For the second year, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation is teaming up with local restaurants to provide meals for patients going through cancer treatment with their program called DINE IN. Each week on Friday, patients undergoing cancer treatment receive a meal from a local restaurant. The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation is able to provide this amazing program thanks to robust community financial support.

In 2020, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, our community provided 1,900 meals to patients and their families and put $56,000 back into local restaurants. In 2021, our hope is to more than double meal service patients and their families fighting cancer and provide 5,500 meals from local restaurants.

To make a one-time or recurring donation to support our meal program, please visit https://tccancer.z2systems.com/np/clients/tccancer/survey.jsp?surveyId=2& or call Tara Divers at (509) 737-3452.

For updates regarding the DINE IN program, please follow us on Facebook @TCCancerCenter.

The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia (CRFMC) in collaboration with HAPO Community Credit Union are pleased to announce the second annual Reading on the Run - A Socially Distanced Poker Run! April 24, 2:00pm to 5:00 PM at multiple locations across the Tri-Cities.

More information is available at read20minutes.com/reading-on-the-run/

Fill your car with the family and tell your friends to join us on a drive through poker run to local businesses across the Tri-Cities, trying to collect the best hand of cards.

The winner with the best poker hand, will win $400. Participants have the chance of winning instant win prizes as well from supporting businesses including two $50 cash prizes. Amazing baskets will be raffled away at the end of the event. Preregistration includes one card and one raffle ticket for $25.  Registration online open until Wednesday April 21 or day of at the HAPO building on Clearwater. 
​
Come out and support local businesses and The Children’s Reading Foundation of the Mid-Columbia. Go online and buy your tickets today. All proceeds of the fundraiser go to support the purchase and distribution of books for vulnerable children across Benton and Franklin Counties to stop the Summer Slide, the slide of literacy skills that occurs each summer. 

3 Rivers Community Foundation (3RCF) is very pleased to have been selected to distribute approximately $415,000 in grants to nonprofits in Benton and Franklin counties to impact the social determinants of heath. This funding is made available through the Greater Columbia Accountable Community of Health Fund in collaboration with the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance and 3 Rivers Community Foundation. The application is now available at http://3rcf.org/non-profits/how-to-apply-for-a-grant/ and the deadline for applications is May 15th, 2021 at 5pm.

The purpose of this funding is to formally recognize, evaluate, and resource investments in social determinants of health. The social determinants of health are linked to the economic and social conditions and their distribution among the population that influence individual and group differences in health status. They are health-promoting factors found in one's living and working conditions (such as the distribution of income, wealth, influence, and power), rather than individual risk factors (such as behavioral risk factors or genetics) that influence the risk for a disease, or vulnerability to disease or injury. The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.

“3RCF is grateful to have the opportunity to support large scale projects that can really move the needle on these critical issues,” says Abbey Cameron, Executive Director of 3 Rivers Community Foundation. “It is crucial for the health of community to create funding opportunities to focus on these key factors. We have incredible nonprofits who know how to address these social determinants of health, and we are thrilled to be able to support them.”

For this grant opportunity, the Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance has identified the following Social Determinants of Health. Submitted proposals must address one of these areas of focus:

• Housing - with an emphasis on supportive housing for those living with an addiction or mental health issues
• Housing - with an emphasis on housing for homeless middle and high school age youth
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - expanding school-based programs
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - Create convenient centers that provide free or low-cost healthy food where youth gather
• Food Insecurity/Providing healthy food options for youth - Adding/encouraging mobile
  or pop-up markets
• Behavioral Health - Additional licensed practitioners to improve access to services
• Behavioral Health - Suicide prevention measures for teens and adult men between the
  ages of 30-60
• Behavioral Health - Support for the regional confidential tip line

“The Benton-Franklin Community Health Alliance (BFCHA) is honored to work with 3 Rivers Community Foundation to bring these resources to our community,” says Kirk Williamson, Program Manager of BFCHA. “More than 100 partner individuals and agencies helped select the target areas for these grants, based on input from the people they serve. We are excited to see the
ways they help our community remove barriers to good health.”

Examples of projects supported in 2019 by a previous round of this funding:

• Chaplaincy Health Care - $78,000 to support hiring a Clinical Social Worker to provide behavioral health services to the underserved Medicare population
• Communities in Schools - $102,812 to provide one-time housing assistance voucher through Safe Harbor Support Center
• Grace Clinic - $50,000 to hire a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and partner with WSU-TC to increase the number of PNO students trained locally.
• Tri-Cities Residential Services - $13,000 to establish a PEERS program providing social skills training for residents with autism and other mental health issues
• Catholic Charities - $69,000 to hire a full-time Peer Support counselor to provide service
  to residents
• Community Action Connections - $78,271 for staffing costs to support referred tenants at Sundance Mobile Home Park

The application can be found at http://3rcf.org/non-profits/how-to-apply-for-a-grant/.
​To make a donation to 3RCF visit https://threeriverscf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate.

Today, the Hanford prime contractors and their labor union partners kick off the second annual One Hanford Feeding Families Fundraiser benefiting Second Harvest.

Second Harvest continues to face an urgent increase in demand for basic food needs throughout the Columbia Basin due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The goal is to raise at least $65,000 before the campaign closes on April 30.

Donations can be made at 2-harvest.org/onehanford (best viewed using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge).

The need for food assistance in our area remains very high. Returning to “normal” demand will likely take years, and Second Harvest must be prepared to sustain an elevated level of service for the foreseeable future. Donations will help Second Harvest source and distribute healthy food to children, families and seniors facing hunger through its partner food banks and mobile market distributions.

“Fighting hunger takes many people and organizations working together, and that’s especially true as we try to navigate our way out of the wake of a pandemic,” said Jason Clark, President and CEO of Second Harvest. “That’s why it’s so gratifying for us to work alongside Hanford contractors and labor union partners to do everything we can to put nutritious meals on hungry peoples’ plates in this region.”

More than 10,000 people work for the contractors and unions supporting the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Those organizations involved in the fundraising include Amentum, Bechtel, Central Plateau Cleanup Company, HPMC Occupational Medical Services, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions, Washington River Protection Solutions, HAMTC, and Central Washington Building Trades.

Prosser Memorial Health will host a Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Saturday, April 24th from 8am-2pm, at Housel Middle School. While all Washington State residents 16 years and older are now eligible to receive the vaccine, the Moderna vaccine is only approved for those 18 years and older.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you may schedule your vaccine appointment at prosserhealth.org. Prosser Memorial Health staff will be onsite for check-in, health screening, administering vaccine, and post-vaccination observation. Housel Middle School is located at 2001 Highland Drive in Prosser. Those receiving the vaccine will be asked to wait onsite 15 minutes for observation. Appointments are required.

For more information, please call our dedicated COVID-19 vaccine clinic number at 509.788.6035 or email [email protected] Additional COVID-19 resources can be found on our website at prosserhealth.org.

The American Red Cross is partnering with Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) and other partners to make homes safer from the threat of a home fire during the annual Sound the Alarm campaign. HMIS leadership presented the local Red Cross chapter with a $10,000 gift Tuesday. Funds will directly assist the Red Cross in helping people prepare for, respond to, and recover from home fires.

Bob Wilkinson, HMIS President, says, “HMIS is proud to sponsor the 2021 Sound the Alarm campaign for our local American Red Cross to promote the importance of fire alarms in protecting our community. Our safety culture at HMIS is critical to the work we do at Hanford and something we encourage our employees to take home with them – fire safety is something we can all be a part of.”

Since January 1, local Red Cross volunteers have helped almost 700 people with urgent needs like emergency lodging, financial assistance, and recovery planning, following more than 160 home fires throughout the Northwest Region. In Central & Southeast Washington, the Red Cross has responded to 28 home fires and provided aid to 125 individuals.

“Home fires remain the nation’s most frequent disaster during COVID-19,” said Cody Campbell, Disaster Program Manager for Central and Southeastern Washington. “Most of us don’t realize we have just two minutes to escape a home fire. We are excited to partner with HMIS and others to prepare households and help save lives in our community.”

Other supporters and partners of the local Sound the Alarm campaign include Kennewick Fire Department, Gesa Credit Union, Amentum at WTP, and Numerica Credit Union.

During the Sound the Alarm campaign, the Red Cross, along with volunteers from HMIS and Gesa Credit Union, are educating people across the Northwest region about home fire safety by offering FREE Homes Made Safer calls (by appointment). During the call, participants will receive information about home fire safety, including how to create an escape plan and practice a 2-minute drill, as well as guidance in how to check existing smoke alarms. Those households that need smoke alarms will be put on a list for the fire departments to install smoke alarms by appointment when it’s safe to do so. Anyone can request a free home fire education call by:

• Visiting redcross.org/nwhomefire
• Calling 1-833-918-1531

The community, businesses, organizations and school districts are invited to a free, virtual panel discussion, entitled Organizational Leadership After Crisis, hosted by Lucas OPT on Friday, April 30, 2021 from 11:30am to 12:30pm PDT. “This isn’t the first large scale crisis event to happen in our world. COVID was just on the largest scale we’ve seen in recent history. It’s vital for organizations to be prepared for the next event,” says Chris Lucas, President and COO, Lucas Engineering and Management Services. 

Crisis communication has been front and center in much of the past year’s corporate strategy sessions.  However, conversations that are candid, collaborative and truly move forward on organizational performance & outcomes, have not seen as much enthusiasm. This is in part, due to concerns over intellectual property, maintaining a competitive edge and uncertainty on what the new normal really looks like. “There have been major obstacles this past year; supply chain issues, natural disasters, fluctuating workforces, federal administration changes and so much more, all leading to uncertainty. The willingness for large scale collaboration on best practices, across industry & disciplines, simply didn’t happen the way it did this last year with crisis communications,” continues Lucas. 

Attendees of the event will hear from members of the Organizational Performance Team, whose combined expertise includes private sector energy production management, organizational leadership, Human Performance Improvement, Lean Six-Sigma experience and longtime DOE contract management.  The discussion has two parts: organizational level & individual level leadership best practices. 

To register, please visit www.lucasopt.com to register for the event. Attendees are invited to submit their questions before the event via the website and learn more about the panel members: Chris Lucas, Joe Estey, Sr., Dale Walling and Joseph Estey, Jr. 

WHAT: Rep. Dan Newhouse will host his 2021 Job Fair for all constituents of the 4th Congressional District. He is bringing together job seekers with employers from all over the region who are looking for qualified employees. As Central Washington continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many job opportunities to be filled. The event is free, and applicants are encouraged to bring resumes and/or interview materials. 

Due to the pandemic, in-person attendance will be closely monitored to ensure social distancing and other safety procedures are in place. Sanitizing stations and masks will also be available for participants. Constituents are encouraged to pre-register for one of the time slots available here. This will speed up check-in on the day of the Job Fair and ensure the event stays within attendance guidelines. 

Employers interested in participating should contact Vicki Holleman-Perez in the Yakima district office at (509) 452-3243. 

A list of participating employers and available positions can be found here. 

WHERE: Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 West Grandridge Boulevard, Kennewick, WA 99336 

WHEN: Saturday, May 8th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM PST 

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation will be hosting their 21st Annual Cancer Crushing Breakfast on Thursday, May 6th at 7:30am at Fairchild Cinemas in Kennewick, Richland and Pasco. A virtual option will be available for those not comfortable attending in-person. The entire community is invited to attend.

Each screen room at each Fairchild Cinemas location will hold a maximum of 20 masked and distanced guests keeping attendees safe while allowing for an in-person event! This “show stopper” event will feature exciting news about cancer care in our region and provide attendees with a to-go breakfast! There is no-cost to attend the breakfast with the hope that attendees will make a donation to financially support the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

What: Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation’s 21st Annual Cancer Crushing Breakfast
When: Thursday, May 6th, 2021 at 7:30am
Where: Join Us at one of the Fairchild Cinemas in Kennewick, Richland or Pasco or watch online from your home or office.

If interested in attending as an individual or being a table host, please call our Foundation office at (509) 737-3373 by April 29th. Reservations are required.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation Breakfast is generously sponsored by Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. All funds raised stay local and provide valuable non-reimbursed cancer programs and services for patients, their families, and the community.

The Foundation provides Support Services for individuals in our community, which are instrumental in helping patients and their families deal with the diagnosis of cancer. We offer assistance in understanding treatment options; dealing with the side effects of treatment; coping with the feelings and questions of family and friends; and understanding how to talk to a child about the diagnosis of cancer. Our desire is to address the needs of patients and their families not covered by insurance. In addition, we offer the Ralph R. Peterson Library (cancer resource library), free community cancer screenings, rehabilitation, our Palliative Care and Survivorship programs, a Resource Center to address the unique needs of cancer patients and so much more. We offer numerous non-reimbursed services and education, which are available to those affected by cancer in our region no matter where they are receiving their treatment. These offerings are funded through the generous community support of the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation.

The Tri-Cities Cancer Center is a world-class organization caring for patients with cancer throughout the Tri-Cities and nearby region. To learn more about the Tri-Cities Cancer Center, please visit www.tccancer.org.

New airline, Avelo Airlines, has announced a new, nonstop flight between the Tri-Cities Airport (PSC) and Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR). Flights begin April 29 with fares as low as $19.

“We are thrilled to welcome Avelo Airlines to the Tri-Cities region,” said Buck Taft, Director of Airports. “It’s an honor to be one of the first destinations for the airline, and an excellent opportunity to provide our passengers a low-cost, customer-focused connection to southern California.”

More info on Avelo Airlines.