June - August 2025 Newsbriefs

• Resource Directory invites donations connect people
• Fig Tree plans 2026 benefit, conference
• Habitat's Blitz Build is June 3 to 13
• Catholic Charities gives land to Salish School
• Unity in Community promotes understanding - August 16
• Group plans 80th anniversary of bombings - August 9
• Church hosts concert with touring duo - June 11
• 'Free for All' documentary to be shown - June 4
• Concert raises funds for Thrive International - June 22
• Whitworth Ministry Summit is June 24 to 27
• MAC hosts program on stories of black families - June 27
• Mission U United Methodist events are in July 24 - 26
• LCSNW plans fundraising event on Aug. 9
• Thrive International builds housing with public library

Resource Directory invites donations connect people

As The Fig Tree prepares to publish the 2025-26 edition of the Resource Directory, directory editor Malcolm Haworth finds that federal budget cuts have affected many programs.

An impact of the changes, cuts and uncertainty means a need to replace $7,500 in advertising and $5,000 from community partners with donations to fund the directory.

"To fill the gap, we are embarking on a special appeal to individuals and congregations that value the directory and agencies that use and share the copies to donate," said Malcolm. "We want to assure that people who need directories can have them, given the expected increase in needs."

Funds pay for the editor to gather data, input it and design the pages. They also cover editing, printing and distribution. That work has impact the lives of people, as caring partners share the information with clients or put directories directly into the hands of people who need the information.

The directory transforms from a publication into a lifegiving tool that connects people with assistance, resources and opportunities to move them from hunger, homelessness, illness, addiction, poverty, violence and loneliness to hope.

The directory comes off the pages to connect people with other people and networks to join in advocacy to improve life for themselves and others, to challenge systems and injustice, to educate themselves and engage in cultural enrichment.

The directory also becomes tangible as it connects people with opportunities for them to give back by volunteering their time to build a better community, society and world.

Donations that make the publication possible, make the changes in lives possible.

Donations may be made online at thefigtree.org/donate.html or mailed to The Fig Tree, 1323 S. Perry St., Spokane WA 99202.

Fig Tree plans 2026 benefit, conference

The Fig Tree is involved in planning for upcoming events.

The Annual Meeting of The Fig Tree Board of Directors is from 1 to 3 p.m., Thursday, June 5, on Zoom. At the Annual Meeting, board members are elected to terms and new board members will be welcomed. Officers will be elected to new terms.

The board recently established a Sustainability Fund with Thrivent to receive legacy donations for long-term investment. It will soon announce more details on how to participate in the fund.

The Development and Benefit Planning Committee, which meets at noon the same day, welcomes more volunteers to help with planning the 2026 Spring Benefits, which include a Benefit Lunch, Friday, March 6, at Hemmingson Ballroom at Gonzaga University, and a Breakfast-Time Benefit on Zoom on Wednesday, March 11.

The Fig Tree also convenes the planning team for the 2026 Eastern Washington Legislative Conference (EWLC), which is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 31, at Spokane Valley United Methodist Church.

The next planning meeting for the EWLC is 1 p.m., Tuesday, June 10, on Zoom. New ideas for speakers and the flow of the event are under consideration.

 Themes for the 2026 events are being reviewed with decisions at the upcoming meetings.

For information and links, call 535-1813 or email mary@thefigtree.org

Habitat's Blitz Build is June 3 to 13

Habitat for Humanity's 24th annual Blitz Build starts at 8:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 3, at 212 N. Collins Ln. in Spokane Valley.

Community members volunteer, support and celebrate this event to build safe, healthy, permanently affordable homes.

Banner Bank sponsors Blitz Build as a two-week construction effort that brings together hundreds of supporters—volunteers, sponsors, businesses and leaders—to raise walls, build hope and address Spokane County's growing housing crisis.

"Blitz Build is one of the most inspiring times of the year," said Michelle Girardot, CEO of Habitat for Humanity. "Nearly one in three households in Spokane are cost-burdened—spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Habitat provides a path to stability through affordable homeownership, and Blitz Build brings that hope to life."

While Habitat builds year-round, Blitz Build is a concentrated burst of community action. Each day, up to 60 volunteers—including future Habitat homeowners—work side by side on the construction site, building not only homes but also connections across neighborhoods and backgrounds.

This year's build includes a Pride Build Day, highlighting Habitat's commitment to inclusion, equity and dignity in housing all people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

The event features a sustainable demonstration project using Insulated Concrete Forms—a noncombustible, energy-efficient building system that reduces construction time while enhancing durability and performance. Volunteers will learn hands-on how this innovative method supports long-term affordability and environmental stewardship.

A $50 registration fee for volunteers helps cover material costs and includes a Blitz Build T-shirt and lunch. Funds go to build homes for 45 families in partnership with Habitat's Homeownership Program.

A closing celebration on Friday, June 13, will honor the legacy of the late President Jimmy Carter and the local volunteers. The community will gather, write messages on a framed door in his honor and join in a BBQ lunch and home tours at the build site.

For information, call 534-2552 or register at habitat-spokane.org/blitz-build

Catholic Charities gives land to Salish School

Community leaders, school children, dignitaries and well-wishers gathered on May 21 on the banks of the Spokane River to celebrate the land gift agreement between the Salish School of Spokane (SSOS) and Catholic Charities Eastern Washington (CCEW). The agreement grants the school ownership of the land, where their new facilities will include more classroom space, a cultural and recreational center and a sports field.

"We see the agreement as a small first step to acknowledge the history of the federal government and organized religion's complicity in atrocities against Indigenous Peoples in North America," said Rob McCann, CEO and president of CCEW.

"This land gift ensures the school will own the 2+ acres, which originally belonged to their ancestors," he said. "In addition, CCEW will give River Family Haven apartments to the school after it has met its 15-year tax credit obligations. Then, the housing can be an asset to support the Salish School."

After years of working together on projects, SSOS and CCEW agreed to the $32 million development. Construction begins in 2026. About $7.7 million of the estimated $10.7 million costs are in place.

"Rebuilding trust after generations of harm is an important step for our school community," said LaRae Wiley, executive director of Salish School of Spokane. "We are excited to see our children live and learn here in a natural setting by the river. We look forward to our language and culture being a regular, recognized part of civic and cultural life in Spokane."

The new facilities will serve the broader Native community and West Hills neighborhood.

 Through immersion learning, the Salish School preserves its language and culture to build a new community of Salish speakers and cultural practitioners.

CCEW will build 72 units of permanent affordable housing in River Family Haven at 2752 W Elliott Ct., for low-income households. It will connect them to counseling, employment, education, medical care, recovery, support and other services.

Salish School families will be eligible for those programs.

For information, call 358-4250 or visit housing.cceasternwa.org

Unity in Community promotes understanding

For its 31st year, Unity in the Community (UIC), the region's largest multicultural celebration, expects to expand booths into the Rotary Fountain area of Riverfront Park, where it will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16.

Helping executive co-chairs April Anderson and Mareesa Henderson this year are two co-event chairs, Laura Carroll, a recent graduate of Whitworth University and April's daughter, and Lindsey Shaw, who works at SNAP and is on the Spokane Parks and Recreation Board.

"With a grant from Better Health Together, we are purchasing 800 diverse books from Wishing Tree Books. We will put them in them in 800 of the 1,000 bags of school supplies," said April.

The Back-To-School Supply Drive for all types of school supplies is underway, with items due to be dropped off by Aug. 8, at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 645 S. Richard Allen Ct., and at the Fairchild Air Force Base Chapel at 300 E. Poplar Ave.

April anticipates that there will again be more than 150 vendors in the UIC Fairs: the Career and Education Fair, sponsored by CHAS, the Health Fair, sponsored by NAACP Spokane, and the Youth Fair sponsored by Spokane Realtors. There are also Senior Resources and General Vendors.

For the Cultural Village, sponsored by Eastern Washington University, she expects 15 cultures to be represented.

There are also performers from different cultural groups on stage throughout the day.

Volunteers help with set up from noon to 6 p.m., Friday, Aug. 15, and 7 to 10 a.m., Saturday. They also take shifts during the day and assist with tear down from 3 to 6 p.m. after the event.

Unity in the Community seeks to enhance the lives of the diverse communities in the region, promoting unity, connection, education and awareness to foster equity and inclusion.

For information, call 599-8889 or visit nwunity.org

Group plans 80th anniversary of bombings

A group organizing a Spokane observance of the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan in August 1945 seek to look at the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the 20st century.

Planners from Spokane Veterans For Peace, Pax Christi Spokane and Dorothy Day Labor Forum invite others to join them—such as Spokane Reservation folks dealing with uranium mining impact, Marshallese who experience health effects explosions in the Pacific and other interested groups.

Spokane's main commemoration will be on Saturday, Aug. 9, the anniversary of the attack on Nagasaki. The time and location will be set at a meeting at 1 p.m., Tuesday, June 10.

In recent years, commemoration events were at Spokane River sites that may not accommodate this year's ceremony, commented a spokesperson for Veterans For Peace.

Mary Naber, who has visited Hiroshima several times, is coordinating activities before Aug. 9. She is arranging for visitors connected to Hiroshima and Nagasaki and survivors to speak.

On July 28, Fumiaki Tosu, founder of an intentional community addressing social and climate issues, will be in Spokane to launch his "Fierce Nonviolence Pilgrimage of the Northwest." Acknowledging the 80th anniversary, the pilgrimage will focus on people and places impacted by the nuclear arsenal.

The storytellers and teachers include Tosu's father, Norimitsu, who survived the bombing of Hiroshima as a small child.

In early August, Jim Thomas, a member of the Pax Christi USA Nuclear Disarmament Working Group, will be in Spokane to promote Atomic Pilgrim, a memoir on his experience with the Bethlehem Peace Pilgrimage in 1982 and 1983.

Jim was a Spokane resident when he walked from Washington to West Bank, Palestinian Occupied Territories. He later worked in the Spokane Diocese peace and justice ministries. He has visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki twice, most recently with two archbishops in 2023.

Mary invites more community input in planning for August.

For information, email vfp35spokane@riseup.net.

Church hosts concert with touring duo

Northgate Revival, a national touring duo, will be in concert at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2511 S. Pines in Spokane Valley.

Led by Luke Yates and Dillon Campbell, Northgate Revival seeks to inspire through worship nights to awaken hearts and unite communities. The group invites people to encounter God and carry revival into their lives, said Ed Backell, pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran.

For 25 years, Ed led national touring youth ministries fin Oregon, Nebraska and Washington. He created teen performance groups to help students use their talents to explore and share their faith as they traveled.

He said Holy Trinity Lutheran, a member of the North American Lutheran Church and Lutheran Congregations in Mission with Christ, has almost doubled in size since he came in September.

"Our congregation reaches out into our community," he said. "It might not be possible to change the whole world, but we can make a difference in our neighborhood."

Ed said they minister to the community by serving at Union Gospel Mission, hosting recovery groups in their building and doing food drives for the Spokane Valley Partners food bank.

The Northgate Revival concert connects to the church's understanding of ministry in walking together to encourage each other in the next steps of faith, said Ed.

For information, call 926-7966, email office@holytrinitylmc.org or visit holytrinitylmc.org

'Free for All' documentary to be shown

The recent PBS Independent Lens documentary, "Free for All: The Public Library," will be shown at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 4, at Central Library. Skyler Reep, KSPS PBS development director, and Denise Neujahr, Spokane Public Library youth services manager, and Mason Neil, youth environmental specialist, Will lead a discussion afterwards. The film gives history on libraries. From pioneering women behind the "Free Library Movement" to today's librarians who serve the public despite closures, censorship, threats and book bans, librarians created a civic institution where everything is free, and the doors are open to all.

"Libraries have always been vital places to celebrate our intellectual freedom, connect with each other, explore different perspectives, discover possibilities, escape, and give us hope," said Denise.

For information, call 444-5300 or visit spokanelibrary.org.

Concert raises funds for Thrive International

The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane and St. John's Cathedral are hosting "Cultural Crossings," a concert to raise funds and awareness for Thrive International's refugee and immigrant services facing challenges to support for essential services because of reduced federal and state funding.

Performances held from 4 to 5:30 p.m., Sunday, June 22, at the Cathedral, 127 E. 12th Ave., will share and celebrate global traditions and music along with information on Thrive's work to refugees move from surviving to thriving as they settle.

For information, call 934-8800 or visit thriveinternational.org

Whitworth Ministry Summit is June 24 to 27

Whitworth University Ministry Summit from June 24 to 27 at Whitworth University explores the theme "Repairers of the Breach: Nurturing Faith Communities that Restore Hope and Peace." based on Isaiah 58:12. Morning plenaries, seminars and evening worship will focus on discerning God's calling for the church. The event, organized by Whitworth's Office of Church Engagement, offers spiritual nourishment for pastors and leaders navigating the division, anger, apathy and violence today.

Questions for discernment in sessions include: How, in the face of division, apathy, anger and violence, do Christian leaders not grow weary? How do they remain awake to all that feels broken in their congregations, communities and world? How do they hold tension between the urgency of change and the slow pace of transformation? How do they nurture faith communities that restore hope and peace?

For information, visit whitworth.edu/summit

MAC hosts program on stories of black families

The Northwest Museum of Art and Culture's "Our Stories: Black Families in Spokane" will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Friday, June 27, at the Campbell House, 2316 W. First Ave., with storytelling by African American community members and from the MAC's archives on Spokane. There will be poetry readings in the auditorium, a children's art activity tent, children's book readings, music, food and community booths.

For information, call 363-5337 or visit northwestmuseum.org

Mission U United Methodist events are in July

With the theme, "Practicing Hope," United Methodists across the Pacific Northwest Conference will prepare for faithful living and action by "engaging in transformative educational experiences at Mission U events," said Jan Catrell, Mission U dean. Mission U runs from Thursday to Saturday, July 24 to 26, at Wesley United Methodist Church, 14 N. 48th Ave. in Yakima.

The program is centered around curricula designed to motivate, inform and enrich commitment to global ministry.

For information, email jcatrell@yahoo.com.

LCSNW plans fundraising event on Aug. 9

Lutheran Community Services Northwest (LCSNW) is introducing a new fundraising event, "Healing with Hope" at 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 9, at Trezzi Farm Winery and Vineyard, 17710 N. Dunn Rd. in Green Bluff. It shares how LCSNW serves people through advocacy, mental health and child welfare services. It will raise awareness and rally attendees around their work to bring healing and hope to those who need it most. LCSNW's annual luncheon returns in October at Mukogawa's U.S. Campus.

For information, visit lcsnw.org

Thrive International builds housing with public library

Thrive International, in partnership with Washington Trust Bank and the Spokane Public Library, broke ground May 22 for a new housing project in Spokane's Hillyard neighborhood at 6980 N. Nevada St.

Spokane Mayor Lisa Brown called this $10.5 million development a new model for affordable housing.

It features 1) 48 units with 51 percent for workforce and refugee housing, 2) financing that blends private social impact funding, commercial financing and public-private partnerships, 3) a 1,000+ square foot community center, geodesic dome, 24-7 library kiosk and community garden to be known as "B," which will be operated in partnership with Spokane Public Library, and 4) wraparound services to support refugee integration and community building.

"This is more than new housing. It's a new approach to creating inclusive communities where everyone can thrive," said Mark Finney, executive director of Thrive International.

"By combining housing with supportive services and community space, we're building a foundation for integration and connection," he added.

Collaborative funding includes a land contribution from the Spokane Public Library, investment from Washington Trust and private social impact capital.

"We are proud to contribute this land as part of our evolving mission," said Andrew Chanse, executive director of Spokane Public Library.

"B at Thrive International apartments exemplifies our commitment to community engagement beyond traditional library services. It's about creating a campus where people can build meaningful connections and a sense of belonging," he explained.

The ceremony was also an opportunity for Thrive International to launch the $10.5 capital campaign to raise funding needed for this affordable housing project.

"It marks the start of construction and an invitation for our community to invest in this housing solution and support Thrive's operations," said Connie Stark, director of philanthropy for Thrive and capital campaign lead.

The campaign will run through Spring 2026.

For information, call 688-4056 or email connie@thriveinternational.org