Hazel Miller Foundation awards more than $185k to nonprofits, including MLT Seniors Group

Line dancing at the Lake Ballinger Center.

In its fourth and final 2024 grant cycle, the Hazel Miller Foundation awarded $185,260 to 14 organizations focused on impactful work in King and south Snohomish counties. 

Among them was the Mountlake Terrace Seniors Group at the Lake Ballinger Center (MTSG), which received $25,000 from the foundation.

The funds are earmarked to hire an operations and outreach associate for the Lake Balllinger Center to ensure smooth day-to-day operations while actively engaging with the public and building stakeholder relationships.

Starting as a small group of seniors in an 800-square-foot room in 1997 at what is now the Lake Ballinger Center, the Mountlake Terrace Seniors Group grew into an organization.

In November 2013, MTSG partnered with the City of Mountlake Terrace and moved to the Mickey Corso Clubhouse in Lake Ballinger Park. At 7,000 square feet, the new facility was nearly 10 times larger than its former space for about $1,500 a month.

MTSG saw a significant drop in membership, staff and board members during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2023, the group partnered with the Edmonds Waterfront Center.  

During the pandemic, MSTG also lost revenue from being unable to offer services at the clubhouse and accrued $10,500 in debt to the City of Mountlake Terrace. On Feb. 1, 2024, the city forgave the debt and agreed to a $10, five-year lease.

The Hazel Miller Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the citizens of Edmonds and South Snohomish County. It supports programs and projects that benefit education and youth, poverty and hunger alleviation, civil and community services, the environment, culture and the arts, and community diversity.

“It has been a big year for the foundation,” said Board Chair Shannon Burley. “And we are honored to continue supporting such big-hearted community partners who make where we live better every day.”

In addition the Mountlake Terrace Seniors Group, the Hazel Miller Foundation remains committed to supporting the community the late Hazel Miller cherished by funding the following 13 organizations:

The Foundation for Edmonds School District (FESD) was awarded a combined $15,000 for its Nourishing Networks and On-the-Job Training programs. Nourishing Networks provides access to nutritious food year-round in the Edmonds School District (ESD). 

Developed in partnership with the ESD, the On-the-Job Training Program supports high school students in gaining confidence and learning various job skills while earning class credits.

Foster Hearts’ $5,000 grant enables the organization to support its Care Kit program. This program aids foster children with bags filled with essentials and comforting items to ease the transition to a new foster home. Foster Hearts envisions a community that embraces and supports foster children, creating a sense of empowerment for Edmonds and south Snohomish County children.

United Way of Snohomish was also allocated $5,000 to support its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL). The program delivers children free, high-quality, age-appropriate books every month until their fifth birthday. This award will bring the program to hundreds more children in Snohomish County, developing their reading ability and preparing them for school.

Anything Helps received $10,000 to address wage disparities for social workers and support sustainable housing solutions for community members transitioning from chronic homelessness in south Snohomish County. Founded in 2021, Anything Helps is directed by social workers and peer advocates, many of whom have firsthand experience with homelessness.

Seattle Veterinary Outreach (SVO) was founded to meet a critical need for basic veterinary care for pets of people experiencing homelessness. SVO provides lifesaving veterinary care to low-income and unhoused pet owners in King and Snohomish counties. With its $5,260 grant, SVO can host outreach clinics at Lynnwood Food Bank.

The Edmonds South Snohomish County Historical Society and Edmonds Historical Museum celebrated their 50th anniversary of its founding. Their mission is to preserve and share history in a way that benefits communities. The organizations’ $5,000 grant supports creating a branded identity system that creates a consistent presence in all community interactions.

The $5,000 awarded to PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) will support its Reducing Parental Isolation program. In 2025, PEPS aims to support nearly 450 parents with children in south King County through comprehensive peer support groups and virtual mental health awareness workshops.

Support 7’s $20,000 grant allows the organization to maintain activities that improve mental well-being and community safety net through on-scene, whole-person emergency response. Support 7 offers practical aid, moral support and resources for south Snohomish County’s diverse community.

Washington Vocational Services (WVS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by parents deeply concerned about the lack of adult support services for their children with disabilities transitioning out of school. WVS is committed to providing customized, individualized, and inclusive employment services. Its $8,000 grant supports the incredible staff in its Snohomish County office.

Seattle Rep’s $7,000 award supports education programs in the Edmonds School District. The Seattle Rep’s mission is to collaborate with extraordinary artists to create productions and programs that reflect and elevate their community’s diverse cultures, perspectives and life experiences.

Every year, Leadership Snohomish County hosts Step Up: Moving Racial Equity Forward, the largest single-day equity conference on the West Coast. The organization’s $10,000 fund allows south Snohomish County and Edmonds participants to learn in educationally diverse and accessible locations. The grant also helps the organization acquire top keynote speakers who offer the community a message of equity and leadership.

Lift Every Voice Legacy (LEVL) was awarded $15,000 to fund their 2025 Tribute to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. For the third consecutive year, the free event will be held at Edmonds Waterfront Center, inspiring a Beloved Community Morning Program for children and families. LEVL believes a Beloved Community embodies a dynamically nourishing environment free of hatred, injustice and poverty and includes all.

Teachers of Color Foundation alumnus Justine Locke, center-left, and President Diana White, center-right, pose with the newest graduates. L-R: Ricardo Heredia-Romero, D’Mario Carter and Steven Nelson. (Files photo, 2023)

Teachers of Color received $50,000 to fund scholarships. The foundation grants scholarships to paraeducators the Edmonds School District employs to pursue their teaching certification. The award money will cover tuition, books, the cost of living and other expenses related to earning a teacher certificate.

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