With the goal of examining homelessness in Federal Way, Mayor Jim Ferrell introduced members of the new homelessness task force during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.
The group includes representatives from the city of Federal Way, Federal Way Public Schools, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, the King County Library System, South King Fire & Rescue, as well as members of the local business and faith communities.
Task force members, who convened for the first time Tuesday evening, will meet twice a month to start.
Sharry Edwards, a community health nurse with Kaiser Permanente and former co-chair of the Homeless Mothers and Children Initiative, will chair the task force.
“Now that the Homeless Mothers and Children Initiative has, through the good works of New Hope Christian Fellowship Pastor Rick Miller, achieved its most urgent objective of launching an overnight winter shelter for families with children in Federal Way, this new task force gives us an experienced, resourceful and well-rounded group of individuals who can help us really wrap our arms around this multi-layered and complex issue of homelessness in our community,” Ferrell said in a press release. “I want to personally thank Sharry Edwards for taking on a key leadership role with this task force. She has shown herself to be a valuable asset when it comes to leading discussions and brainstorming solutions on this very important issue.”
In addition to Edwards, the Task Force on Homelessness includes: Chantel Arnone, emergency department clinical manager for CHI Franciscan Health; Capt. Jeff Bellinghausen, South King Fire & Rescue; Elric Bey, Federal Way resident; Sarah Bridgeford, CDBG/HS coordinator, city of Federal Way; Jeanne Burbidge, former Federal Way deputy mayor; Angela Coe, regional operations director, Valley Cities Behavioral Health; Robin Corak, executive director, Multi-Service Center; Dan Dizon, FWPS executive director of human resources and community relations; Jack Dovey, U.S. carrier relations and business development director, GPS Lockbox; Willa Gaines, advisory board member, Reach Out; Lawrence Garrett, executive director, Advancing Leadership; Kabal Gill, East India Grill owner; Marty Hartman, executive director, Mary’s Place; Byron Hiller, property management division president, Coldwell Banker Commercial Danforth; Peggy LaPorte, executive director, FUSION; David Larson, judge, Federal Way Municipal Court; Kimberly McGlynn, operations manager, King County Library System; Tom Medhurst, Federal Way Planning Commission and president and CEO of L & L Nursery Supply, Inc.; Rick Miller, pastor, New Hope Christian Fellowship; Jackie Muth, partner, Mahrt & Associates CPA, Federal Way; Stephan Neal, Federal Way Police deputy chief; Lynn Ormsby, advisory board member, Sound Alliance/Federal Way Day Center; Shelley Pauls, liaison for Federal Way faith community; Shelly Pricco, executive director, Nexus Youth and Families; Stacie Scarpaci, probation officer, city of Federal Way Municipal Court; Rebecca Stephens, acting associate director, United States Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System; Ken Stark, vice-chair, city of Federal Way Human Services Commission; Jeff Watson, community services manager, city of Federal Way; Yarden Weidenfeld, Federal Way senior policy adviser; Dan Wise, director of homeless services, Catholic Community Services in King County.
