Tara Divers

Director of Philanthropy

Chaplaincy Health Care

Age: 38

Current city of residence: Kennewick

How long have you lived in the Tri-Cities? 15 years

Briefly describe your company:

I work for Chaplaincy Health Care. Our mission is "guiding our community members to live their best lives, even and especially through the end of life." Chaplaincy's vision is to be the recognized source for expert guidance during a crisis, at and through life's end and following a loss. We specialize in hospice, palliative care, and adult and child bereavement services.

How long have you worked there? 1 year

Education: Please list any degrees and professional certifications.

Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Washington State University.

Briefly describe your job and how you got into it:

I am the director of philanthropy at Chaplaincy Health Care. I oversee a robust fundraising program and Chaplaincy's thrift shop, Repeat Boutique. The funds we raise from Repeat Boutique directly support our community's hospice house (the only hospice house in Benton and Franklin counties), and families through bereavement and chaplain services, including Cork's Place Kids Grief Center.

Early in my career I identified that I wanted what I did for a living to make a difference in my community. I started working in the nonprofit world in 2017 after spending nine years in for-profit business management. I started at the Tri-Cities Regional Chamber helping small businesses make connections and find success through networking, then made a jump to health care fundraising to lead donor relations and stewardship at the Tri-Cities Cancer Center. Cancer care is really where I found my passion for health care fundraising. When Chaplaincy Health Care called, it just seemed like a perfect fit for me. Being able to give people the opportunity to help at some of life's most vulnerable moments is truly rewarding work.

How did you earn your first dollar?

Babysitting. From ages 13 to 15 during summer vacation, I watched three kids during the week while their parents were at work. I remember the first year I started babysitting my goal was to save enough money to buy a pair of Dr. Martens from Nordstrom in Yakima (for those of you who remember Nordstrom in Yakima, this was a big deal). I wore those heavy boots like the coolest kid in school on the first day back from summer break, even though it was 100 degrees outside.

What advice would you give to your younger self about achieving success?

I have two pieces of advice. First, create habits that take care of your body and mind. In my experience, times of tremendous growth or success always come when I am taking care of myself well. My younger self would tell me this is a cheesy answer but consistently reading, moving physically and drinking water makes for a more creative mind and inner peace that often has led to success I didn't know was possible and didn't see coming.

Second, develop and cultivate a strong support system personally and professionally. I would not be where I am today without the support of family and friends - from needing good friends to hold me accountable, to needing help with kids when work and home overlap. Professionally, I have found time and time again there are relationships or connections that will come back around from years prior that will open a door.

What was your dream job as a child?

I wanted to be Katie Couric. In fact, I started my college career as a communication major. I am not sure if it was the idea of living in NYC or all the interesting people she would interview that had me so enamored. I tend to think the latter given most of my professional work has involved meeting and getting to know all kinds of people.

What would make our community a better place to live?

More riverfront dining options would be fantastic.

What would be your top 3 priorities to make our community a better place?

My top priority is continuing to build a strong culture of philanthropy in all generations in our community. We need to continue to build investment for critical services in our community to take care of our residents well. Look back at the history of the Tri-Cities, there were some major building projects that were funded by community member donations (ex: Chaplaincy's Hospice House, Tri-Cities Cancer Center and Kadlec's NICU expansion, just to name a few) that have allowed our community to have incredible resources. In fact, resources that a community of our size might not have without a strong culture of philanthropy and giving. A community that invests in itself is a strong community and a great place to live. My favorite quote I use often in philanthropy and have hanging in my office is: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." -Dr. Seuss. Without a strong investment and culture of philanthropy, these vital projects would not have happened.

More access to health care. If you have made an appointment for a doctor's appointment for a non-emergent health concern, you know the issue of waiting months to get in. In recent community studies, the Tri-Cities was found to be a lifestyle and retirement community, we need great health care accessibility to take care of our people well if we want to continue to be a top lifestyle and retirement community.

Accessible and affordable child care. As a working professional, childcare can be one of the most stressful things. I have seen so many exit the workforce, especially during the pandemic, because of availability, access, and affordability of childcare in our community. Our early learning centers need more support and resources to make this happen.

If you had unlimited time, what volunteer work would you be interested in doing?

I think I would spend more time being involved in my Rotary club. What I love about Rotary is the opportunity to volunteer with such a wide variety of projects on behalf of the club and getting to learn about so many different organizations that make our community a great place to live.

How do you achieve work-life balance?

I love to read. There is something about a good fiction book to take you out of your head and into another world that is relaxing. I also love spending time with family and friends. We try to spend as much time as we can at my husband's family cabin on the river during summer months. We love spending weekends there playing in the river, boating with friends, paddleboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

Do you have family? Pets?

I have a husband of 14 years and together we have an 8-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl. We recently added to our family and adopted a 2-year-old Boxer dog named Buddy from NW Boxer Rescue.

What brought you to the Tri-Cities? Did you grow up here?

I grew up down the road in Prosser. My husband and I decided to settle in Tri-Cities in our 20s for two main reasons, quality of life with a lower cost of living in Tri-Cities is truly amazing, and it was important to us to raise our kids close to family.

Planner or procrastinator?

Planner. No doubt. I have a plan for the plan.

First car?

A 1999 Ford Escort I fondly referred to as Sparkly Brown (indeed it was a metallic brown car).

Favorite Tri-City restaurant?

Dovetail Joint

What would people be most surprised to learn about you?

I can juggle. I learned in the fifth grade; it is a random skill that turns out to be a great ice breaker.