Wellspring Family Services

This Juneteenth, we honor freedom, resilience, culture, and the ongoing pursuit of equity and justice.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of emancipation finally reached enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, it serves as both a celebration and a reminder of the continued work of advancing opportunity and belonging for all.

At Wellspring, this year marks our 10th year of recognizing and celebrating Juneteenth. What began in 2016 as a small gathering organized by our BIPOC Employee Resource Group has grown into a meaningful annual tradition of reflection, learning, community, and celebration.

As part of this year's observance, Bevette Irvis, Wellspring's Senior Director of Programs, shared reflections on why Juneteenth matters deeply to Wellspring's mission and how the values of resilience, equity, and opportunity show up in our work every day.

We invite you to read Bevette's reflections and join us in honoring the significance of Juneteenth.

🙌 Volunteers Needed for Our Family Resource Fair on June 20!

Help us create a welcoming, resource-filled day for local families. Volunteers are needed to assist with setup, greeting families, navigating resources, and general event support.

We're especially looking for volunteers who speak Amharic, Mandarin, or Vietnamese to help ensure all families can fully participate.

Even a few hours can make a big difference. Join us in supporting families and strengthening our community. 💙

Sign up today 👉 https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/18717770042/false #/invitation

Last call! 💛

Our Fresh Starts Drive ends June 19, and there's still time to help local families welcome their newest arrivals with the essentials they need.

We're collecting baby items, including diapers, wipes, clothing, feeding supplies, and other infant necessities. Every donation helps provide comfort, care, and support during an important new chapter.

Drop off donations at 1900 Rainier Ave. S. or shop our Amazon Wishlist before June 19.

https://wellspringfs.org/donate-your-items/

💛 Volunteer Spotlight: Tin (Christina) Cartwright 💛

Since September 2025, Tin has been a caring and dedicated volunteer at Wellspring’s Family Store, helping sort and stock donations and pack orders for families across our community.

Tin shares, “I had a desire to serve in a local organization and help strengthen the very community in which I live in. I've been a public-school educator for 22 years and know that when families are supported, children do better in school, parents are better able to maintain stability, and our community becomes more connected.”

She also shares what keeps her coming back: “When I volunteer on Wednesdays, I am with people who care. The employees and volunteers lead with compassion and protect dignity.”

Through her time at Wellspring, Tin has helped make the Family Store a welcoming and supportive resource for families experiencing financial hardship by:

✨ Sorting and stocking donations for families in need
✨ Packing orders filled with essentials for children and caregivers
✨ Helping ensure families have access to clothing, toys, and everyday necessities with dignity and care

One of Tin’s favorite memories has been seeing the abundance of toys during the holiday gift drive. She shares, “There are times when we are not able to fulfill everything on the order list for families so it's always a favorite moment for me when we have an overstock of toys, clothes, essentials for children.”

Fun fact: Tin is a proud mom of three sons, Xavier (16), Julius (13), and Ezra (10)! Outside of volunteering, she enjoys cheering on her kids at basketball games, cooking Filipino food, reading, and spending time with family. 💛

We’re so grateful for you, Tin. Thank you for strengthening our community with compassion and care.

We’re in the final days of our Keeping Families Housed campaign, and there’s still time to make an impact.

Across this campaign, you’ve heard stories like Renee’s and Kory’s. In both, they were already taking action to maintain stability in their lives, navigating systems, managing change, and working toward secure housing.

At Wellspring, staff like Mieesha partner with families in that work, helping connect systems, troubleshoot barriers, and provide steady support through moments of complexity. It’s a role rooted in persistence, skill, and walking alongside people as they move toward stability.

This is what housing stability looks like in practice: people building on their strengths with the right support around them.

Every gift today helps sustain that partnership—will you help keep families safely housed? 💛

give.wellspringfs.org/keepingfamilieshoused

Across our community, families are already doing the work of maintaining stability, navigating change, solving problems, and making thoughtful decisions to keep their homes secure.

At Wellspring, we partner with them in that work.

Staff like Mieesha, Housing Stability Specialist, bring skill, care, and persistence, helping connect systems, coordinate resources, and walk alongside families as they move toward stability on their own terms. In stories like Renee’s and Kory’s, that partnership helped strengthen what they were already working hard to build.

This is what housing stability looks like when people have the right support: steady progress, problem-solving, and partnership that holds through complexity.

With just two weeks remaining in the campaign, we still have a long way to go, and we need your help to close the gap.

Will you help sustain the partnership that keeps families safely housed? 💛

give.wellspringfs.org/keepingfamilieshoused

What happens when determination meets the right support?

Kory understands both sides of the housing system. After years of working to improve it, he found himself navigating it during a time of personal transition.

Through Wellspring, he connected with a Housing Stability Specialist who stayed in touch, coordinated support, and walked alongside him until he secured stable housing.

Today, Kory is not only safely housed, but he’s also using his experience to help strengthen systems for others.

That’s the power of partnership.

Help make more stories like this possible. 💛

give.wellspringfs.org/keepingfamilieshoused

Today, our community is showing up.

During GiveBIG, people across Washington are coming together to support what matters most, and together, we’re helping families stay safely housed.

At Wellspring, that support looks like real partnership:
✔ Navigating complex systems
✔ Resolving urgent challenges
✔ Staying alongside families until stability is restored

When we give together, families gain more than financial support; they gain time, stability, and someone in their corner.

Be part of what’s possible. 💛

give.wellspringfs.org/keepingfamilieshoused

Today, Wellspring is launching the Keeping Families Housed campaign.

We’re working to raise $200,000 by May 31 to ensure families in our community have the support they need to stay safely in their homes.

At its core, this work is about partnership, showing up when challenges arise and staying alongside families as they navigate complex systems and unexpected barriers.

Renee knows how much that matters. When an administrative issue threatened her housing stability during an already difficult time, Wellspring partnered with her every step of the way — helping her navigate the system, resolve barriers, and remain safely housed.

Today, with Wellspring’s partnership, Renee is safely housed — and helping others stay housed too.

This is what your support makes possible.

Every day, Wellspring staff help families cover urgent costs, resolve barriers, and protect the stability they’ve worked hard to build.

Will you join us?

Give today to help keep families housed 💛 give.wellspringfs.org/keepingfamilieshoused