On Tuesday, Jan. 5, at 10:30 a.m., a panel of five local leaders and historians will share stories of historical resilience in Clallam County at the monthly Leadership Committee Meeting of the Clallam Resilience Project. The panel will include Cynthia A. Savini of the Makah, Jamestown S’Klallam, and Quileute Tribes, Miss Ann Penn-Charles, Quileute Human Service Prevention Specialist, Gayla Johnson, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribal Member, Judy Reandeau Stipe, Executive Director of Sequim Museum and Arts, and Don Zanon, Retired CEO Peninsula Mental Health and Disaster Mental Health Volunteer with the American Red Cross.

The panel will be moderated by Christy Smith of the United Way of Clallam County and will include stories of resilience during the smallpox epidemic in the Makah community, the swoop era of boarding schools and the struggle for fishing rights in the Quileute Nation, the resilience of the Elwha River and its impact on area tribal nations, the polio epidemic in Sequim, and economic and social changes in Port Angeles since the 1980s.

The Clallam Resilience Project’s monthly Leadership Committee Meetings are open to the public and fall on the 1st Tuesday of the month, from 10-11:30 a.m., via Zoom. Each month features a local rotating presenter or panel presenting on resilient practices in Clallam County. To join the meeting email reslienceoutreach@unitedwayclallam.org.

United Way of Clallam County is the home for Clallam Resilience Project: a county-wide consortium of agencies collaboratively building resiliency in Clallam County. The Clallam Resilience Project impetus began over a year ago when First Step Family Support Center and the Olympic Educational Service District 114 hosted a Community Café training for local agencies and community members asked for support in mobilizing a community response to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). The United Way of Clallam County now operates the Clallam Resilience Project. “The work of the Clallam Resilience Project supports the mission of United Way to help all residents of Clallam County live safe, healthy and productive lives,” said Christy Smith Chief Executive Officer of United Way. “We are excited to be supporting this project and look forward to strengthening our collaborations with local partners.”

For more than 60 years the United Way of Clallam County has advanced the common good by partnering with local nonprofits whose work focuses on education, financial stability and health; which are the building blocks for a good quality of life. The mission of the United Way is to strengthen the community by helping people live safe, healthy and productive lives. This work helps to improve situations for families today, and strengthens the entire community for the future. Our goal is to bring the people of Clallam County together to increase the collective impact of their charitable giving and be a constructive voice that provides leadership for the human service needs of our community.

For more information on United Way call 360-457-3011 or email info@unitedwayclallam.org.