This isn’t part of the official June list of things to do, but still, definitely do go outside! Garden time is daily medicine and even without a garden of your own, there are so many flowers to enjoy from the sidewalk. You’ll be glad you got out.
The calendar shifts and here were are with another month of this strangest of springs behind us. Now we’re here in June, the month when spring turns to summer. A month we hope will invite us safely a little closer together again. How are you holding up these days? We continue thinking of our friends and community, of our nation (and protestors, and advocates, and educators, and frontline workers); we wish health and perseverance and justice and fortitude for all of you, for all of us!
If you’re continuing to seek ways to be part of the community, to take care of yourself, and to be healthy as we all strive to stay together while keeping apart, we hope you’ll find some ways in our list below.
It’s a mix of life in and around Tacoma. There are absolutely more than 15 things to do this month. For example, take a look at our May list for ongoing events we included that you can still enjoy in June like Creative Colloquy Zoom readings, more online cooking classes from Tacoma chef Molly’s Tamales, the virtual La Paloma Marketplace on Thursday evenings, and Tacoma Public Library Friday Family Storytime.
Once again we’ve broken our list into 2 parts. Part 1 is made up of Scheduled Events, and Part 2 is Stuff You Can Do Anytime beginning with some resources for engaging in anti-racism (in this case “do anytime” is more like “do now”). See what calls your name!
Section 1: Tacoma Scheduled Events - Don’t Miss Them!
Image from Tacoma Rescue Mission
1. Tacoma Rescue Mission’s HopeGivers Virtual Event
Monday, June 1 - Friday, June 5th
From Home
Learn more about women experiencing homelessness in our community and help the Tacoma Rescue Mission raise funds for their Women’s Shelter!
Free - opportunity to learn and give
Each night over 450 women in Pierce County don’t have a safe place to shelter and Tacoma Rescue Mission is working to change that!
New short videos, speakers, and mission updates each day throughout the event - starting Monday, June 1st at 8 am, through Friday, June 5th at 8 pm
Tuesdays
3 - 7 pm
3500 McKinley Ave E, Tacoma
Image from Tacoma Farmers Market
Thursdays
10 am - 3 pm
9th & Broadway, Tacoma
Sundays
10 am - 3 pm
5005 Ruston Way, Tacoma
Food is essential. Farmers are essential! Thank goodness for the Tacoma Farmers Market opening 2 more markets in June! Now there’s not only the Broadway Market on Thursdays, but Tuesday and Sunday markets as well.
Free entry
Support local farmers and get out into the fresh air
Please wear a face mask, send one shopper per household, and keep your distance from others
Want to support local farmers and access fresh food but can’t get out to the market? Learn about Tacoma Farmers Markets new Fresh Express Mobile Market! The goal is to make sure the market is accessible to everyone with a focus on “low-income community members, older adults, and immune-compromised populations.”
Image from Tacoma Public Library
3. Virtual Scavenger Hunt with Tacoma Public Library!
Wednesdays & Saturdays
From Home
Free to participate
Follow the Tacoma Public Library on Instagram and/or Facebook for new Scavenger Hunt prompts each Wednesday and Saturday
To participate, complete the task in the hunt, take a photo, and share with #tplscavenger hunt
Catch up, or start up - you’ll find the Scavenger Hunt prompts in this album on TPL’s Facebook page (at the end of May they’re at 17 prompts!)
Image from Curious Bear Toys & Book Shop
4. Curious Bear’s Story Time LIVE
Thursdays
11 am
From Home
Free
Tune in on Instagram LIVE for a friendly book reading with staff at Curious Bear Toys & Books in Fircrest
Maybe you’ll discover a new favorite!
Image from Tacoma Rescue Mission
Image from Windermere Abode - that’s our office!
5. Sandwiches for the Tacoma Rescue Mission at Abode
Fridays
4:30 pm
Windermere Abode
2200 N 30th St, Tacoma
Looking for another way to get involved, give, and help keep the Tacoma community healthy and fed? Find representatives from our Windermere Abode office every Friday at 4:30 pm ready to transfer your sandwiches to the Tacoma Rescue Mission!
Volunteer & Giving Opportunity
Make sandwiches (tuna or meat are very popular), wrap them up, and meet brokers from Windermere Abode in the back parking lot (along McCarver St). The Abode crew will load their cars and deliver to the Tacoma Rescue Mission where these meals are in high demand!
Sandwiches, apples, or prepackaged snacks are all welcome and we promise to keep our 6 feet of distance when you drop-off :)
If you have questions, just get in touch with us and we can make sure you have the details you need (253) 226-2787, michael@dugganhomes.com
Image from 2nd Cycle Tacoma’s Community Cycle Center
6. Slow & Socially Distanced Bike Rides with 2nd Cycle
2nd & 4th Fridays
June 12th & June 26th
Wherever you ride!
Free
An opportunity to create connection and lift spirits from a distance until riding together is part of life again
2nd Cycle recommends that you choose a comfortable route, decorate your bike, wear a costume, play some tunes, wave (or ring your bike bell) at people as you go by to create connection
Share a photo or video with the 2nd Cycle community on the FaceBook event or use the #SLOWANDSOCIALLYDISTANT hashtag where you post
Image from Amara
7. All Ages Art Project! Your Help Needed!
Submit by Saturday, June 13th
Mail or Drop Off at Amara
Free to participate - just need paper (8x11 or smaller), pencil/pen/crayon whatever you use to make art!
Show love, gratitude, respect, and encouragement for social and behavioral health workers in Pierce County
Just create a card or piece of artwork with this prompt in mind: “What does being thankful look like to you? How do you make someone feel special?”
Mail to or drop off at Amara - 3501 104th St E, Tacoma, WA 98466
Amara provides services and support to prepare families and children for adoption and foster care, operates an Emergency Sanctuary for children removed from their homes, and supports families post-adoption - read more about Amara here!
Image from Proctor Farmers’ Market
8. Proctor Farmers’ Market
Saturdays
9 am - 2 pm
N 27th & Proctor, Tacoma
Along with the Tacoma Farmers Markets on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday, you can shop at the Proctor Farmers Market every Saturday. That’s 4 days of fresh, local food in different Tacoma neighborhoods every week! The market requires facial coverings, using hand sanitizer as you enter and exit, recommends that you restrict shopping to 1 member of your household, and also asks that you allow vendors to handle items for you. For now, service dogs are welcome, and although it is super hard to wait, please do wait until you’re home to eat your delicious market treats and groceries.
Free entry
Support your local farmers and food system
Get essential items in the open air
Smile with your eyes, it’s a nice touch
Section 2: Tacoma Activities You Can Do Anytime
9. Learn how you can advocate for justice in the United States, support George Floyd’s family, and engage in the persistent reality of injustice all people of color face
Take a look at this article with links to calls to action: Here's How You Can Demand Justice for George Floyd. Following the short article, you’ll find links to petitions you can sign, and opportunities to donate to a range of causes from a GoFundMe for George Floyd’s family to the Minnesota Freedom Fund, and the Black Visions Collective. You’ll find a link to write a letter to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and a phone number for County Attorney Mike Freeman.
A person we trust recommends reading: Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad (you can order from King’s Books in Tacoma for delivery or curbside pick-up and support a local bookshop while you’re at it)
Work through this Anti-Racism Resources document compiled by Sarah Sophie Flicker and Alyssa Klein in May 2020
Listen to this 5 minute 5/30/20 NPR interview with Clarence Castile - Philando Castile's Uncle On Bridging The Gap Between Community, Police - the call that will stay with you if you listen, “Accountability Now”
Read this article: Stop Killing Us: A Real Life Nightmare, by Tamika Butler, recommended by Tacoma’s Downtown: On the Go!
Follow BlackPastHistory
We know this is a list of things you can do in Tacoma, and we typically keep it very close to home, but the fact is, this is close to home.
Image from YWCA Pierce County
10. Donate to YWCA Pierce County
Are you looking for ways to share the love in a practical way around our community? There are so many ways! Here’s one: donate needed items to the YWCA. At a time when many are experiencing instability, loss of income, uncertainty, and isolation, the YWCA knows it’s as important as ever to support their clients. You can help them by dropping off conditioner, body soap, shaving cream, toothpaste, regular pads, hand soap, all-purpose cleaner, and grocery store gift cards valued at $25. The YWCA will make sure these items get safely into the hands of clients who need them.
Drop-off Monday - Friday, 9 am to 4 pm at 405 Broadway, Tacoma. Or order through the YWCA’s Amazon wishlist.
Image from Sacred Gems of the Past by Trevor Dickson
11. Listen to Trevor Dickson’s Sacred Gems of the Past
If you know, you know. If you don’t know, you can read a little about it in the notes following the compilation of tracks on Bandcamp. Trevor Dickson was living out his twenties in Tacoma at the same time we were living out our twenties in Tacoma. If you were living out your twenties, teens, or other years during that era, and loved music, there’s a good chance you were out listening to the Nightgowns every chance you got. This spring, Trevor compiled tracks recorded in his Wright Park apartment between 2002 and 2011. Go ahead and indulge in nostalgia. Trevor lives in New York, New York these days, but lucky us, before he moved away, he and the Nightgowns played our wedding (to the eternal delight, surprise, and enthusiasm of my aunts and uncles).
12. Read JK Rowling’s New Book The Ickabog - New Chapters Released Every Weekday!
Although The Ickabog won’t be published as a complete, printed book until November, JK Rowling is doing her best to help all of us through this time of relative isolation by releasing one installment of her newest book each weekday from May 26th through July 10th. It’s free! Gather round, read aloud, make it a family affair. Aimed at readers aged 7 to 9, but I think many of us can attest that “kids books” aren’t just for kids! Visit The Ickabog here and catch up on all the chapters released so far.
Image from Tacoma Public Library and Grit City Magazine
13. Dear Tacoma: Collecting Our Community’s Stories
The Tacoma Public Library and Grit City Magazine invite you to write or record your own story of challenge, strength, resilience, and struggle during the time of COVID-19. Our stories will be stored together in the archives of the library’s Northwest Room, a symbol of and witness to the interconnectedness of our community. You could write a letter, or consider interviewing a friend of loved one. Read about prompts to help you get started, how to submit, and all the details of the Dear Tacoma Project here.
Image from Downtown Tacoma Partnership
14. Support Local Restaurants: Order Takeout
Not sure who’s open, or need a list of good options for take-out in Tacoma? Take a look at Downtown Tacoma Partnership’s list: Who’s Open? A guide to businesses in Downtown Tacoma during Covid-19. *Updated 5/20.
We’d like to add that the Pacific Grill is offering “Family Meal” orders these days! Order until Thursday at 4 pm, pick up on Friday or Saturday. Follow them on Facebook and/or Instagram to stay in the know. And En Rama is also open for takeout. Consider them for fresh pasta, weekend brunch, and special happy hour pickups from 4-5 pm.
15. Keep Sending Snail Mail
This is a favorite of mine, so I’m carrying it over from last month. I like the process start to finish from choosing a card, or creating one (cutting the paper to size, folding the card, painting an image, writing a message, sealing it up, selecting a stamp, adding the address, and setting it out for the postal service). If you have scraps of paper around the houses, stashes giant or small, try making a card to send. If you’re out of supplies, or just not in the mood to DIY, consider ordering stationary from a Tacoma artist like Katie Dean, the Arts & Crafts Press, or from Tacoma’s fine curator or greeting cards, Paper Luxe. You miss your friends and family, they miss you, so choose one or two each week, make a few moments of their day better because you thought of them!
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