Move to Tacoma Podcast

Lindquist Dental: Where No Child is Turned Away Due to Inability to Pay

Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children has been a Tacoma institution since 1936. Even so- Move to Tacoma Podast host Marguerite Martin admits on-mic she didn’t fully understand what they do until she sat down with Executive Director Carolyn McDougal-Weyrick at dinner this winter. Turns out a lot of Tacoma doesn’t know either. Lindquist sees kids from birth to their 21st birthday, takes essentially every insurance including Apple Health, Medicaid, Molina, Coordinated Care, Delta Dental, and TRICARE, and doesn’t turn anyone away for inability to pay. They see over 24,000 patient visits a year out of their Parkland location at 131st and Pacific, and they still have room to grow. Dr. Stephens walks through what makes the clinic different: six dentists, specialty services like oral surgery and endodontics on site, and a general anesthesia program she personally runs for kids ages 3 to 8 who need significant work done. Instead of six appointments, parents taking off work six times, and a kid who learns to dread the dentist, it’s one 90-minute visit. The kids wake up with their princess crowns intact and still want to come back. For income-qualifying military families on TRICARE Dental, Lindquist is the only place in the area that can waive the out-of-pocket and deductible costs entirely, which matters a lot when a family has four or five kids and a $1,300 annual cap per child. The conversation gets into something that many Tacoma area nonprofits are struggling with. Federal cuts to the programs that serve the most vulnerable people in our community. Medicaid cuts went into effect July 1, 2025, and Lindquist is facing roughly a $280,000 shortfall from what they expected. But Lindquist has a plan. They’re not cutting services, they’re growing their private-insurance patient base. Because when a family with insurance comes through the door, it directly supports the half-million dollars a year in uncompensated care the clinic provides. They just finished a $1M renovation funded entirely by designated facility grants and donor dollars, so the space is freshly renovated. 15 new chairs, digital nomad x-rays, a surgical suite. Come as you are, bring the kid you’ve been putting off bringing, and if you’ve got private insurance, know that showing up helps your neighbors and is part of how this model stays alive. The post Lindquist Dental: Where No Child is Turned Away Due to Inability to Pay [https://movetotacoma.com/podcasts/lindquist-dental/] appeared first on Move to Tacoma [https://movetotacoma.com].

Websites, PR, and Marketing Your Business in Tacoma with Sitecrafting’s Jen Rittenhouse

Director of Brand & Marketing at Tacoma-based SiteCrafting Jen Rittenhouse joins Move to Tacoma Podcast Host and Tacoma real estate agent Marguerite Martin to talk about the work happening behind the scenes at SiteCrafting, a Tacoma tech company that’s been building and supporting websites since 1998. While they started with web development, Jen explains how SiteCrafting now offers a much broader set of services: branding, digital strategy, SEO, social strategy, accessibility audits, communications consulting, and even a UX research lab (the only one in South Puget Sound). Their clients range from local nonprofits to major community pillars like the Washington State Fair Event Center, MultiCare, Tacoma Public Utilities, and the Puyallup Tribe. WHAT DO TACOMA BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS NEED FOR MARKETING IN 2026? Marguerite and Jen get real about what websites actually require: not just design and code, but clarity about purpose, audience, and content- plus ongoing maintenance as technology changes. They talk through SEO basics (how people find you via search) and how the rise of AI summaries is changing behavior online: sometimes Google answers the question without sending people to your site, and sometimes AI pulls questionable info from unvetted sources. Jen’s takeaway is simple but powerful: it’s never been more important to be accurate, to be the “source of truth,” and to build direct relationships with your audience. WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TACOMA BUSINESSES NEED TO FOCUS ON TO ATTRACT CUSTOMERS? The conversation also moves into practical marketing advice for small businesses and nonprofits in Tacoma. Jen argues that email newsletters are still effective, and that the best move is to pick one channel and do it well rather than trying to do everything. She talks about social media realities and how making good content takes the same effort as making bad content.  She shares why it’s okay to post less often, and why LinkedIn is “having a moment” in 2026. They wrap with some Puyallup-specific joy (fair parking hacks, walkability, the farmers market) and a clear call to pay attention locally because the stakes of politics aren’t abstract when they show up in your own city’s decisions. Whether you’re in Downtown Tacoma or Downtown Puyallup! The post Websites, PR, and Marketing Your Business in Tacoma with Sitecrafting’s Jen Rittenhouse [https://movetotacoma.com/podcasts/websites-pr-and-marketing-your-business-in-tacoma-with-sitecraftings-jen-rittenhouse/] appeared first on Move to Tacoma [https://movetotacoma.com].

How to Fix Housing in Washington State with Nicholas Carr

In this episode of the Move to Tacoma Podcast Marguerite Martin talks with Nicholas Carr, a Housing Policy Strategic Advisor for Washington State. They talk about why housing in Washington State is so expensive, why homelessness keeps rising in Tacoma and beyond, and why small fixes do not seem to be having the impact everyone wants. Nick explains that housing isn’t just about buildings. It’s an entire ecosystem made up of five connected parts: land and zoning, money and financing, permits and construction, jobs and wages, and how the system responds when things break. When one part fails, the whole system suffers. He argues that Washington’s housing crisis is ultimately an economic problem. The state has one of the most unfair tax systems in the country, where lower-income people pay a larger share of their income in taxes than the wealthy. As costs rise, this imbalance puts renters at risk and strains affordable housing providers. Nick shares ideas for long-term solutions, including creating a true state housing department, using public land to build homes, simplifying rules to lower building costs, investing in construction jobs, and providing direct rental assistance to prevent evictions before they happen. Throughout the conversation, Marguerite pushes back on narratives that blame renters. She emphasizes that tenants are often the most vulnerable people in the system and are doing what they can to survive. This is a wide ranging conversation that explores why communities end up fighting each other instead of addressing the larger economic forces driving the housing crisis. The post How to Fix Housing in Washington State with Nicholas Carr [https://movetotacoma.com/podcasts/how-to-fix-housing-in-washington-state-with-nicholas-carr/] appeared first on Move to Tacoma [https://movetotacoma.com].

Palmer Scholars with Malachi Cabera

What Is Palmer Scholars? In this episode of Move to Tacoma, Marguerite talks with Malachi Cabrera from Palmer Scholars, a nonprofit started in Tacoma in 1983. The organization helps young people in Pierce County who are underrepresented or face barriers to education and careers. Palmer Scholars works with students while they are still in high school and continues supporting them into adulthood. Preparing Students for College and Reducing Debt Malachi explains the Palmer Legacy program, which helps high school students prepare for college. Students learn how to apply to college, fill out FAFSA forms, and apply for scholarships. They also receive financial support for tuition and everyday needs like books, groceries, and transportation. Because of this support, many Palmer Scholars finish college with very little student loan debt. Career Pathways in Trades and Environmental Work The episode also covers two other programs. Palmer Pathways is a pre-apprenticeship program that introduces young adults to skilled trades like construction and electrical work. Students try different trades, meet people in the field, and even help build a tiny home. The Green Stormwater Infrastructure program focuses on environmental jobs and teaches students about stormwater systems and sustainability work. Why Community Support Matters Throughout the conversation, Malachi shares that what students value most is not just the money, but the sense of community and support. Palmer Scholars connects students with mentors and helps remove barriers like transportation. Listeners are encouraged to learn more, become mentors, or support the organization through donations and community events. The post Palmer Scholars with Malachi Cabera [https://movetotacoma.com/podcasts/palmer-scholars-with-malachi-cabera/] appeared first on Move to Tacoma [https://movetotacoma.com].

NYA Tenants Union and Tacoma 4 All

Francis Faye Oak and Devin Rydel Kelly came on the podcast to talk about tenant rights, tenant organizing, and the growing tenant union movement in Tacoma. The conversation centers on the origins and goals of Tacoma for All, a housing justice organization that emerged in response to rising rents, displacement, and deteriorating living conditions, and on the recent fight to defend Tacoma’s voter-approved Landlord Fairness Code from proposed rollbacks at City Council. Francis and Devin explain the difference between traditional “activism” and grassroots organizing, emphasizing the power of building relationships among neighbors around shared material conditions. They discuss how Tacoma for All successfully organized a citizen-led initiative to pass some of the strongest tenant protections in Washington State, and why they now see tenant unions as a crucial next step in building lasting power where people live.  Especially as landlords and local political leaders attempt to weaken those protections. The episode also dives into what a tenant union actually is, using the New York Apartments Tenant Union in Stadium District as a real-world example. Sparked by unresolved maintenance issues and landlord neglect, tenants began talking with one another, realized their problems were shared, and organized collectively to demand safe, healthy, and stable housing. Finally, the conversation broadens to the larger housing crisis, touching on nonprofit housing providers, political accountability, and the limits of relying on market-based solutions for a basic human need. Francis and Devin argue that housing instability is a systemic problem, not a moral failing of tenants, and that real change requires organized tenants, community solidarity, and sustained pressure on local power structures. The episode closes with a call for more Tacoman residents (renters and allies alike) to get involved, build relationships with their neighbors, and recognize their collective power in shaping the city’s future. Tacoma for All is a democratic membership organization that unites tenants, workers, and community members to transform Tacoma into a city governed by and for working people. Together, their goals are to are build a movement to abolish poverty, guarantee housing for all, dismantle racial inequities, and secure a sustainable future. The post NYA Tenants Union and Tacoma 4 All [https://movetotacoma.com/podcasts/tacoma-tenants-union-and-tacoma-4-all/] appeared first on Move to Tacoma [https://movetotacoma.com].