Reach out to your City Council member and advocate for the early release of funding from Tacoma Creates before April 14th.
Opportunity:
The Tacoma City Council has the opportunity to fulfill on the voters voice that empowered Tacoma Creates and to step into an urgent need during this crisis. This is the time to expedite funding that will serve every neighborhood, every income level, and every age. Offering critical stabilization dollars will enable the sector to find its footing and, when this crisis subsides, be ready to resume and expand service to our citizens.
Why now?:
All businesses are feeling the economic freeze and the cultural sector is no different. Many crucial social service non-profit organizations are receiving emergency support from the philanthropic community and government. Because of Tacoma Creates, most of the nonprofits within the cultural sector have intentionally stepped aside from such funding requests out of respect to the needs of the most needy and at-risk. Thanks to the dedicated funding of Tacoma Creates, there is now an opportunity to provide emergency support to the cultural sector. This neither takes away from other community needs nor detracts from the City’s ability to support those social service needs.
Please personalize with your cultural experiences in Tacoma and share this letter with your council member!
Dear Council Member [insert last name]:
I respectfully request that the Tacoma City Council take action and unanimously approve the voter-approved work of Tacoma Creates and the independent Citizen panel’s recommendations on this first major round of Tacoma Creates funding, and do so on the expedited timeline and process suggested by Tacoma City Staff.
The Cultural Sector is a $75 million economic engine in our City, employing more than 4,000 individuals - community members who pay rent, shop and pay taxes. This sector is facing the same challenges that all for profit and not for profit businesses are enduring due to the COVID 19 virus. City Staff’s recommendation will help stabilize the sector, a key deliverable of the Tacoma Creates ordinance.
During this crisis the Cultural Sector has not remained dormant: delivering educational and childcare services with Tacoma Public Schools and other nonprofit partners for front-line workers and First Responders; offering free online resources and performances for all ages whether educational or inspirational to households across the City; partnering in communications and fundraising to support the social services sector; and shifting services to support Personal Protection Equipment production.
Please put Tacoma Creates dollars to work to help stabilize the cultural sector, now. This dedicated funding will support a diverse group of more than 50 organizations and ensure that our cultural community remains strong and serves the entire community at a new level of impact and commitment.
COUNCIL MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION
John Hines, District 1 (North and West End)
john.hines@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
Robert Thoms, District 2 (North end, Downtown, NE)
robert.thoms@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
Keith Blocker, District 3 (Central)
keith.blocker@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
Catherine Ushka, District 4 (Lincoln)
catherine.ushka@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
Chris Beale, District 5 (E Side)
chris.beale@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
Lillian Hunter, District 6 (at-large)
lillian.hunter@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
Connor McCarthy, District 7 (at-large)
conor.mccarthy@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
Kristina Walker, District 8 (at-large)
kristina.walker@cityoftacoma.org (253) 591-5470
Victoria Woodards, Mayor
victoria.woodards@cityoftacoma.org (253) 594-7848
