This section includes resource providers and organizations located within the Foothills area and those who bring services
to our communities From food to housing, healthcare, Elderly & disabled, and more, the resources
you need to get through a rough spot, a crisis or to improve your life are listed here.
To learn more and access services, click on the logo to be taken to that website.
The Foothills Food Bank distributes quality, nutritious foods to anyone in need. We operate a grocery store-like model where visitors are welcome once per week to shop items on our shelves and coolers; we normally carry non-perishable staples, fresh produce, dairy goods, breads, and frozen protein.
We are located on the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center campus at 8255 Kendall Rd. and our hours are Tuesdays from 8am until 12pm and Thursdays from 4pm until 7pm.
No ID or documentation required, but please bring bags or boxes to bring your shopping home in. Home Delivery is available on a limited basis for those who are elderly, homebound or otherwise disabled.
Stop by, call us at 360-392-8149 or email us at contact@foothillsfoodbank.org if you have any questions or would like to get signed up.
Bridge2Services–People Helping People
Bridge 2 Services is a mobile outreach program that bridges people to the organizations and services they need. Many of the people we work with have had trust broken, have gotten stuck in a rut, or are feeling hopeless. We provide encouragement and support, valuing and validating each person. Focusing on our unhoused neighbors, B2S locates individuals and families, understands needs, delivers basic triage supplies, and builds relationships to move toward longer term outcomes. Simple actions like providing warm clothing, fresh water, food, and listening are the building blocks of a trusting relationship that can change lives.
Common Threads mission is to connect kids to healthy food in the garden, in the kitchen, and at the table. We want kids to grow up making food choices that are good for their bodies, their communities, and the environment.
When kids don’t eat well it’s hard for them to learn well, behave well and feel well. In Washington state over 35% of kids don’t eat enough veggies (WA State Healthy Youth Survey, 2016). To get kids excited about veggies, we joyfully garden, cook and eat with 7000+ kids in schools across Whatcom County as well as our partner site locations across Washington state.
JOIN US! COMMUNITY-LED VOLUNTEER GROUP! Who are we? Maybe you have seen us in the orange vests picking up garbage along the community roads, or maybe you have heard us speaking at meetings with county officials about the growing trash problems, abandoned vehicles, crime, or need for services in our remote area. You might have met us at our local Summerfest Events as well. The Neighborhood Watch Dogs Group was formed in August 2020 by concerned community members who wanted to build a strong community and address the issues of safety and cleanliness in our area. Our focus is on working with one another and outside agencies to build a healthy environment for everyone! We gather throughout the year to help clean our roads, removing thousands of pounds of garbage from along our streets. To join our meetings and if you want to learn more, please visit our Facebook page at:
Whatcom County Water District #13 serves the communities of Peaceful Valley and Maple Falls, Washington, including Balfour Village and Red Mountain, and the campus of the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center.
Whatcom Water District No. 13 sources our water from a highly permeable aquifer that lies beneath the floor of the Columbia Valley.
Did you know that most people use an average of 70-90 gallons of water per day? In the average house, two thirds of indoor water is used in the bathroom.
Average Household Use
Toilet 26.7%
Faucet 15.7%
Bath 1.7%
Shower 16.8%
Clothes Washer 21.7%
Dishwasher 1.4%
Leaks 13.7%
Other Domestic 2.2%
Take some time to go through your house and look for ways to conserve. Be sure to check out the District website for useful tips and guides on water conservation.
Mon, Wed, Fri : 08:00 am – 12:00 pm and 01:00 pm – 04:30 pm
Stress, Kids & Families–What to Know!
Stress Happens! And when it does we have a lot of power to claim our calm and rebalance with ease.
Children and teens feel stress, just as much as adults. Adults may worry about finances and adult relationships. Youth may worry about school expectations and peer friendships.
What causes us stress isn’t as important as understanding that the intensity of the feelings and physical toll stress can have are common, regardless of age. We all have stress hormones that get set off when we feel or perceive danger. Danger can be physical, social, emotional or other ways, too. The real or perceived threats activate our bodies’ nervous system. We feel stress and anxiety.
If there is high stress within the family dynamics or neighborhoods children pick up on those cues. They perceive danger or unease. They also have their own stressors, while caring about those of their parents and caretakers. As a matter of fact, babies growing inside a womb get the direct dose of stress hormones that momma is experiencing and this can make children more highly sensitive to stress hormones across their lifetime.
Encountering a child’s claim of stress, should be met with compassion and understanding. Tell kids you care. Tell them that stress is a normal part of life, but that coming to trusted adults is important. They don’t need to manage it alone. As a matter of fact, stress runs on a continuum from positive to toxic. Positive stress motivates us to pay the bill, make the call to apologize, or to get our homework done. Moderate stress is buffered by support and caring relationships and we have time to recover. Toxic stress is frequent and lacks social supports or the buffering from caring, trusted relationships. Toxic stress can make us ill.
Aim to become the best trusted adult for the kids in your life and give them access to other caring, trusted adults—because sometimes, even when we are trust-worthy, a child needs a different adult to go to for certain issues.
Model and offer healthy coping strategies, like breathing exercises, creative outlets like coloring or crafts, a walk or fun physical activity, a long 20 plus second hug, sitting quietly with good posture and humming a favorite tune. There are lots of healthy ways to claim our calm and teach kids along the way.
As an adult, how we model coping with stress matters. It is important not to associate your stress with behaviors such as use of substances (alcohol, nicotine products, cannabis) or yelling, arguing or driving mad. Kids will learn from us. Instead, we can use techniques to help us rebalance stress with ease in our lives, to activate our biological systems for calming.
This fall you can learn more about youth mental wellbeing and how to bring more ease to your life.
September 12 at 4 to 7 p.m. to see the school-based training and from 7 to 8 p.m. to learn the prevention science behind the curriculum. M.A.D. H.O.P.E. Youth Mental Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention Training. Free
For more information email info@wfcn.org or call 360-738-1196.
WFCN Summer Programming
Save The Dates! Lay a foundation of resilience and hope beneath your awareness of community concerns for children, youth and families in your community. WFCN offers a series of trauma-informed community trainings designed for adults who are caring for children—at home, in the community or through work. All three courses will be offered in October 2024. Register soon and www.wfcn.org/events
Power of Connection: October 22 and 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom.
Attend both sessions to learn what research tells us about why toxic stress matters and how understanding neurobiology, epigenetics, adverse childhood experiences, positive childhood experiences, resilience and hope can mitigate impacts. $40 per two-session series.
Power of Hope: October 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. via Zoom.
Learn how hope is the most reliable predictor of thriving in the lives of individuals, families, schools, organizations, neighborhoods and other communities. Hope is measurable and it can be learned. This two hour session allows you to measure your own hope, understand the principles and elements of hope and tools to help you be a hope giver! Free. Funding from Whatcom County Health & Community Services supports this work.
Power of Ease: October 4: 18 and November 1:
Attend all three sessions to gain knowledge and skill- building to activate your parasympathetic system in order to claim your calm, restore balance to stress cycles, and lend your calm to others when stress takes hold. $50 per series or $20 per session.
The next Columbia Valley Community Connections Gathering (CVCC) meets in September. The date is to be determined as of this writing in mid-July, but announcements for it will be shared on the EWRRC website at https://www.oppco.org/ewrrc/ and via Next Door Kendall. Please keep an eye out or email Kristi.Slette@wfcn.org to be added to the email invitation list.
CVCC’s purpose is to be a welcoming place where all can gather and connect to build a stronger community. Our shared commitment is to support communication and local leadership. We work together to turn vision into reality, provide solutions to challenges, promote imaginative & inclusive activities, and create a more engaged, resilient community for all.
Convening partners include Mount Baker School District, Whatcom County Health and Community Services, Mount Baker Community Coalition, Opportunity Council, Whatcom Family & Community Network and community residents.
You and others are invited!
Power of Connection: Why toxic stress, resilience, hope matter
Join us on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 23 & 24 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. to learn how resilience, hope and positive childhood experiences mitigate the impact of toxic stress and childhood trauma. This community training is open to anyone 14 years and older. Youth and family serving agency staff, parents, child-caregivers, educators, government services professionals and business owners can benefit from the information shared in this 4-hour training. Cost is $60 per person. Limited scholarships are available depending on need and availability. To register visit www.wfcn.org/events or for more information contact info@wfcn.org.
Columbia Valley Communications Gathering Takes Summer Sabbatical
The Columbia Valley Community Connections (CVCC) Gathering will not meet in July or August 2024. The gathering will convene again in September and will seek input from residents and service providers about the frequency, dates and times of gathering in the new academic year.
Haven’t heard of the CVCC? We’ve been meeting monthly at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center since 2016. All residents of the Columbia Valley Urban Grow Area are welcome as are all social, health and community services representatives who provide services in the area.
Our purpose is to be a welcoming place where we can gather and connect to build a strong community. Our shared commitment is to support communication and local leadership. We work together to turn vision into reality, provide solutions to challenges, promote imaginative and inclusive activities and create a more engaged, resilient community for all.
Convening partners include Carl McDaniel of Columbia Valley, Mount Baker Community Coalition, Mount Baker School District, Whatcom County Health & Community Services, The Opportunity Council/East Whatcom Regional Resource Center Staff, and Whatcom Family & Community Network,
NAMI Whatcom is a local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. We 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 our 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. Our nonprofit operates with the support of our members, donations and grants.
NAMI Whatcom is fully inclusive of individuals and families of all backgrounds and cultures. Our affiliate collaborates with others to advocate for system change and public policies that best support recovery and resiliency for those living with mental illness.
View board meeting minutes and our annual report here.
We are at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center, 8251 Kendall Rd, Maple Falls, every third Thursday from 10-11.30am.
No matter what their circumstances, every person deserves to feel safe, supported and heard. When we talk about individuals affected by domestic violence or sexual assault, we’re talking about every one of us. Whether it’s you, a loved one, a co-worker or a friend, someone you know needs help. DVSAS is here to help.
Our mission is to support individuals affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation and to lead the community towards ending these abuses of power.
NEED HELP? CALL 1.877.715.1563 | 24/7
We accept 711 and other relay calls. Walk-in services: Monday and Wednesday, 10AM – 2PM
JOIN US THE 2ND WEDNESDAY OF EACH MONTH From 5:30-6:30pm at the Kendall Elementary Library, 7547 Kendall Rd. Maple Falls in person and via Zoom
Meals and Wheels and More supports the health and independence of the older adult populations of Whatcom and San Juan Counties by providing nutritious food, social connection, and nutrition education.
Through our Meals on Wheels and Community Meals programs we provide 2000+ seniors throughout Whatcom and San Juan Counties with more than 200,000 nutritious meals each year!
Every meal we provide meets at least one third of a senior’s daily nutritional requirements.
The Mt. Baker Chamber of Commerce was formed in 1982 to support businesses and build community in the East Whatcom region of Whatcom County in Washington State. Membership is offered to businesses, as well as residents, interested in supporting local businesses and Chamber projects. In acknowledgement of the many amazing people in our community that are members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community, AND to actively resist bigotry, hate and the marginalization of any member of our community we want to make it clear that: We believe, Black Lives Matter, No Human is Illegal, Love is Love, Women’s Rights are Human Rights, Science is Real, and that Injustice Anywhere is a Threat to Justice Everywhere.
The Mt. Baker Visitor Center in the Maple Falls Town Hall is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm, 7509 Mt. Baker Hwy., in Maple Falls. Staff and Volunteers are on hand to answer questions and provide suggestions to travelers and locals alike. Some business support services are available including printing, laminating, and notary. Stop by, Rebecca and Sonya will be happy to see you!
Each spring and fall the Chamber organizes a team of volunteers to clean up litter along Mt. Baker Hwy. Volunteers are needed and appreciated! Click here to contact Sonya.
Produced in the Mt. Baker Visitor Center, the Mt. Baker Local Resource Guide is our local directory of businesses in the East Whatcom region. It features members of the Chamber alongside other notable local businesses and community resources.
The Chamber Board of Directors meets once per month on the second Tuesday at 6 o’clock in the Maple Falls Town Hall. Members and visitors are welcome, please contact Rebecca if you’d like to make a presentation.
Deming Library 5044 Mt. Baker Hwy P.O. Box 357 Deming, WA 98244 (360) 592-2422 Hours Mon-Thurs 10:00 AM-8:00 PM Fri 10:00 AM-6:00 PM Sat 10:00 AM-5:00 PM View Map Ride WTA Route 72X to the Deming Library, using the Deming Rd at Water St (Nooksack River Casino) stop.
In addition to the physical materials at the library, we offer programs for adults, children and teens such as Storytime, Community Conversations and Teen Club at North Fork Library. You can find all our events and meetings on the Community Calendar on our website.
For ages 2-6, 30 minutes. An open program that includes stories, rhymes, and songs with opportunities for movement and interactive participation. Starting September 17
Learn about tropical epiphytic plants and explore new ways to cultivate an indoor jungle! Participants will create their own hanging mounted plant display, discuss which plants are best suited for growing vertically, and chat about mounted plant care. All materials provided.
Join us for a hands-on lesson on kneading and a slide show presentation about making raised bread without commercial yeast. All participants will be provided with a sourdough starter from 1890s Cripple Creek, Colorado. Ms. Bardwell will show you tricks for making a crispy crust. Then you will learn how to make the unique salt-rising bread starter, which uses wild bacteria instead of yeast. I will compare and contrast these 2 breads, plus provide tips for success in creating the wonderful cheesy funk flavor in salt-rising bread. Lastly, there will be samples of a gluten-free sourdough starter for anyone interested. Come share your bread stories and walk away with recipes and samples of wild-fermented bread.
Ask A Nurse Program Serving East Whatcom County
Our volunteer nurses in the Ask-a-Nurse program provide blood pressure checks health counsel, referral and telehealth, as well as limited screening at the Foothills Food Bank to support older adults and families residing in and around Mt. Baker School District #507 on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month.
Whatcom County Fire District 14 and Kendall Fire Station’s mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of those we serve through emergency response, public education, and community service. We’ve been your local volunteer fire department, serving the Sumas, Kendall, and Welcome areas since 1965. Check us out at www.wcfd14.org, or on Facebook
Kendall Station #92 7528 Kendall Rd, Maple Falls, WA 98266 Mailing: PO Box 482, Sumas, WA 98295
Station 91: Sumas 143 Columbia Street, Sumas, WA 98295 Station 92: Kendall (District Office) 7528 Kendall Road Maple Falls, WA 98266 Station 93: Welcome 5640 Mosquito Lake Rd, Deming, WA 98244
We offer a warm welcoming space to get connected to community and services which include: meeting space, notary, copies, utility assistance, DSHS, housing help, employment help, bus passes, and more. Weekly activities include: Kendall Senior Center on Wednesdays 1-4PM, Diabetes Support Group Thursdays 4-6PM, and Community Coffee and Tea Tuesdays 8-11AM. We are open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9AM-12noon and 1-4PM as well as on Thursdays 12noon-7PM for evening hours.
360-599-3944
oppco.org/ewrrc
facebook.com/ewrrc
WE ARE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN
Please visit our website for more information about Transitional Kindergaten for students who are four years old.
SUN BUCKS (SUMMER EBT 2024)
In the summer of 2024, Washington State will launch Summer EBT, “SUN Bucks” – a grocery benefit program that provides families $120 for each ELIGIBLE school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out. This benefit will be on an EBT card and will be mailed to the address on file (make sure your address is current with your child’s school). Visit our website for more information.
FAMILY SERVICES & PARENTING SUPPORT
There are four Family Services Coordinators at Mount Baker School District. Our mission is to create partnerships between families, school, and the community. All our services are confidential.
We provide support which enables children and adolescents to live in a safe and healthy environment, as well as encourages them to be present and do their best in school.
We assist families with resources, information and problem solving to help their children succeed in school.
We are available for confidential meetings by phone, at school, or at home.
Northwest Youth Services’ mission is to affirm youth experience and autonomy as we work together to foster collective healing and justice in order to dismantle the systems of oppression that perpetuate youth homelessness. At Northwest Youth Services, we believe this is attainable by focusing on participants’ holistic selves and well-being, not just their trauma or symptoms.
We employ radical innovative services and care models that go beyond physical well-being to build social capital in partnership with young people, 13 to 24-year-olds experiencing homelessness or unstable housing. Our philosophy of care centers around three concepts: Learn, Create, and Connect.
NWRC provides information, referrals, and assistance in obtaining services that support independence, dignity, and health of older adults and people with disabilities. We offer needs-assessment, case management, arrange short- and long-term in home care, as well as offering many other services and programs. Staff is available to meet with you on the telephone, or if necessary, in-person to help you identify services that address issues commonly faced by people who are older or who are disabled.
Diabetes Support Group to share ideas, recipes, and resources.
Connect with others living with Diabetes, Preventing Diabetes, or Caring for others. WHEN: The 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 4:30- 5:30pm (learning group and walking group) everyone is welcome. EWRRC 8251 Kendall Rd, Maple Falls Washington
East Whatcom Regional Resource Center hosts a Diabetes Support Group to share ideas, recipes, and resources.
Connect with others living with Diabetes, Preventing Diabetes, or Caring for others. WHEN: The 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 4:30- 5:30pm (learning group and walking group) everyone is welcome. EWRRC 8251 Kendall Rd, Maple Falls Washington
NW Clean Air Agency is responsible for enforcing federal, state and local air quality regulations at stationary sources of air pollution in our jurisdiction. In addition to regulating businesses, we focus on informing the public about air quality issues and how to make clean air choices.
Please contact us to report illegal burning or other forms of air pollution.
Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and make a real difference in the East County neighborhood? Well, buckle up because we’ve got an exciting opportunity!
From now until June 30th, 2024, the Chuckanut Health Foundation and East County Partners are kicking off an initiative that is focused on shaping the future of our community. We’re talking about the Health Equity Zone (HEZ) initiative, and we want YOU to be a part of it.
The goal of the Health Equity Zone is to ensure that everyone has a fair shot at being healthy, no matter who they are or where they come from.
During the initial outreach phase, we’re hitting the streets to raise awareness and extend a warm invitation for folks to join us. We’re all about inclusivity, so whether you’re a longtime resident or a newcomer to the area, your voice matters.
There’s more! We’re not just here to talk. We are rolling up our sleeves and diving deep into the nitty-gritty of community engagement. We’re prioritizing your insights and contributions, and we’re committed to evolving our approach based on your feedback.
June 28th, 6pm-8pm at the East Whatcom Regional Resource Center.
Food and childcare will be provided at each event, and all ages are welcome. As a thank you for your participation, all attendees will receive Visa gift cards.
Our Mission is to improve the quality of life, increase the independence and assure the full inclusion in the community of all persons with developmental disabilities. Information and referrals are available from The Arc to help meet the unique and individual needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families. Every effort is made to provide the most useful assistance possible, professionally and confidentially.
