A Message from Our CEO
Last month, we featured JOY. The kind that grows when we connect, celebrate one another, and make space for community. This month, we’re taking that joy to the streets.
We’re showing up where community happens: at back-to-school events, through donations that help students and families start the year strong, and in the rooms where relationships are built through networking events, trainings, and workshops. Because community isn’t something we simply belong to—it’s something we actively create.
A great example of taking it to the streets is the Caribbean Queens Festival on August 16—an opportunity to come together, celebrate culture, build connections, and be present in community.
And this week, Queer Stability, CPIN, and Sahale Outdoors hosted Rotary 8 in our beautiful co-working space, creating an opportunity to connect, share ideas, build relationships, and strengthen the partnerships that help our community thrive. It’s a wonderful reminder that networking is more than exchanging business cards—it’s about creating meaningful connections and opening doors for collaboration.
Every school supply and backpack donated, every connection made, every skill shared, and every opportunity to gather strengthens the networks that help all of us thrive. These moments remind us that showing up matters.
As we enjoy these remaining days of summer and look ahead to fall, let’s carry that spirit of joy and connection with us. Let’s keep showing up, reaching out, sharing what we have, and creating spaces where everyone feels supported and connected. Here’s to taking it to the streets—and building community wherever we go.
Dr. Angela Silva
CPIN Staff in ACTION!
It was so amazing to see the community show up to support Manuscript at our most recent Local On Purpose event, thank you to everyone who attended and congratulations to our two $25 gift card winners! Special thanks to councilmember Kristina Walker for attending our event and promoting us on social media! Just like the owner, Eda Johnson, said in her interview with us, food unites communities and restaurants are a powerful part of that experience. We are very excited to continue to inspire the gathering of the community through our next Local On Purpose event on August 26th, which you can read more about on our Eventbrite page.
Attend Our Next Local On Purpose Event!
Thank you to the community members who helped us donate school supplies to The RISE Center, the Tacoma Slavic Association, and New Horizon Church!
CPIN Client Wins!
Somali Bantu Rising offers recreational and cultural programming for Somali Bantu Families in the Rainier Valley, one of the most diverse and economically challenged areas in Seattle. They are currently engaged in a capital funding project to create a recreation space with no-cost programming led by the Somali Bantu community.
SBR’s Soccer-to-Scholar and Basketball-to-Scholar Youth Programs serve 40–60 youth annually through competitive leagues. Athletic participants receive tutoring, homework help, mentorship, and college preparation support. Coaches and mentors are Somali Bantu community members who speak Maay-Maay and Chizigula, building trust that mainstream programs cannot replicate. This $20,000 grant from the Charlotte Martin Foundation will fund the Soccer-to-Scholar, Basketball-to-Scholar, and Youth Advisory Board Programs, giving Somali Bantu Youth the opportunity to participate and directly co-create youth athletic and academic programming that positively impacts themselves and their peers.
Key Peninsula Healthy Community is honored to receive a $1,000 grant award from the Fuchs Foundation in support of our Community Health Worker Program.
This funding will help connect rural residents with essential health and human services by providing emergency food assistance, transportation support, basic needs resources, and personalized resource navigation. Through our Community Health Workers, children, families, older adults, veterans, and individuals with disabilities can access healthcare, community resources, and the support they need to thrive.
We are grateful to the Fuchs Foundation for investing in healthier, more connected communities and for helping us strengthen the Key Peninsula through collaboration, compassion, and access to essential services.
CPIN Events!
CPIN’s Monthly Open House - Visit us on the Third Friday of Each Month
Join us on Friday August 21st from 1pm to 3pm for our next community resource day. We offer free fresh and shelf stable food, hygiene items, and clothing. Text our Resource Coordinator, Millie at 253-278-8861 to set up your appointment. Do you need to visit us on a different day? Reach out to Millie to schedule this day and time.
Doing some tidying? We accept donations of gently used clothes, men's and children’s clothes, toys and household items, as well as food, diapers, wipes, hygiene items, and medical supplies such as blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, reading glasses, etc. Keep an eye on our social media for updates on what we need to what we have in stock for our outreach days.
Free Food and Clothes Available at the Family Resource Center at Franklin Pierce
CPIN is Collaborating with the Family Resource Center at Franklin Pierce to provide free clothes and food on August 28th! Contact Blanca Sagastizado by calling or texting 253-278-3349, or email bsagastizado@fpschools.org for more info and to schedule your appointment.
Join #TeamCPIN for our Local on Purpose Event to Support These Three Small Businesses
Visit The Rusty Goat, Structure Cellars, and Artist and Craftsman Supply for fun activities and to support these local Tacoma businesses.
Join us for an afternoon of family fun and supporting local businesses! We are collaborating with Structure Cellars Winery, The Rusty Goat, and Artist and Craftsman Supplies to encourage folks to dedicate an afternoon to shopping local. Pick up a stamp card from any of the three locations and visit all three to get your stamp and to do some child friendly activities.
Participants who RSVP and confirm attendance with a CPIN staff member will be entered into a raffle for an Artist and Craftsman Supply gift card!
Our #LocalOnPurpose events are designed to celebrate and uplift businesses that help make Pierce County vibrant, creative, and connected. By showing up, sharing their work, and spending locally, we can help strengthen our local economy and build stronger community relationships.
Know a Pierce County business that deserves to be featured next? Fill out the form below to nominate them for an upcoming monthly highlight. We would love to hear your recommendations!
Free Summer Learning Series:
CPIN is partnering with the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) to help small businesses better understand the OMWBE certification process and the benefits of becoming certified. The series will also provide practical guidance on identifying, evaluating, and pursuing funding and contracting opportunities for your business or organization. All sessions will be offered bilingually in English and Spanish.
OMWBE-Led Sessions
August 19 — Part 2: OMWBE Bids and Contracting Opportunities
This session will provide a closer look at how to identify current bid and contracting opportunities through OMWBE and other public procurement resources. Participants will learn how to navigate opportunity listings, understand common solicitation requirements, and prepare the documents and business information needed to respond.
CPIN-Led Sessions
August 26 — Part 3: Reviewing Competitive Opportunities and Requests for Proposals
Funding and contracting opportunities can include multiple requirements, attachments, and evaluation criteria. In this session, participants will review sample opportunities and Requests for Proposals to better understand how to assess eligibility, alignment, and competitiveness. We will also discuss commodity codes, business classifications, and other key information used to match businesses with relevant opportunities.
September 2 — Part 4: Positioning Your Business for Success
This session will focus on practical strategies for positioning your business as a strong and competitive candidate for public and private contracting opportunities. Topics will include presenting your business effectively, developing a compelling capability statement, navigating procurement portals, building relationships with potential partners and purchasers, and using networking opportunities to increase visibility. Participants will also learn how to differentiate their business and strengthen their readiness for future opportunities.
Office Events with Queer Stability
Queer Stability partners with members of the community to offer these amazing events! Want to learn how to weld, need sewing advice or want to start a wellness practice. How about a cruise around Foss Harbor? We got these events and more on the Queer Stability Events calendar.
CPIN Client Events and Activities
Caribbean Queen Festival: Carnival in the Streets
CPIN is proud to sponsor this event hosted by Trini Plate and Caribbean Queens!!
Come hungry, come ready to dance, and come ready to celebrate. Caribbean Queens Festival brings the warmth, rhythm, and flavor of the Caribbean to Downtown Tacoma for one unforgettable summer day.
Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities (TACID)
Backyard Benefit and Silent Auction!
Saturday, September 12th
12:00-3:00pm
6315 S. 19th Street, Tacoma, WA 98466
CPIN is proud to Sponsor TACID's event this year by supporting their Makers Tent. Please join us at this event on September 12th. This year, TACID is taking their annual fundraiser outside. Come see their work up close, connect with the their community, and support TACID's mission — with live music, food trucks, raffles, a silent auction, and a whole lot of heart.
Community Events and Resources
Venardos Circus
The Venardos Circus, a unique broadway-style Circus, is coming to Point Defiance Park 5400 N. Pearl St, Tacoma, WA 98407, August 20 - September 7.
Created by former Ringling Bros. Ringmaster Kevin Venardos (veh-NARR-dos), the Venardos Circus wraps world-class, animal-free circus acts into a Broadway Musical-style format dubbed “The American Circus with the heart of a Broadway Show.”
E Komo Mai
August 23rd, 2026
Noon to 4 pm, Owen Beach Park, Tacoma
E Komo Mai means “Welcome” in the native Hawaiian language. E Komo Mai is a celebration of the Hawaiian culture that is open to the public. Come and learn about Hawaiian history and culture. Experience a celebration for the senses: watch traditional Hula dancing; taste authentic Pacific Island foods; hear Hawaiian music live on stage; learn to play the ukelele and the art of lei making. Some may even get the chance to take a short ride on Puget Sound in a 6-man outrigger canoe. Fun for the whole family!
Tacoma Moon Festival 2026
Sept. 12th, 1 to 6 pm.
This free, family-friendly event features food, arts and crafts, community organizations, live performances of music and dance on the main stage as well as activities. The one-day festival introduces the Asian traditions of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the legend of the Chinese Moon Princess, while sharing arts and heritage.
