Whatcom Resource Information Collaborative
Help for you and those you care for starts here.
Get connected to social, health and human services.
WHATCOMRESOURCES.ORG
Who We Are
The Whatcom Resource Information Collaborative is a coalition of organizations working together to pursue the shared objective of reliable, openly-accessible information about the resources available to Whatcom residents in need.
What We're Doing
We envision a resource access system–easily accessible and co-created with community, ensuring equity-focused design to benefit Whatcom County residents and service providers seeking reliable information. This system is envisioned in three primary phases and aims to be poised for future growth and interoperability with other systems and tech tools as a community information exchange. It takes people, relationship, trust and then technology to make this vision sustainable.
How We're Governed
Frequently Asked Questions:
WhatcomResources.org is a project of the Whatcom Resource Information Collaborative (WRIC). WRIC is a coalition of local organizations working together to provide reliable and accessible information about resources available to Whatcom residents in need. The Collaborative’s governance includes a Steering Committee, a Secretariat, a Data Steward responsible for data systems and content management, and workgroups that prioritize and make recommendations. View a full list of all the organizations that have supported this effort here.
On WhatcomResources.org, you will find a variety of organizations serving Whatcom County residents. These include nonprofits, government agencies, self-help support groups, mutual aid groups, advocacy organizations, and for-profit providers offering free or affordable services to the community. These organizations primarily focus on providing services in health, social, educational, and human service areas.
While our website aims to provide a comprehensive directory of health and human services, it may not include every single service available in the community. The directory is continuously updated and expanded, but there will be some services that are not listed yet. If you cannot find a specific service or organization, you can suggest adding it to the website by emailing the Data Steward at communityresources@oppco.org.
Every record is reviewed and updated on a six-month rotation. The Data Steward manually reviews each listing, cross-references websites and other relevant materials, and contacts organizations for assistance verifying information when needed. If updates are submitted or if the Data Steward becomes aware of any changes before a record is due for its six-month review, the information is updated immediately. This process ensures that the information remains as accurate and up-to-date as possible.
To report missing, incorrect, or outdated information, fill out a suggestion form here, or from the link at the bottom of this page. Please describe the issue in as much detail as possible, and provide your contact information for follow-up. A Data Steward will review your submission, verify the information, and update records as needed.
Email communityresources@oppco.org with some details about your services. A Data Steward will contact you to gather additional information or inform you if your organization doesn’t appear to meet the inclusion criteria.
If you have a negative experience with an organization or program listed on our website, we recommend reaching out to the organization directly and inquiring about their grievance policy. They may have specific procedures in place to address such issues. It’s important to report your experience directly to the organization so they can address your concerns. Additionally, if you come across an organization on our website that you believe does not align with WRIC’s values, we want to know. We have clear policies in place to exclude organizations that don’t meet our standards, including those who have biased or discriminatory practices, provide unlawful services, engage in predatory behavior, and more. To report any concerns, please contact the Data Steward at communityresources@oppco.org. Your feedback is important to us in maintaining a directory that upholds our values and ensures the quality of our listings
Currently, we do not have the capacity to manage an events calendar and advertise individual events. However, as we continue to develop and expand, we hope to eventually offer a calendar function, so check back in the future. In the meantime, the Data Steward also coordinates the Community Resource Network (CRN), a network of professionals in Whatcom County who provide social, health, and human services. To advertise your events to the CRN, email communityresources@oppco.org or attend a monthly meeting. For more information, please visit whatcomabc.org/crn.
We appreciate your interest in shaping the evolution of this tool! You are encouraged to join WRIC and have a direct impact on its development. Whether you are a professional representing an organization or a community member volunteering your time, your input is highly valued. We offer various participation levels, including general membership, workgroup participation, and leadership opportunities. To learn more, attend an orientation session or join us at our monthly membership meeting. You can find meeting information here, or contact our Secretariat at Kristi.Slette@WFCN.org for additional details.
WRIC membership is open to all, and you are welcome to join us! Start by attending an orientation or viewing a recorded session, or feel free to join us at a monthly meeting. For more information, contact our Secretariat at Kristi.Slette@WFCN.org
Absolutely! We encourage you to link to WhatcomResources.org from your own website. Our goal is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date resource for the community, and we appreciate your support in spreading the word. Whether you have a personal blog, a community organization website, or any other platform that provides resource information, including a link to WhatcomResources.org can help connect individuals to the services they need.
What sets WhatcomResources.org apart from other resource finding tools is our unique approach tailored specifically to the Whatcom County community. While those types of tools may be effective for larger communities or statewide resource management, we believe we have developed a more effective solution for our local area. One key difference is that all the information on our website is locally curated and managed by a collective of individuals who live and work in Whatcom County. This local connection brings a higher level of accuracy and expert knowledge of local resources that other systems simply can’t offer our county. This tool is created by Whatcom residents, for Whatcom residents. Additionally, while other resource systems typically update records on an annual basis or less, we are committed to keeping our resources as up to date as possible by verifying every record at least every six months. By leveraging local expertise and committing to constant maintenance, WRIC strives to provide the most accurate, relevant, and reliable resource information for the Whatcom County community.
In the immediate future, we will continue to update and expand this directory, adding more specialized resources tailored to specific subpopulations over time. Beyond this database, we have an even bigger long-term vision of expanding the database system to include care coordination capabilities and built-in communication tools. While this system will take time to fully realize, we invite you to embrace the vision and join us in shaping the future of resource access in Whatcom County.