BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Puget Sound Energy (PSE) rolled out $7.2 million in Transportation Emission Reduction (TER) grants last year, divvying up the funds among more than 20 partner organizations across Western Washington.
Vamos Outdoors Project, a Bellingham-based nonprofit, is using PSE funding and electric vehicles to expand its work delivering free outdoor programming, meals, gear, and transportation to Latin, migrant, and multilingual youth across Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
Vamos programs provide access to the outdoors in ways the group says underserved children are often not able to get. According to a state transportation report last year, nearly half of all low-income people living in Bellingham were out of reach of city bus lines and lacked access to any environmentally friendly transportation options.
The organization says it hopes to both increase the number of youth in Western Washington who can access the outdoors and decrease emissions.
Five organizations in Bellingham were a part of the 2025 grant, including Vamos.
PSE reports that their grants have reached over 1,500 people across Western Washington in 2025.
The grant applications for 2026 are open until July 1.
You can learn more about applying here.
©2026 Cox Media Group
