TRICIA EVEREST: I was an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Oklahoma, and I saw how hard people work in the government that no one really knows about, you know, the unsung heroes.
Ten years ago, I left to volunteer more and start a program for diverting mothers from prison. The then Chief of Police calls me, and he goes, "There's this woman I want you to meet. I think she's found the answers to break cycles of abuse."
And I was like, "I'm in!"
KIM GARRETT: No, I think the point is the urgency...
I'm a social worker. Clients would come in with injury and trauma, and we would have this wide array of pretty brochures. And we would say go here for medical and go here for therapy and go here for shelter, and they would give up.
TRICIA EVEREST: Welcome to Palomar! Thank you.
[applause]
KIM GARRETT: Palomar alleviates all of that by bringing the agencies together.
TRICIA EVEREST: Detectives now working with advocates value each other. If you can have someone come and in real time receive coordinated services, then we're already breaking cycles.
WILLIAM CITTY: Palomar would not have happened without Trish at the helm. Would not have happened. She put the nonprofit together, and she had to have the right people involved.
KIM GARRETT: She is every CEO's dream for a board chair. One of the barriers early on was clients were bringing animals in because they were too scared to leave them at home, that they were going to get hurt, and she said, "Let's bring in animal welfare." And now we've got this amazing, internationally recognized animal advocacy program.
TRICIA EVEREST: From the very beginning, we wanted the city to be a partner. And they were like "What do you want?" And I just took a deep breath, and I was like I want you to build us a building. And they didn't say no! We have some really exciting plans that some of the architects have been putting together...
Our city has invested $38 million in building what this can look like tomorrow.
The priority that I have had in my volunteer world is what does it look like for the next generation?
Hi, Brittany. I just get to be a volunteer cheerleader for you all and for these programs.
Together, we will create pathways that will lower incarceration rates, lower trauma. My role is to open up the dreams.
