In the spring of 1974, a group of neighborhood activists and volunteers responded to growing economic desperation in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood by launching the Fremont Public Association (FPA). Tapping into the spirit and funding of the federal War on Poverty, they pledged to work for Freedom from Poverty through Action.
In response to neighbors’ immediate needs for food and employment, the FPA started with a food pantry, clothing bank, and job referral service. The agency grew rapidly by asking the community what it needed, then aggressively pursued funding to develop programs and services. It branched out into many areas, including housing, transportation, and youth development. It convened partnerships and coalitions, created innovative service models, and continued to base its advocacy on the input of community members.
In 2007, FPA took a new name, Solid Ground, to reflect how its impacts went well beyond the neighborhood where it started. Today, we continue to partner with our community to develop services and advocacy efforts focused on overcoming barriers to thriving and supporting equitable access to opportunity.
Celebrating our 50th Anniversary is a time to reflect on more than a million success stories – and on the staff, volunteers, and supporters who helped build a community where all of our neighbors are able to thrive. Thanks for joining us in this reflection!
Upcoming Events
50th Anniversary Gala
Join us to celebrate a half century of progress toward solving poverty!
WHEN: Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 5:30pm doors
WHERE: Summit – 900 Pine St, Seattle, WA 98101
TICKET PRICES:
- Individuals: $200
- Tables of 10: $1,750
QUESTIONS? CONTACT: events@solid-ground.org
Stories Celebrating a Half Century
4/8/24: A seed of hope blossoms into an impactful career
In 1994, Patricia Flores called Solid Ground’s Broadview Emergency Shelter for families escaping and recovering from domestic violence (DV). She was looking for a safe haven for herself, her daughter, and her grandson.
They found safety and security there – but more than that, her time at Broadview opened the door to Patricia’s lifelong career as a community organizer and leader in the sexual assault and DV communities – most recently as Executive Director of Tacoma’s Catherine Place, a resource center for women and LGBTQIA+ people.
Last fall, Patricia visited Broadview for the first time in 30 years. It was a deeply emotional moment. “Something spoke to me and said: ‘You were here, and now you were the executive director of a center, a nonprofit that helps women.’ It was really cathartic and mind blowing,” she says. “And it just really reflects the innate possibilities of every human, given the right circumstances, and supporting them when their confidence is really low, or broken, or gone.”
2/28/24: Omari Salisbury to present keynote at Solid Ground’s 50th Anniversary Gala
Solid Ground is thrilled to announce that Converge Media’s Omari Salisbury will present the keynote address at our 50th Anniversary Gala on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 5:30pm at SUMMIT.
In just eight years, Converge Media has built an award-winning legacy telling stories about, from, and to Seattle’s Black community and BIPOC communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. As one of its pioneering cofounders, Omari has amplified the work of Black thinkers and local journalists while earning a growing audience in Seattle and beyond – at a time when so-called “traditional” news outlets are cutting back or closing shop.
Omari’s keynote will be a rare opportunity to hear him reflect on his love for the community, the wisdom he has gained building a Black-owned media company, and his vision for a future where being poor might describe your circumstances but does not define your future. Read our interview, edited from a conversation with Omari at Converge’s downtown studio.
2/14/24: Black leadership and the roots of anti-racism at Solid Ground
For a little more than half of our 50-year history, Solid Ground was guided by the leadership and wisdom of one woman: Cheryl Cobbs Murphy.
Under Cheryl’s guidance, we built hundreds of apartments for people moving out of homelessness, developed two urban farms to grow food with and for neighborhoods with little access to fresh produce, and expanded our transportation fleet to help thousands of people with disabilities get where they need to go.
But if you ask Cheryl which of the many accomplishments from her 27 years at Solid Ground make her proudest, she’ll tell you that her true legacy was embedding anti-racism principles into every aspect of how we work to solve poverty. “It’s my life’s work, and so it’s always going to be a part of who I am,” says Cheryl, who continues to work with other nonprofits to prioritize anti-racism. “It’s really important to me – and frankly, I wouldn’t be doing this work if it wasn’t for Solid Ground.”
1/29/24: Commemorative logo honors agency history and legacy
As we celebrate the milestone of 50 years of progress toward solving poverty, we’re unveiling our 50th Anniversary logo to be featured throughout 2024.
The unique design incorporates several elements of our history, including a representation of the Fremont neighborhood’s ‘Waiting for the Interurban’ sculpture, which served as the primary logo of Solid Ground’s forebear, Fremont Public Association (FPA). Iconography embedded in the image also reflects programs that have been at the core of our work and mission to solve poverty and undo racism and other oppressions that are root causes of poverty.
1/05/24: 50 Years of ‘Freedom from Poverty through Action’
Of the thousands of staff, volunteers, and community members who’ve contributed to the success of Solid Ground and its forebear, the Fremont Public Association (FPA), perhaps no one has had a more profound and lasting impact in Washington state than Representative and former Speaker of the House Frank Chopp.
Frank served as FPA Executive Director for 17 formative years, from 1983 until 2000. While still leading the agency, he took his passion for advocacy and coalition building to Olympia in 1995 as the state representative for Seattle’s 43rd District. He went on to lead the state House of Representatives from 1999 to 2019, serving out one of the longest tenures as a state legislative Speaker in the nation’s history.
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