Hilltop Action Coalition

The Coalition is:

Individuals, families and organizations in the Hilltop Community working together to create a positive environment where illegal drug and gang activity will not flourish, striving to improve the quality of life for all residents.

We are 72 block groups, representing 74% of Tacoma's Hilltop community. Nearly all of these groups have been organized since the Hilltop Action Coalition was formed in October 1989 as a program of Associated Ministries of Tacoma/Pierce County with funding from the Department of Community Development and the Safe Streets Campaign.

Originally organized to respond to gangs, drugs, and crime on the Hilltop, the Coalition now also works on other issues that affect neighborhood stability, such as housing, health, and a clean environment. The Hilltop extends from 6th Avenue to South 27th Street and from Sprague to Tacoma Avenue.

The Board of Directors is made up of Hilltop residents who have been elected or appointed by the community and who are committed to grassroots issues and Hilltop-wide activities. The staff consists of an administrative assistant, a coordinator of programs for non-English speaking people, and a block group coordinator.

Throughout its history, the Hilltop has been home to newcomers to the Tacoma area. Currently a great many new arrivals do not speak English. The Coalition insists that these residents enjoy the same peace and security as the rest or our neighbors and that serious attention be given to enabling them to participate fully in our society.

The Coalition focuses primarily on empowering and assisting residents to effectively improve life on their blocks. Block Leaders can participate together in monthly support meetings to exchange their experiences, to sharpen their leadership skills, and to be informed of the resources available from the Coalition, the Tacoma Police Department, and the City of Tacoma.

The Coalition has also helped departments of the City of Tacoma better understand how they can serve residents of the Hilltop. Community-based policing, individual garbage cans, drug-house elimination, and targeting areas for special attention in street cleaning, lighting and waste clean-ups have all been part of this effort. And now, better communication, respect, and trust is developing between Hilltop residents and city agencies.

The Coalition conducts regular workshops to develop better practices for essential participants in effective block group work: landlords, managers, and tenants in the community. The Coalition, in working on broader issues of youth, health, and housing, helps form networks of residents, schools, businesses, hospitals, churches, recreation centers and other agencies.

Where do you want to see us grow?

E-mail or phone in your suggestions to us. We want to hear from you!!

Contact Us:

Hilltop Action Coalition

1224 South I Street

Tacoma, WA 98405-5021

Phone: 253-383-3056, Ext. 112

FAX: 253-383-2672

E-mail: hac@associatedministries.org  

Staff

Terri Keyes, Administrative Assistant

Herman Diers, Community Organizer