In a recent community meeting held in the West Plains area, various individuals and organizations gathered to discuss initiatives and collaborative efforts aimed at quelling human trafficking, youth substance use, and domestic violence.
The meeting touched upon several areas, including education, community safety, social services, and support for those affected by the Gray Fire.
Mark Losh, the CEO of the West Plains Chamber of Commerce kicked off the meeting by revealing exciting news about a new training facility that has taken seventeen years to establish.
This facility is expected to play a key role in training individuals in shooting skills, reflecting the commitment to community safety.
Pasha Pechenov, who is actively involved with the Slavic community, highlighted the importance of community safety and the need to make it easier for residents to reach out to law enforcement and emergency services.
“Anything to do with the Slavic community is very important to me, so that my kids can grow up well,” Pechenov said.
He also emphasized the challenges some community members face in accessing housing and childcare.
One positive aspect of the meeting was the commitment to improving financial literacy in the community. “I educate people on financial literacy,” Pechenov said. “We host professional workshops and don’t charge anybody for them.”
Terrance Nelson, a dedicated student assistant at Cheney High School, shared his heart’s desire to continue serving the students in the region. He stressed the importance of peer support and encouraged others to support local students as well.
A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to discussing support for those affected by the Gray Fire, which had a profound impact on the region.
Dr. Mable Dunbar, representing the Women’s Health & Healing Network, detailed their efforts to provide clothing, household items, hygiene products, and even furniture to those who lost their homes,
“Amazon awarded us 5,000 dollars to assist with families who lost their homes and other items in the fire” Dunbar said. “This initiative aims to help community members get back on their feet and rebuild their lives.”
Jessica Deutsch, from the TALK 2 Healthy Choices Community Coalition, discussed their ongoing community survey, seeking adult input on youth substance usage.
“We are a bit low on community input,” said Deutsch, “The point of that community survey is to ask for adult perceptions of youth usage of substance. Where do you think youth are getting substances? Do you lock up all of your medications?”
The meeting also highlighted upcoming events, including the Washington State Prevention Summit and initiatives to provide mental health services and resources to the community.
“Usually it is in Yakima, but for the first time ever, it is being held in Spokane,” said Deutsch. “Nine of our high school health club members will be there. Eighteen different community members will be attending the prevention summit.”
Alise Mnati, Airway Heights Police Department grant administrator provided insight into grant applications, including those not secured.
She highlighted the potential to collaborate with law enforcement agencies to access more crime reports, increasing the chances of receiving grants in the future.
“My other suggestion is that even though Medical Lake doesn’t have a police department, maybe I can talk to the sheriff’s department, and get more crime reports to add to the West Plains crime report,” Mnati said “If we get the Tribe, Airway Heights, Cheney and Medical Lake we can get the grant next year.”
The meeting also brought attention to the importance of holistic support for domestic violence victims. Mable Dunbar mentioned the need for shelter, counseling, advocacy, and resources.
“I have a long list: housing and shelter, emergency shelter, childcare, job opportunities, transportation assistance, prevention education, legal services, educational programs, funds, and the criminal justice system; many women are afraid to access these resources,” said Dunbar. “They need to realize the criminal justice system is there to help them. A lot of these ladies, they are just too afraid to deal with the police, even though they are there to help them.”
Human trafficking emerged as another critical issue, with participants considering the necessity of a dedicated detective to tackle this grave problem effectively.
“If we really want to make a dent in human trafficking, we would need a dedicated detective,” said Mnati.
Clare is an Eastern Washington University graduate and a reporter at Free Press Publishing.
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