Out in the Streets - jhitchen
July 30, 2026
Good morning neighbors,
As we enter August, I'm reflecting on the 250th anniversary of our country's founding that we celebrated this month. I want to thank all the community members who made it memorable. Many communities across District 6 and beyond have been celebrating and educating all year, but July seemed to really round out some significant events across the nation and here locally, celebrating 250 years of the United States of America.
Many things have changed in the United States since its founding, such as women serving as elected officials. The progress is worth recognizing, and there is still much work to do. Taking the time this year to reflect on how far we have come and the reason we exist is important, and to do it well, it took people saying yes to volunteering their time and talents, and even treasures, to support events like street fairs, speakers, parades, concerts, panels, exhibitions, and fireworks.
To all that stepped up to help in any way, thank you!
I also want to share a quick reminder for my neighbors in the Town of Steilacoom that there is a town-wide power outage scheduled for August 13-14th to allow the providers to perform much-needed work. The community center will be open to provide a place to cool off and access resources, or charge devices. It will be from approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
Last Wednesday, I had the opportunity to participate in a ride-along with our county’s Street Medicine Team. This was a powerful chance to see the team in action. Here are the details from this opportunity.
My Ride-Along with Street Medicine
I had the chance to join the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department’s Street Medicine team last Wednesday (the really hot day); it was eye-opening. I note this because if you don't follow me on social media, this might be the first time you're learning of this.
I have participated in the annual Point-in-Time count for the last six years, and the stories I hear, the conditions I witness, and the generosity of the volunteers always help solidify why I am working to find solutions to housing instability. It is one night, often incredibly cold, and the goal is to collect data.
That is not the goal of our Street Medicine team members. They are on the streets to heal. They show up to save lives. They provide pain relief, medical guidance, and a little hope, one person at a time.
This team uses two to three vehicles, including a mid-sized converted RV with running water, cold storage, and privacy, to assess patients and provide space for people to get out of the elements. The day I joined them, they brought a fully stocked van with everything from Narcan and bandages, food and water, and feminine hygiene products and socks to sunscreen and aloe.
Street Medicine Team van.
Why This Is Needed
Some of you might be wondering why we should invest in something like this. I get the question, and I am going to approach it from three different angles. First, it is actually saving the county and our region money. Second, it is the humane thing to do. Third, it can lead people to say yes to taking important first steps.
Saving Money: There is an upfront cost as we invest in staff, supplies, and vehicles. Each person treated by the team potentially does not end up as a 9-1-1 call later that day or week. That person doesn’t end up in the emergency room without insurance for multiple days. That person is treated and avoids complications that would otherwise require weeks to months of recovery time in a nursing home or hospital setting.
The initial intake could prevent a significant infection, worsening illness, or even death. But for those looking for a financial reason to invest in something like this, it truly is more cost-effective. However, to me, the next two reasons make it the right thing to do.Humane Thing To Do: The team is made up of skilled nurses who understand the trauma and violence that people experience while living on the streets. They understand that the patients they are treating have complex needs and are just trying to survive. They treat them with care and with an understanding of the reality of the situation they are living in. That kindness and listening without judgment can mean the difference between a saved life and a lost limb.
The people they treat are someone’s mother, father, child, grandparent, or sibling. They are a person who has found themselves living on the street and hurting. They provide healing if they can, and when they can’t, they make every attempt to talk them into seeking a higher level of care.People Saying Yes: Because each encounter begins without judgment, the team begins to develop rapport with those they engage. They have created a network of partners across the region who, if today is the day they want help with behavioral health or substance use disorder, can quickly connect them with services. They help them begin the challenging process and work with them to follow up or directly connect them with services that day, even that hour if they can make it happen.
They also provide connections to other services, but their sole focus is health. But as people begin to heal, they begin to move away from a scarcity mindset and maybe start the path to housing.
Highlights
I wanted to share a couple of highlights from my day with the team. First, they truly are a team. They work together, bringing their unique skills as nurses, peer support, and social work to help assess each person. If someone doesn’t need medical support right then, but it is apparent that they could need help in the future, the team tries to gather information and then let them know how to get ahold of them.
While out, one of our team members ended up literally jumping out of one of the vehicles to assess a women that was lying on the sidewalk, bleeding in front a gas station driveway. She immediately assessed vitals, while her partner called 9-1-1. We stopped by a parking lot and shared supplies, especially water bottles that had been frozen when we left that morning, with people who were completely exposed to the sun, as there were no trees nearby. They were in parked cars and in a trailer, which must have felt like an oven with temperatures well over 95 degrees.
We stopped by St. Vincent de Paul and learned that one of the people that the team had worked with in the past was officially getting moved into permanent supportive housing. The team had a chance to check in on a few individuals at the cooling center. We were later called back to address a woman who had to take two buses, on infected feet, to get to the cooling center specifically to try and see the Street Medicine Team. We had missed her, but because of the relationship with the staff, the team split into two groups, and the medical van returned to treat this woman. While there, the woman was assessed, wounds on her legs were treated and wrapped, and due to the infections, a prescription for antibiotics was called in. The team member was also able to provide her with time to return to the same location to follow up and ensure things were healing.
On a day as hot as it was, just handing out water potentially saved lives. But the number of people that were assessed, open wounds that were treated, hearts and lungs that were listened to, and options for care provided were simply amazing. Narcan was provided, and they even offered STI (sexually transmitted infection) testing if anyone wanted to take advantage of that service.
All in all, this team of skilled clinicians, peer support members, and volunteers was truly meeting people where they were at. They were behind a store, in a cooling shelter, parked in a car, or in a vacant lot. But they are people, and they worked hard to bring humanity and care to each conversation they had.
Many thanks to the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department for your support and for thinking outside the box to start this off in partnership with the City of Tacoma. I am very excited to see this expand to the rest of the county. While they cannot be everywhere, wherever they visit will be impactful. One life at a time.
Community Connections
District 6 Library Events in August: Pierce County Library events and classes at the Anderson Island, DuPont, Lakewood, Parkland/Spanaway, Steilacoom, Tillicum, and Virtual libraries.
Dog Days of Spanaway: Sunday, August 2nd from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Sprinker Recreation Center. Bring your four-legged friends to the park and enjoy treats, training demonstrations, and even take part in a Pet Parade.
National Night Out: Tuesday, August 4th at many different locations including Parkland, Lakewood and Steilacoom. Need more info? Please see my last e-newsletter.
Ready to Learn Fair for Cloverpark & Steilacoom School Districts: Saturday, August 8th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Harrison Prep School located at 9103 Lakewood Drive SW. Please bring your students to pick up supplies, school clothes, and other necessities to start the 2026-27 school year off right. This annual event is put on by Caring for Kids.
Anderson Island Park Quest Fun Run: Sunday, August 9th from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. (or until you finish). You can join friends and families to explore the island trails. Meeting at the Old School House. Registration required, and you can learn more here.
Thank you once again for taking the time to read my newsletters. I hope you found this one interesting, and I was trying to figure out how best to share the opportunity I had to witness the Street Medicine Team in action.
On Tuesday of this week, the Council and Executive proclaimed August as Overdose Awareness Month in Pierce County, and we invited the Health Department team to accept. While we will never know how many lives they saved by leaving Narcan behind, we are sure they did. You can learn more about what to do if you witness someone potentially overdosing here: TPCHD Opioid Information
I will wrap up with a reminder that in a little over two weeks, on Wednesday, August 12th, we are hosting a community event in Parkland from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at Keithly Middle School. I sent out the notification last week on Thursday, but will keep flagging it until it happens. Hope to see some of you there.
Thank you,
Jani