Our featured Local Resource for this edition of Get to Know a Resource is Sterling Meadows. Lindsey Karas, Resident Services Coordinator at Sterling Meadows, took the time to fill out our questionnaire so you could get a chance to learn their story.
For those new the community, give us a thirty second elevator speech about your organization.
Sterling Meadows is a property run by Mercy Housing whose focus is to create stable, vibrant, and healthy communities by developing, financing and operating affordable, program enriched housing for families and seniors who lack the economic resources to access quality, safe housing opportunities. Sterling Meadows currently provides services farm working, Spanish speaking families in Whatcom County. These services range from providing translation services, organizing community discussions, offering after school homework help, developing financial literacy courses, offering english langauge courses, financial assistance, and family health programs.
As you can tell from our website, we love data. Share with us three interesting data points that highlight your work.
- The population that is served at Sterling Meadows is made up of 51 Spanish speaking, farm working families.
- 100% of the school aged children qualify for free and reduced lunch programs.
- In 2009, more than 300 individuals in the community were served through our programs and services.
Though we love data, we still have heart. Tell us about an experience that has made your work worthwhile.
We bring many adult classes to the property. one of those classes was a parenting class for parents of young children. At the end of the class they were taught how to effectively read aloud to their young children. one dad announced that he was illiterate and had never read to any of his eight children. He was encouraged to tell a story based on pictures. His little boy sat, entranced, while listening to his father's story. When the father was done, he looked up with tears in his eyes and said, "This was the first time I have read to any of my children."
Community health issues cross a number of sectors and agencies. Tell us about your organization's role in the complex web of community health.
Sterling Meadows is an organization that provides safe, affordable housing to its residents and offers programs focused on physical health, family health and financial health. These factors all help to ensure that the community and its members are functioning in the most positive, healthy manner possible, despite economic barriers.
Dream big here; if your organization received a sizable grant, what would you do with it?
We would love a grant that we could use for educational scholarships for both documented and undocumented migrant youth. There is a lack of funding and resources for these youth when they decide to go on to higher education. I would love to provide support and guidance for this population.
Give us your pitch! What are ways for a person to get involved with your organization?
There are many ways for members of the community to get involved in Sterling Meadows. Individuals can get involved by mentoring a child, donating non-clothing items, assisting in after school homework clubs, participating in monthly field trips and activities, and providing child care for families attending programming. If interested in housing, contact the manager's office at 360-734-8171.
Any final words for our readers?
Sterling Meadows is working to create a more humane world where poverty is alleviated, communities are healthy and all people can develop their full potential. Affordable housing and supportive programs improve the economic status of residents, transform neighborhoods and stabilize lives.
Now that you've learned a little about Sterling Meadows head on over to their
Local Resource Listing for information on how you can get involved.
If you would like to have your organization featured in a Get to Know a Resource article, fill out our short Questionnaire!
