Foundation tells council its mental‑health program reached 82 students and senior meals serve local seniors

Tammy Verhus, interim executive director of the Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation, updated the Eden Plus City Council on July 13 about the group’s mental‑health work in local schools and its senior meals program.

Verhus said the foundation "has served a total of 82 students," including "62 at Enumclaw High School, 9 at Enumclaw Middle School, and 11 at Thunder Mountain." She said six high‑school students "graduated from therapy," and reported an improvement in behavioral metrics compared with the prior year. Verhus noted a slight increase in average GPA across the student group.

On the senior meals program, Verhus said the foundation currently serves about 66 seniors and "about 400 meals prepared from scratch each week," delivered in three weekly runs; she added the program relies on roughly 87 volunteers. Verhus thanked council and staff for prior support and invited follow‑up contact through the foundation or the program director.

Why it matters: The programs provide school‑based mental‑health services and daily nutrition to older residents. Councilors listened to the summary and had no substantive objections; staff will remain the contact for follow‑up questions.

Next step: The foundation asked for continued partnership and invited council or staff questions about program staffing and funding.