About Us

RISE Network began out of necessity, when one of its founders saw a need in her community and went to work filling it.

While attending an outreach opportunity in Republic, Wa., founding member Bree West overheard other individuals discussing a need for additional food for school children. Upon further inquiry, she learned that several families have little or no food to feed their children when they are home from school over the weekend. For whatever reason, many of these families do not qualify for the SNAP (food stamps) program, or the amount allotted is insufficient to meet the needs of the family, especially with escalating grocery prices.

Having a background in nonprofit work, more specifically with food insecurity issues, Bree went to work making phone calls with contacts she had made in the regional food insecurity network, finding and making arrangements to pick up food from Northwest Harvest in Spokane (a distance of 130 miles one way) and delivering it to both the Republic and Curlew schools. This grocery run continued at least twice a month or more, depending on availability, throughout the 2021-2022 school year. With the help of the Communities in Schools program, Northwest Harvest, and VFRC-Colville Food Bank, the program had grown to provide pre-bagged food, for up to 150 children and their families, to take home over the weekend.

While working with the schools, Bree was made aware of another need that many of the school children were experiencing, that of having warm coats, hats, and gloves during the winter season. She made inquires in Republic, and Colville (Stevens County), to see if there were agencies that could help with this need. What she discovered was that there was a great need in both counties for this service, and worked with another agency, Catholic Charities, as well as numerous thrift stores, to purchase coats, boots, snow pants, hats, and gloves for children in the Republic and Curlew schools, with donated funds, while Catholic Charities saw to the needs of children in Stevens County. Bree also developed a relationship with Kelsi Manke, the owner of Kelsi’s Closet in Colville (a clothing resale retailer), who actively sought monetary donations as well as putting aside cold weather gear throughout the year, which she donated.

Both Stevens and Ferry Counties average around 43” of snow, and experience a median temperature of 21 and 19 degrees respectively, each year.(4 & 5) Bree continues to receive donations from individuals, as well as purchasing items she finds at thrifts stores for this program. She promotes the coat program on Facebook, through the schools, as well as to the parents receiving supplies through the diaper program.

In making contact with Catholic Charities for the coats program, Bree came in contact with Patricia Taylor, the Prepares Diaper Coordinator for Catholic Charities. Bree worked with Patricia to become the Prepares representative in Ferry County, building the program from 14 children to over 60. This program provides diapers and pull-ups, as well as diapers wipes, to families with children under the age of five years old. The program also has had the ability to provide cribs, car seats, clothing, formula, and other baby items, when available. 

This program tends to operate differently in Ferry County than in other counties due to many families having only one vehicle and the working parent not being able to take time off work to pick up the items during scheduled delivery times, or they may not have a working vehicle at all. Bree will deliver diapers and other items to homes of those without running vehicles, and to those where the working parent is not able to take time off work to meet her.

From this Diaper Program a Facebook group called Ferry County Baby Exchange was created. Here group members, comprised of parents, grandparents, and other interested individuals, can work together to gift each other needed items for their children. No buying or selling is allowed. Recently a local family lost literally everything they owned due to a house fire. Within one week, this family had all the clothing needs for their children met, as well as most items to furnish a home again. There have also been numerous premature babies born in our area recently. The group members have been able to pass around premie clothing to help families with this new challenge. This Facebook page has been a huge blessing to all of its group members. That is the power of social media and having groups that promote community.  

We are facing a challenge to this program at present. The Catholic Charities Prepares Diaper program was initially started to be supported by the local parish in each community where it operates. Catholic Charities was then provided a grant to help sustain the program, relieving the parishes from that requirement. Unfortunately, the funding for that grant is coming to an end, and no future funding has been obtained to continue the program. The local parish in Republic does not have the means to expand this program, let alone supporting the current client needs.  

The results of discovering and filling these needs has been a joy for Bree and her family, but also carries with it a financial burden – that of the fuel to travel the great distances needed to find and secure resources, as well as the ability to fund future, continued support for local families. As a result, Bree partnered with some other friends who have experience in nonprofit and service work, to officially form a 501(c)3 nonprofit charity to help support, sustain, and expand the growth of resource programs in rural communities like hers, in Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille Counties. Together they are building a network finding Resources Increasing Self-reliance and Empowerment (RISE).

The founder’s live in rural Northeast Washington State, which is comprised of Pend Oreille (pronounced pon-der-RAY), Stevens, and Ferry Counties. The population of these three counties total 67,612 individuals (13,481, 47,027, and 7,104 respectively)( 1) at last census count, less than one percent of the State’s 7,901,429 total population.(2)

An assessment of poverty by county, conducted in 2021, showed that two of the three counties in Northeast Washington also experience a greater degree of poverty than the State’s average of 9.9%. Pend Oreille reported 9.8%, while Stevens reported 12.8% and Ferry reported 17.1%.(3) 

The people who live in these Counties are good people, who love the beauty and majesty of the area, the quiet life and lack of social stressors that can be present in larger communities, but can also experience fewer opportunities. As a result, some needs can be great, especially among our youth, seniors, and veteran populations.

Resources:

1-https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/washington/counties

2-https://worldpopulationreview.com/states/washington-population

3-https://www.welfareinfo.org/poverty-rate/washington/compare-counties/

4- https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/county/washington/ferry

5- https://www.bestplaces.net/climate/county/washington/stevens