Board Announces 4% Friday Recipients

Little Mountain Elementary - January 28

The Little Mountain Elementary School seeks to connect students and families to a healthy lifestyle and nutritional choices by developing and maintaining a school garden on campus. Little Mountain will use 4% Friday funds to purchase a garden shed to store their tools for easy student access and to build a kiosk and outdoor classroom on campus near their garden.

Page Ahead - February 25

Page Ahead provides new books and develops reading activities that empower at-risk children. They are the leading provider of children’s books and literacy services in Washington State. Funds from 4% Friday will support Page Ahead’s Book Up Summer, in which K-2 students at majority low-income schools receive 12 brand-new books of their choosing at the end of the school year for three years in a row for summer reading, minimizing or eliminating the “summer learning slide.”

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group - March 25

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group (SFEG) builds partnerships that educate and engage the community in habitat restoration and watershed stewardship activities in order to increase salmon populations and ensure a healthy community for all of us. SFEG will use funds from 4% Friday to offer its Junior Stream Steward program to 500 local students. This year long program gets middle school students out of the classroom and learning about how they can ensure healthy watersheds for our future.

Salish Sea Deaf School - April 22

The Salish Sea Deaf School (SSDS) uses innovative teaching practices to provide academic excellence, utilizing an ASL/English bilingual approach to bring opportunities to enhance language competency, student curiosity, and a positive self-identity. Funds from 4% Friday will be used to develop a gardening program for the students and their families that would include building raised beds, learning organic growing practices at school and in the local area, farm visits, and growing, harvesting, cooking, and preserving produce.

Boys and Girls Club of Skagit County - May 27

The mission of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Skagit County is to enable all young people to reach their full potential, as productive, caring, responsible citizens. The Boys & Girls Club provides youth ages 6-18 with a safe, fun, and positive space to thrive in. Funds from 4% Friday will go directly towards scholarships for members to attend the club.

Skagit Gleaners - June 24

Skagit Gleaners' purpose is to provide food, household merchandise and clothing to frugal, waste conscious, and working families by rescuing surplus food and product from local businesses. Skagit Gleaners will use funds from 4% Friday to purchase imperfect fruits and vegetables from Latino-owned farms, providing Latino-owned businesses an opportunity to thrive, while contributing to the community at large.

IRIS - July 22

IRIS Immigrant Resources & Immediate Support’s (IRIS) mission is twofold: to connect immigrants with existing resources in the community, and to provide immediate assistance to those experiencing a temporary period of crisis. IRIS will use funds from 4% Friday to provide immediate support to local families to alleviate suffering by meeting basic needs such as access to food, clothing, and shelter.

Communities in Schools - August 26

Communities in Schools The mission of Communities in Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Funds from 4% Friday will be utilized to support Communities in Schools’ Basic Needs Resource Closets at 5 schools in the Mount Vernon School District.

MVPD Homeless Outreach - September 23

MVPD Homeless Outreach MVPD’s Outreach Coordinator, Erin VonFempe, is a master’s level social worker who works directly with homeless individuals in the community. This program provides services and funding for such necessities as meals, housing, healthcare, treatment for substance abuse, and more. The Mount Vernon Police Department will utilize funds from 4% Friday for transportation, temporary housing, emergency necessities such as food and clothing, and to procure identity paperwork.

Youthnet - October 28

The purpose of Youthnet is to provide foster homes for children in need of a temporary home until they can reunify with their families. Youthnet also provides family preservation services to keep families safely together. Funds from 4% Friday will be used to support youth by providing equity, diversity and inclusion, and cultural competency training for foster parents so that youth can be given the best quality of care that supports individualized needs and honors their identity, race, and culture with knowledge and understanding.

Brigid Collins - November 18

Brigid Collins Family Support Center is a community-based organization dedicated to ending child abuse by building strong families and protecting children. Funds will be used to offer nourishment in Brigid Collins’ Children’s Advocacy Center, including healthy drinks and snacks for families during forensic interviews, medical exams, and therapy support.

Help Me Grow - December 23

Help Me Grow - Skagit Family Resource Center aims to offer families seamless access to community services and support so they can easily connect to what they need, when they need it. 4% Friday funds will be used to purchase supplies to be distributed to families in need. These items range from household and personal care basic needs items to other infant and childcare related items.