Neighbors are the core of the Bryant Neighborhood Center

As a third grader, Jermane Easterlin spent his afternoons at the Bryant Neighborhood Center, receiving tutoring and mentorship. As he grew older, he’d stop by to play basketball with friends. His sister worked on staff for years, too.

When Easterlin struggled to secure housing later in life, it became his safe place.

Thirty years later, he’s teaching his own classes at the Bryant Neighborhood Center (BNC) and showing how “neighbor” is more than just a part of the BNC’s name.

By neighbors, for neighbors

The BNC is a community hub linking local residents — primarily those living in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma — with high-quality resources, support and a place to achieve their lifelong goals.

Located in the lower level of the historic Trinity Presbyterian Church, the BNC was formalized in 2017. This brought together 40 years of programming and services under one umbrella, explains Nikki Davidson, the BNC’s executive director.

“We asked, ‘What does it look like to have a center focused on our geography rather than just one specific need?'” Davidson says. “Everything we do or provide is either in response to a need identified by the community, like a parent asking why they have to go so far away for a great STEAM program for kids, or as an anchor space for an awesome regional organization that doesn’t have a Hilltop location yet.”

Through this approach, the BNC and its partners can provide a range of programs: after-school mentorship, tutoring, weekly meal distribution, foster reunification support, a lounge for parents and babies to connect, summer and sports camps, free drop-in preschool, and basic medical and dental care, among many others.

The Trinity Neighborhood Clinic at the BNC has been operating for more than 40 years, fully staffed by local volunteers and open every Tuesday from 5-7pm. The Clinic offers basic triage services, such as tracking blood pressure and diabetes, vision screenings, sports and school physicals, and up to $100 of prescription coverage per month.

The Clinic is built to be as low-barrier as possible, Davidson explains. Spanish translation is available on-site and minimal paperwork is required to ensure everyone feels comfortable coming in.

For some, the BNC is simply a place they can walk to, relax at and connect with their neighbors.

“I was born and raised in Hilltop when it was a very different neighborhood. I was very fortunate that when I was growing up there were some resources for young people, especially from marginalized communities who needed those outlets,” Easterlin says. “It’s a blessing to be back at the Bryant Neighborhood Center. … It’s a full-circle moment. I get to pour back into a neighborhood that did so much for me.”

Gervona Johnson also attended camps and met up with friends at the BNC as a child growing up just a few blocks away. Now, she’s a Tacoma School District special education teacher and the co-owner of AurPlace, a Tacoma-based organization that hosts fun, safe and sensory-friendly events for families and children.

When she returned to the BNC to plan AurPlace events, Johnson met with people she had known as a child and instantly felt at home, she explains.

A place to grow

The BNC is focused on creating a space where people feel comfortable, know they are cared for and walk out feeling empowered.

Easterlin sees the BNC as a place where people can learn about things that are often held back from marginalized communities and neighborhoods, like the one he grew up in.

“Historically, it’s often the top 1 percent of people who are able to capitalize on new industries and shape society,” he explains. “As a young Black boy, I didn’t fully see or understand the world around me. Now, with artificial intelligence, we have a tool that gives us the power to uncover and understand the truths that were once beyond our reach.”

Through his business, Shift the Momentum, and the AI Institute for Life Improvement, Easterlin is teaching AI workshops at the BNC — including introduction to AI, courses for productivity and life improvement, boot camps on generative AI, automation, and application building.

“It’s about overcoming. My life has been built on that and now I can empower others to do that … and now it’s through the channel of AI,” Easterlin says. “It’s so real. Any little shift can drastically change your outcome. Even thinking about the job market — if you’re not capable or able to understand AI, in the next three to five years it could be hard to get or keep a job.”

Easterlin encourages everyone to think beyond the basics of what you can do with AI. Rather than just answering simple questions, it can be a powerful tool to grow your business by saving you time on mundane tasks and improving efficiency, he explains.

“The limit to AI is your imagination. I’m more focused on how we can use it to impact our lives, like how do we control the macros in our diet or manage our diabetes, not just staying under a budget when making a shopping list,” he explains. “I’ve seen it really create a shift in individuals. They come in thinking one way and leave with a whole new concept of what it can do for them. Like helping them prioritize and budget to where they can now afford child care.”

Ultimately, Easterlin wants to make sure no one gets left behind as technology advances. Providing these classesin person at the BNC helps show people this is a real tool being used by people like them, and it can be used in powerful ways, he adds.

A place for everyone

Similar to Easterlin, the AurPlace team aims to ensure everyone has a place to connect and grow.

Tacoma doesn’t have many spaces for families who have children with autism or other sensory needs, explains LaRisha Calley, Tacoma School District special education teacher and the co-owner of AurPlace, alongside Johnson.

Neurotypical kids, or those without sensory needs, have many places to go and things to do that are overstimulating for most children with sensory needs, Johnson adds. AurPlace camps and classes are spaces for them to feel safe, calm and relaxed.

“We’re both parents of kids with special needs. We’re educated in this, work in this field every day and do it at home,” Calley says. “We saw firsthand the need for a place like this. Some businesses are trying to build in more sensory-friendly family time, but it’s still hard.”

Kids with sensory sensitivities often need a structured routine, small group sizes and reduced noise levels, she explains. At the same time, their parents need a space where they won’t worry about safety or being stared at if their child acts in certain ways.

AurPlace hosts weeklong camps each month across Tacoma. The camps include group and individual activities, arts and crafts, and are open to anyone, both neurotypical and not. This summer was the group’s first time hosting a camp at the BNC.

“Places like this build community,” Johnson says. “People keep coming back, they hang around after and talk with us, and even our parents are building their own communities within our events.”

“Technology has changed the way both kids and adults interact these days,” Calley adds. “Kids aren’t outside like they used to be. We were meeting new people and playing games in the neighborhood. The Center creates that for them.”

The same applies for children with sensory needs, she adds.

“Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you can’t or don’t have the ability to interact with others. It just might look a little different,” Calley says. “We’re all different in our own ways, so it’s about shifting our mindset … learning a different way to approach the kids in their families or in their neighborhoods.”

Learn more about the Bryant Neighborhood Center online or by stopping by Trinity Presbyterian.

“Partnering for healing and a healthy future” is MultiCare’s mission, and it inspires us to form connections that help improve the quality of life for our communities. Community organizations all around us are doing amazing work, and we’re inspired and excited to support that work.

Stories from our Community is an ongoing series conceived to dive into some of these organizations*, bring their stories to life and spread the word about how they are making our communities better.

*Some of the organizations profiled in this series are recipients of MultiCare’s Community Partnership Fund, which awards funds to nonprofit organizations working on initiatives, programs and projects that improve our community.