blog

It's today!

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:20:07 +0100

by Tamara Lombard

Today is the day we go to Kent City Hall for The Proclamation in honor of my dad, Lawrence Lombard. It's pretty exciting and if he can see all the action going on in his honor I know he's feeling it was all worth it.

When I was a young teen I said I wanted to save the world. I wanted to help others, make a difference, be part of something big for the betterment of people in general. I really didn't know what that was, i just knew I wanted to be part of those positive changes that impacted lives for the better on a grand scale. I didn't have a model for that, it was just in my heart and I stated it often to my mother and sister. As I got older and went through my own struggles I did what many do; lost sight of a dream and hope for it to come to pass. Hard times and false hopes overshadow any remnant of a lost dream and you, (I) do something else. Most of which are contrary to who you really are and the purpose of being here.

Then something happens; a shift occurs and you listen. You are unknowingly ready to receive the Blessings that have been waiting for you. Waiting patiently for you to grab on to and believe again and have hope that this old dream will indeed come to pass. It's been several years since I felt that kind of possibility and it is refreshing. Losing hope is the worst thing that can happen to a person and gaining it is the most life affirming experience one can have.

Today I will walk up to receive the honor given for my father's work in serving his community. It is to me like a baton handed over to continue his work; serving the community, county and more, and being part of something that will positively impact our youth and future. I am sad that my father isn't here physically, but I know his spirit is. I know he is watching over me and making sure all things are going as he would like, in the direction of his vision and the purpose of his fight.

Now I have a model to follow.
He created that model for us.
He fought big and won big.
He made a difference.

Thank you, dad. You showed me and now i'm listening.

~Tamara Lombard

Homeless in Kent

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 07:49:49 +0100

What to do? They say the community can't decide what to do with the homeless in Kent. It's a growing problem for downtown businesses yet they need to go somewhere. They will come from Seattle once the word gets out. It's inevitable and the problem will be more than the city can handle.

As I see it, there is more to the problem than what is presented. On one hand you have the people who want help, who want the resources and will participate in programs that will help them get back on their feet. Then there are the ones who don't want to get help, use resources or get on their feet. In the second category you find the substance abusers and even the mentally ill.
History has proven that people who want help and have fallen on hard times don't want others to know they are in the situation they're in. And, to live in a shelter with the group who don't care about improving their life, does not sit well for their stability. There is safety and self respect; they are trying to rise above the problems they're in, not swim in the muck while trying to raise their heads.

This is a problem that needs at the very least two separate facilities. You simply cannot put all these groups in one building and think this is going to solve the issue. It won't. Many people who need a place like the one being proposed for downtown Kent will not go. You just cannot make this work.

It's like the story of the good, straight A student who normally gets good grades and causes no trouble. But now the student is failing his classes, ignored by the teacher, not getting the attention needed because the teacher was too busy dealing with the problem kids who didn't care. The kid who needed one kind of help failed because that kind of attention was given to a child who needed a different type of attention, not what the teacher gave. The other child needed resources that were fitting to his needs, not what was being given.

That's what is happening here. There needs to be more options. Most people want to help in one way or another, that was clear at the Homeless forum tonight. But, it's not as simple as one building for all people to serve. They really need to come back to the table and come up with another plan. The city will suffer if they don't. Businesses will close down and all the work that's been put into uplifting the City will be a waste.

You can argue that they aren't dangerous... okay, fine, but it's uncomfortable for the general public and that is what counts. They will take their business elsewhere. They don't want to sit around and wait to see if they will be attacked, harassed, etc., they just want to enjoy a few hours shopping or taking care of business.

I worked in a small coffee drive-thru where the homeless, drugs and alcohol abusers, prostitutes and panhandlers hung-out. I watched business sink. I saw customers drive right on through parking lots just because they didn't want to deal with the panhandlers who would swarm the cars if they parked. It was bad. Police came in a lot but it was too late. Business went downhill.

I see that could happen in Kent if not planned carefully. I too want to help. It makes me sad to see people hurting and in need. I hate seeing people go through rough times and most the time they just need a break. I get that. I want to be one of those who makes a difference in the lives of people to get their life back. I was once in a desperate state and it took me a very long time to feel normal again. So, I have a soft spot for desperation and the needy. Because of that I feel I can speak on this issue and say; this is not the answer. More conversation with better solutions need to be brought to the table. Planning for the people not just collectively, but separate needs for the different groups. That's the only way this can work. Identify the groups, find their needs and go from there.

Tamara Lombard
Executive Director

Proclamation Day

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:24:36 +0100

Posted by Tamara Lombard on Tuesday, March 13, 2012

I'm so excited about this! My dad worked all his life for other people one way or another and now he is being recognized for the work he's done for the City of Kent.

He may not have done things in what many would say the best way, but he did make things happen. It was his nature. He was a fighter, anyone who knew him whether they liked him or not, agreed with him or not... they had to admit he was a fighter.

In his move from Seattle to Kent he found his purpose. I don't think he had planned on his retirement years to be filled with more work. It was the plan for he and his wife to travel, see the country, smell some roses. Not for him. He had things to do besides sitting around waiting for life to pass him by. Not to say that traveling and so forth isn't a good thing, but for a man with so much passion and life still brewing up inside, there had to be something else.

Then came the biggest piece of evidence... the Jail. Since the black community from Seattle was moving to the south-end, with nothing for the kids to do in the area, it looked as if that was the place they had made just for them and where they were headed. He was very angry and afraid to see history repeating itself from days of his young adulthood. Something had to be done. Somebody had to make some changes. Somebody had to create an alternative to the challenges that were beginning to spill out through the quiet streets of Kent. Somebody had to stand up for the youth, the families in need of support and direction and answers. Somebody needs to... so he did.

That is why we will honor him with his own day of recognition for the endless work, paths he carved and walls he knocked down to get the conversations started, “what can we do to help these kids and their families?’

He didn’t do it alone, no. He brought people with him who shared the same concerns. Some good, some not, but he got the job done.

We're Back!

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:22:48 +0100

It's true. The AACC is finally starting up again, not without its bumps, bruises and scars. I have begun the process of getting all the paperwork together; filling out the forms, adding this with that, copy this and copy that, writing and defining and also projecting what is to potentially be our greatest success for the community. I was up until 4 a.m. to make sure I had everything in its place, in order and ready to get it sent to the powers that be in over night delivery.

This, for me, is a huge undertaking for many reasons. As everyone knows, my father, the founder of the AACC passed last month, December 3rd. That in itself is hard to deal with. He was a man's man, strong, innovative, funny... and my dad. Now, through the encouragement of others and the memory and legacy of my dad, I'm carrying on what he started back in 1997, a non-profit organization for the betterment of cultural enrichment, diversity and awareness.

Whew... that's a mouthful. Thankfully I had already been involved in the AACC doing various work. I did office support, management, teaching, coaching, planning, board member, janitorial, networking, etc... many hats to prepare me ready for this new role. I have to say that I had no idea, no plan to ever take on such a huge, purposeful role in the AACC. I used to say to my dad, "this is your dream, your vision. Not mine." But, dad in his own way, as a parent new what my strengths and passions were. He knew I loved working there, serving the community, having a higher purpose and he knew, I believe, that in his heart it was always his plan to have me take this role. He knew, and I think he was waiting for me to realize that this is what it was all for, now he can rest.

I miss my dad very much. More than I ever thought I would. Doing this work makes me feel closer to him, yet at times I feel sad because I cannot talk to him or see him. I drive by the first building where we did so much of our ground breaking work. I see the windows where I painted our sign, the three different doors that were all part of our organization is now three different businesses. I see the drive thru fast food I used to walk to on breaks for a soda on a hot day, (yes... we had some) and I even drove in the back alley to see our old parking spots and the fence that we had for our summer youth program. I smiled at the memories and cried at the loss of my dad begging for him to come back.

I know that working there was the beginning of great things to come and I know my dad is with me, helping me and making sure I get this where its supposed to be. He didn't start this for nothing. He had a dream and a vision. He set the path, now he rests as I prepare to work.

~Tamara Lombard

Fear or Flight

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:23:13 +0100

Fear is an ugly enemy that only keeps you paralyzed and far away from your goals. We face fear when we are about to take the greatest steps of our lives that we could ever imagine taking. Fear can be comforting when you don't know where you're going, like an old friend that is no longer good for you but you'd rather stay to avoid the tinge of change. It can be a convenient reason to stay still, stuck, and stifled. But fear not, literally! Fear is a force, an ugly, nasty force that climbs up inside of you and takes over your life, your actions, your thoughts, and your behaviors. Don't give way to this nasty enemy. He doesn't serve you or your best interest. He serves himself. Fear generally stands before the door that opens to your destiny. Face that evil monster, tell it to step aside, and take that step into that seeming scary doorway, and you will discover you have entered into your very own Wonderland. A place made just for you, awaiting your arrival.