Started in 2020 to respond to the needs of the community during the pandemic, the CARE Together Fund is still granting to the organizations addressing the greatest challenges in the community. RRCF’s CARE Together Fund helps to address these challenges by offering nimble funding to small, primarily Black and Brown serving and immigrant led and serving organizations in our region who are closest to the ground and are best poised to provide solutions in the community.
Most of the organizations who have received a CARE Together grant operate with budgets below $1 million – many have budgets that are $200K or less. All are focused on South King County. Much of the funding RRCF has provided has addressed the greatest needs identified in our annual Nonprofit Survey Report – food access, housing, and mental health.
“This funding comes at a time of significant need for the families and communities we serve. We are seeing increased stress, uncertainty, isolation, and need for culturally responsive mental health and family support, particularly among immigrant and Spanish-speaking families. Having flexible community-based funding like this makes such a meaningful difference in our ability to continue showing up for families when they need connection and support the most.”
-Recipient of the CARE Together Fund
We are excited to highlight two of the organizations that are new to receiving CARE Together Fund Grants. Both organizations are addressing mental health.
BLAST Haus advances mental wellness by creating spaces where movement, music, and community come together to reduce stress, combat social isolation, and improve emotional well-being. Their flagship wellness program, BLAST Flow (which is completely free of charge), was created in response to a growing need for culturally relevant approaches to mental health. Through high-energy, music-driven fitness experiences rooted in Afrobeats and the African diaspora, BLAST Flow encourages participants to prioritize both their physical and mental well-being in an environment where they feel seen, welcomed, and connected. More than a workout, BLAST Flow is a community wellness experience. Participants consistently share that the program helps them reduce stress, improve their mood, build confidence, and develop meaningful social connections, protective factors that are essential for positive mental health. By making wellness joyful, culturally affirming, and accessible, they help remove barriers
that often prevent communities of color from engaging with traditional wellness spaces.
Over the past two years, the program has impacted more than 400 community members, providing a welcoming space where people can move, heal, and build lasting relationships that extend beyond each session. Their work serves residents across South Seattle, Kent, Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac, Des Moines, Federal Way, Auburn, and surrounding communities.
SafeFutures Youth Center exists to ensure that every young person has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of the challenges they face. Offering programming in Seattle and South King County, they provide a safe, welcoming community where youth build confidence, develop leadership skills, strengthen relationships, and prepare for successful futures. Their programs focus on positive youth development through academic support, mentoring, workforce development, leadership opportunities, recreation, social-emotional learning, and community engagement.
As youth mental health needs continue to increase, SafeFutures is expanding its model by integrating accessible mental health services with the trusted relationships and supportive community that youth already know. Their goal is to make mental health support approachable by participating in an after-school program by reducing stigma while increasing access to care. SafeFutures serves youth and families in the High Point neighborhood in West Seattle, as well as throughout South King County, specifically in Burien and White Center. The majority of the young people served identify as Black, East African, Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, immigrant, refugee, multiracial, and first-generation Americans. They also support youth experiencing poverty, housing instability, family disruption, involvement with juvenile justice, and barriers to educational success.
This grant will support the SafeFutures Community Mental Health & Well-Being Hub, an innovative community-based model that combines trusted in-person youth support with licensed virtual mental health services in a welcoming, youth-centered environment. The Hub will include a confidential therapy room equipped with secure technology where youth can participate in virtual counseling sessions with licensed therapists specializing in adolescent mental health, trauma, crisis intervention, anxiety, depression, grief, family conflict, substance use prevention, and life transitions. Therapy will be available in multiple languages with culturally responsive clinicians experienced in serving immigrant and refugee youth.
In addition to the therapy room, there will be a youth-designed Wellness Lounge featuring calming lighting, comfortable seating, sensory tools, journals, art supplies, music, refreshments, and mindfulness activities. The lounge provides a welcoming space where youth can prepare for therapy, decompress afterward, participate in wellness activities, or simply connect with trusted adults and peers.
We grant funds two times a year from the CARE Together Fund. We plan to do another round of grants this winter when the need is often high for organizations. If you are interested in learning more about grants, please email LeAnne at lmoss@rentonfoundation.org.
Please consider a donation to the CARE Together Fund. All donations go directly to organizations addressing critical needs in our community. Together we can have a big impact.