Over the years: Support for Seattle’s Filipino community

Providence Swedish is proud of our relationship with the Filipino Community of Seattle nonprofit, supporting initiatives that include workforce development and increasing access to affordable housing.

Providence Swedish caregivers have had a longstanding connection with Filipino Community of Seattle (FCS), a nonprofit social service organization serving the Seattle area since 1935. COVID-19 changed that. The pandemic marked the start of a more formal relationship for Providence Swedish and FCS. In 2020, Providence Swedish hosted a mobile clinic at FCS, filling a community need during a difficult time for the community and caregivers.  

In honor of Filipino American History Month, Dr. Agnes Navarro, executive director at FCS, shared FCS initiatives that Providence Swedish has and continues to support: 

2023 — Workforce Development Program 

Providence Swedish’s ongoing commitment to community has supported the FCS re-entry workforce development program for formerly incarcerated individuals. This comprehensive program aims to provide these individuals with the necessary tools to reintegrate into society successfully. Many of these individuals now hold stable incomes thanks to the program’s effectiveness. “Now, hey are actually our number one volunteers,” says Dr. Navarro, “T. They say, ‘here we are, we are here to volunteer’ and they are ready to support the community.” 

^{Participants from the workforce development program. Photo courtesy of the Filipino Community of Seattle.}

Affordable Housing Initiatives 

In 2024, Providence Swedish began supporting the FCS affordable housing initiatives, specifically the Filipino Community Village for seniors and the upcoming housing units for families. The Filipino Community Village has provided 94 housing units for seniors, addressing a critical shortage. And in order to address the remaining demand for affordable housing in Seattle, FCS has developed a plan to build up to 60 more affordable housing units for families and over 4,000 square feet of community space for training, education and health clinics. 

Looking Ahead 

“We really love working with Providence Swedish because they’re open,” Dr. Navarro said. “We’ve looked for support elsewhere but were always met with openness at Providence Swedish.” The partnership between FCS and Providence Swedish continues to evolve. As they look ahead, the collaborative efforts remain focused on addressing critical needs and enhancing the quality of life for the Filipino community, and beyond, in Seattle. In the meantime, Dr. Navarro hopes to see more individuals join FCS to give back to their community by sharing their talents and time. As FCS continues adding programs, Dr. Navarro wants to  encourage people to go into the health care profession.

“Seattle’s Filipino community plays a major role in the fabric of our city and at Providence Swedish," says Pinky Herrera, senior program manager for community programs at Providence Swedish. "We’re very proud of our relationship with FCS and remain committed to addressing the critical needs of Seattle’s Filipino community.” 

About Providence Swedish

Providence Swedish has served the Puget Sound region since the first Providence hospital opened in Seattle in 1877 and the first Swedish hospital opened in 1910. The two organizations affiliated in 2012 and today comprise the largest health care delivery system in Western Washington, with 22,000 caregivers, eight hospitals and 244 clinics throughout Western Washington – from Everett to Centralia. A not-for-profit family of organizations, Providence Swedish provides more than $545 million in community benefit in the Puget Sound region each year. The health system offers a comprehensive range of services and specialty and subspecialty care in a number of clinical areas, including cancer, cardiovascular health, neurosciences, orthopedics, digestive health and women’s and children’s care. For more information, visit providence.org/swedish.