A Supportive Partnership
PANZA is a Thurston County collaboration of faith communities, individuals and organizations that work with residents of South Sound tent cities to establish themselves as healthy communities while growing toward new and creative housing opportunities.
PANZA, in partnership with tent city residents, supports South Sound tent cities in these ways:
Hosting
Recruits host agencies, advising them on application process to city, organizing their public meeting, overseeing process for staffing host table and providing financial support. PANZA maintains the logistics manual of camp operation for use by volunteers and host agency steering committees, and training and mentoring for steering committees and/or volunteers.
Communication and Advocacy
Maintains a central repository of information, including camp histories, documentation of the processes and procedures needed for the smooth running of tent city communities, and history and current status of efforts to provide hose agencies; supplies updated public relations materials; makes referrals when needed to social services providers; maintains a speakers bureau and other forms of community outreach; advocates for tent cities and low-income housing options with local and state government and other agencies and organizations committed to addressing issues of housing and poverty.
Organizational and Operational
Includes developing and implementing fiscal policy pertinent to the operation of tent cities; seeks a 501c3 organization to serve temporarily as fiscal sponsor until PANZA is ready to seek its own nonprofit tax status; recruits volunteers to organize fundraising events and/or engage in grant writing on behalf of tent cities.
Development of Community Self-sufficiency
Includes providing workshops to help develop and stabilize communal life (e.g., anger management, running effective meetings, active listening, leadership development); meets regularly with camp leadership to maintain open communication; periodically reviews camp protocols to determine effectiveness and need of revision.