionals to grant wishes. The organization operates through 58 chapters in the United States and 40 international affiliates in about 50 other countries.

www.wish.org