Liggins Landscaping receives grant, launches nonprofit

By Kathy Cruz Sequim Gazette • January 8, 2025 1:30 am
Alicia Liggins, fourth adult from the left, and her husband Darrin Liggins, fourth from right, enjoy a light moment with their Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance crew. From left, they are Jayden Tejano, Luci Bench, Isaac Freeman, John Hjorten, Jerrod Little, Frank Portello Jr., Jamie Holm and Carter Holm. (Photo by Monica Berkseth)
Alicia Liggins, fourth adult from the left, and her husband Darrin Liggins, fourth from right, enjoy a light moment with their Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance crew. From left, they are Jayden Tejano, Luci Bench, Isaac Freeman, John Hjorten, Jerrod Little, Frank Portello Jr., Jamie Holm and Carter Holm. (Photo by Monica Berkseth)

Darrin and Alicia Liggins have made a difference in the lives of employees at Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance by prizing attitude over expertise and providing life skills training along with a paycheck to those who needed it. Some who benefited from their mentorship were as young as 17.

The couple is being recognized for their contributions to the economy and the local workforce. Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance is among five minority-owned businesses chosen to receive a $10,000 grant through the Washington State Department of Commerce Community Reinvestment Fund.

The award was recently announced by the Olympic Workforce Development Council (OWDC), WorkSource Clallam and WorkSource Kitsap. The OWDC serves Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties and works in conjunction with local businesses, industry leaders, and training and education providers to support an inclusive and diverse workforce.

“I’m truly grateful,” said Darrin, adding that the money will be used to purchase equipment his company needs. “It was awesome.”

The start of 2025 is significant for Darrin and Alicia, and not just because of the new equipment that will help their business. This month they are launching a nonprofit organization called H.U.M.A.N., which stands for Having Understanding Means Acting Now. The founding of the nonprofit, with an intention to teach life skills along with understanding, thoughtfulness and empathy, and the landscaping company’s commitment to strengthening the local economy were the reasons the Sequim company was chosen to receive grant funds.

In the coming weeks, the couple expects their nonprofit’s website, sequimhuman.com, to go live and to receive confirmation of H.U.M.A.N.’s tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). They already have a board of directors, although there are a couple of spots still open for anyone who shares the group’s passion for mentoring and providing other help to young people ages 10-30.

Mary Daniel is among those serving on the board. She said she met Darrin shortly after moving to Sequim from Washington, D.C. last summer.

“He mentioned that the two of them were embarking on this project to start H.U.M.A.N. and I found him very, very compelling and knew right away that his heart was in the right place,” Daniel said.

The creation of H.U.M.A.N. is the fulfillment of Darrin’s longtime dream, one whose roots go back to when he had struggles in his own life. Today, not only does he own a successful business, but he is active in his community. He serves on the board of the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce.

“I was in a situation where I wasn’t doing very well but I always felt like if you take care of the people around you, they’ll take care of you,” he said. “That’s really where it all began. I call it a God Squad. You keep your foundation strong and your people around you strong, and you’ll prosper.”

Alicia said that she and Darrin have met with School Superintendent Regan Nichols and plan to meet with leadership at the Sequim Boys & Girls Club. Plans include a program called “Shoes for Souls” which will involve students in need receiving gift cards to purchase shoes at a local store.

Alicia said that details about the organization’s framework are currently being worked out.

“It’s very exciting,” she said.

H.U.M.A.N. will be funded through donations, Alicia said, including from Liggins Landscaping & Maintenance.

Alicia said that she and Darrin are from Columbus, Ohio and were high school sweethearts. They were in and out of each other’s lives for 30 years, ultimately marrying others. The pair reconnected on Facebook after each was divorced. They married in 2020, a year after Darrin opened his landscaping company. A former employee of Green Earth Landcaping in Port Orchard and Airport Garden Center in Port Angeles, he chose to live and work in Sequim because his ex-wife, with whom he shares three sons ages 17, 18 and 19, is from nearby Quilcene, Alicia said.

“I came to Sequim as a black male (but) I got nothing but love from Sequim,” Darrin reflected. “So, I thought that it would be the perfect place for me to show my gratitude for what Sequim has done for me.”