Wellness foundation reports growth in school mental-health services, expands senior hot-meals program

Tammy Verhus, interim executive director of the Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation, told the Eden Plus City Council on July 13 that the foundation’s school mental‑health program has expanded and the senior hot‑meals program is serving dozens of local residents.

“We have served a total of 82 students, which is amazing,” Verhus said, adding that 62 of those students attend Enumclaw High School, nine attend Enumclaw Middle School and 11 attend Thunder Mountain. She said six Enumclaw High School students have “graduated from therapy,” and noted an improvement in behavioral‑intervention metrics between the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years.

Verhus also described the foundation’s senior meals effort: roughly 66 seniors are enrolled, the program has served “80 plus” year‑to‑date, delivers six meals weekly via three deliveries and prepares about 400 meals from scratch each week with the help of about 87 volunteers.

Kristen Reed, the city’s finance director, later noted the council’s budget amendment would move funds between accounts; Verhus thanked the council for ongoing support and asked that councilors and staff reach out to the foundation with follow‑up questions.

Why it matters: the foundation’s school and senior programs provide local services that affect student supports and food access for older residents. Council members heard the data as part of routine nonprofit presentations and did not take formal action on the foundation’s programs at this meeting.

The foundation encouraged council members and staff to contact director Sarah Stratton or interim director Tammy Verhus for additional information about program staffing and service metrics.