The date was January 10, 1910 in Tacoma’s Hilltop. With three years of prep work behind them, the founders of Tacoma Settlement House (now TCH) took a long exhale as they opened their  doors to the community. They were grounded by principles developed through a worldwide Settlement House Movement that permeated the hearts and minds of people who wanted to make a difference. They were there to serve the community.

TCH started by serving the Italian and Scandinavian immigrants who inhabited Tacoma’s Hilltop, through offering cooking classes and other activities to children. As needs changed in the 1970s, so did TCH, moving towards providing essential survival skills to those fleeing violence during the Vietnam War. Since 2000, TCH has helped more than 20,000 people from 125 different countries of origin improve the quality of their lives and work towards self sufficiency. We celebrate this history.