Oh, summer! We wait impatiently for you all year – the clarity of the white-tipped mountains in our view, the sparkling light shining off the water that surrounds us, days that feel endless and (most of the time) nights that cool off enough to open our windows and let in the freshness. Be sure to balance summer’s sunshine with a patch of shade, a good read, and plenty of water to sip. Let your to-do list be balanced with a list of fun. Perhaps your list can include making a refreshing batch of lemonade using the juice of five washed lemons, ½ gallon of water and ¾ cup of honey. Combine it all in a large pitcher or jar, including the lemon rinds and store in the fridge to sip on for days! Or maybe your list includes running through the sprinkler and laying out a picnic blanket with some berries in a basket. Whatever you do, make time for fun because we wait for this warmth all year and deserve a season of sun!

Does your list include heading out to the water? Here's some tips to help you assess water quality before you head out to enjoy your favorite water activities: bit.ly/waterrecreationthurstoncounty

The COVID-19 pandemic has been difficult on everyone. Business shutdowns and limited services have impacted the economy and the ability for many community members to make ends meet. If you’ve been financially impacted by the pandemic and have a moderate-to-low income, you can get assistance paying rent, past-due utilities and other housing costs.

Rent Assistance is offered at Community Action Council for ages 25 and up and at Community Youth Services for young adults, ages 18-24. Those who need help paying past-due, current or future rent and have been directly or indirectly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic can schedule an appointment online at www.CACLMT.org or by calling (360) 438-1100 press 8, then 2. When you schedule an appointment online, you select the time and date of your appointment and it only takes about five minutes. Phone call volume is very high, so scheduling an appointment online is recommended when possible.

Rent Assistance can cover past-due rent since March 13, 2020 and future rent for up to three months at a time. It can also cover past-due utility bills and some other housing costs, including Internet. Income eligibility is set at 80% or below the Area Median Income (AMI) for either your 2020 gross income or gross income for the last three months. Funding for Rent Assistance comes from different local, state and federal sources for COVID-19 relief.

This program is in high demand and appointments can take four to six weeks to get scheduled. You can help move the process along by being ready for your appointment. Gather copies of your rental agreement or lease, rent payment statements, income or pay verification and anything that supports how COVID-19 has impacted you financially. If you don’t have documentation for everything, the Rent Assistance staff member will work with you to help get you the assistance you need.

Thurston County residents are encouraged to continue checking back on resources available at local organizations. More funding and new programs may develop as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic continue. A great way to stay informed is to follow local community and government organizations, like the organizations listed above and our local cities and Thurston County, on social media or bookmark/save their websites. You can also help by sharing information about these and other local resources.

Q: I’ve heard that getting vitamin D from sunshine is important, but doesn’t the sun also cause skin damage?

A: The amount of sunshine is what determines its health benefits or harms. Sunlight on our skin is very important for mental and physical wellbeing but it doesn’t take much to gain these benefits. Depending on skin tone, about 10-30 minutes of sun on a sunny day helps convert cholesterol into a daily dose of vitamin D. The lighter the skin tone, the less time it takes for the process to take place. If you are going to be in the sun for longer than 30 minutes, long sleeves and pants in a breathable fabric like cotton and linen, a large hat and sunglasses will help protect you from harm. Sunscreen is another tool for protection and needs to be re-applied every two hours and after getting wet from water or sweat. Always drink plenty of water and other non-alcoholic drinks (like lemonade – see the recipe in the intro.) and seek out the shade between 10:00 a.m.– 2:00 p.m. Choose the safest sunscreen at www.ewg.org/sunscreen and enjoy your summer fun in the sun!

Need a little inspiration and hope for change? The Youth Development Program (YDP) at Thurston County’s Juvenile Justice Center provides hope, education and beautiful, fresh food in our community.

Shane Pier, staff at Juvenile Justice proposed a garden program six years ago. When Shane approached his detention manager, Ted Bryan, with the idea, Ted said, “Sure! There’s no money in the budget for a garden but if you can figure out how to pay for it, go for it.” Shane utilized his years of serving the community to gather partnerships and community support to fund his vision. Businesses donated supplies and equipment and partnerships between other youth gardening programs like Tumwater FRESH and Olympia’s Freedom Farmers started to blossom.

Other staff rallied around Shane’s idea and an entire team works together to pull off the coordination, including transportation for youth that work in the garden while on probation and as fulfillment of community service hours. Shane praises the folks he works with, stating, “This program wouldn’t be as successful without the hard work and dedication of Tony Cleaves, Jessica Anderson and Carolyn Hoyt. Tony grew up on rough streets and reaches kids that a country-kid, from Tenino, can’t. Jessica brings in other partner organizations and is the backbone of this program. Carolyn is hard working, dedicated and makes sure that the garden thrives even when the rest of us get occupied with other things. Without the weekend staff, we wouldn’t have weekends off!”

Based on his decades of working with youth, including raising ten kids, Shane knew that getting kids outside with their hands in the dirt surrounded by the natural world could be very therapeutic. After their initial anger at being detained begins to calm, kids in the garden open to important, real-life talks that are needed to make lasting change. They go from being angry at being forced to work to asking to come into the garden as much as possible and even checking in on its progress years later. Youth in the program learn about their ability and capacity to change, heal and grow and YDP staff are full of wonderful stories about kids that have changed their lives around and continue giving back to the garden, years after they’ve graduated.

Youth in the program learn to use tools, build structures such as compost bins and garden beds while experiencing what it takes to successfully grow food. The program includes leadership opportunities as kids apply to step into the roles of team leader and foreman. Leadership roles further develop life skills like, preparing a resume, interviewing in front of a panel and public speaking at the annual harvest celebration. When not working in the garden, youth in the program work in the Food Bank Warehouse, help with Kiwanis gardens, work on landscaping around public buildings and learn life skills.

The garden itself, located in a secure site behind the correctional facility started out without drainage or water. Four-foot-tall weeds loomed. Brick by brick, youth built several garden beds, experiencing first-hand, the process of creating this little patch of abundance. When asked how he maintains the garden organically, Shane laughs, “I’ve got kid power, I don’t need herbicides!” They’ve had luck planting marigolds to ward off pests, Carolyn taught the crew about using soapy water to control aphids and mites and they plant enough each year that a little pest damage doesn’t hurt - much. Fertilizer is provided by a pond full of fish that was designed and created by Zach Taylor. When kids come into the garden having a hard day, they’re asked to count fish. Spending twenty minutes next to a lovely water feature can release stress and offers the opportunity for youth to learn how relaxing nature can be.

It’s impressive to hear that in the garden’s first year, they donated 500 pounds of fresh food to the local food bank. Shane laughs, “I thought that was impressive too but after starting a friendly competition with Benton/Franklin County in Eastern Washington, we grew 2,069 pounds of fresh food the second year, 4,079 pounds the next year including over 1,400 ears of corn, and by the fourth year we were up to 7,002 pounds of fresh food donated throughout the community, feeding folks who need it.”

The harvest is not only bountiful but also diverse. There’s an orchard with plum trees, apple trees, Asian pears, strawberries, raspberries, peas, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, 800-1000 pounds of melons, tomatillos, hot peppers, tomatoes, and 2 almond trees!

Shane credits his grandmother with teaching him everything he knows about gardening, cooking and sewing. The entire garden staff clearly loves the work and the kids they garden with. It’s clear that the love is mutual as Shane shares that the kids, “Come back to tell us how they’re doing. If they didn’t, we would all be heartbroken!”