We are honored to announced that we received a two-year grant totaling $80,000 from longtime supporter Sherwood Trust to expand our work in Walla Walla. In the past 20 years, Sherwood Trust has awarded more than $550,000 to Children’s Home Society of Washington.

This generous donation from the Sherwood Trust will help us build on our current services at the Walla Walla Family Resource Center, which provides family support and early learning programs. To move toward our goal of creating an comprehensive model that includes integrated services and community resources, we are forming a partnership with Walla Walla Clinic—Department of Pediatrics. Located next door to our Walla Walla Family Resource Center, the Walla Walla Clinic serves 80 percent of the children in Walla Walla.

Thanks to Sherwood Trust, we will provide a family navigator to work on-site in the clinic. The family navigator and pediatricians will work together to identify children who are in families experiencing challenges and then help the families get connected with the right services. With this outreach in place, we can connect with more families with very young children to assess and assist in the important first 1,000 days of life.

We are so grateful to be chosen as a grant recipient and appreciate the continued support of Sherwood Trust. Their commitment to children and families in Walla Walla is truly remarkable. During its 25-year history, the trust has invested nearly $30 million in the Walla Walla Valley. Donald and Virginia Sherwood, established Sherwood Trust as a private foundation in 1991.

Meagan Anderson-Pira serves as the director for services in Walla Walla County.