Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation highlights school mental‑health gains and senior meals

Tammy Verhus, interim executive director of the Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation, presented program results to the Eden Plus City Council, saying the foundation’s school‑based mental‑health work served 82 students: 62 at Enumclaw High School, nine at Enumclaw Middle School and 11 at Thunder Mountain.

Verhus said six high‑school students have completed therapy and described improvements in behavioral‑incident metrics. “The average incidence of behavioral intervention…was 0.69 [in 2025] and it increased to 1.016,” she said, characterizing the change as an improvement in classroom behavior and estimating a roughly 32% improvement in measured incidents.

Verhus also reported a modest rise in average GPA year‑over‑year, calling a 1.25% increase “an improvement.” She described staffing and scheduling for the school contract — three days per week at Enumclaw Middle School and two days per week at Thunder Mountain — and thanked the council for its support.

On senior services, Verhus said the foundation currently serves about 66 regular seniors and has delivered more than 80 meals year‑to‑date; the hot‑meals program prepares roughly 400 meals each week and relies on about 87 volunteers who help shop, prep and deliver meals.

“The program has grown immensely,” Verhus said, thanking the council and inviting members to contact the foundation with questions.

The presentation provided council members with program counts, recent performance metrics and staffing details; no formal council action was taken during the presentation.