Salt & Light

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16


What does it mean to be Salt and Light?  Salt is both a preservative and enhances flavor.  Jesus seems to be saying that those who follow God should make the world a more enjoyable place for everyone by enhancing and sharing the goodness of God with others.  As for light, Jesus is sharing that how we live our life should be like a light drawing others to God.  The metaphor of salt and light is a reminder to followers of Jesus that through our faith and how we live our life, we should have an obvious impact on everyone who comes in contact with us.  Jesus is asking us to not only be devoted to God, but He is asking us to have an influence on the world around us.  


While our primary focus is reaching people through our gifts in dance, we also want to make sure that we are meeting immediate needs in  our community.  If our gifts can be used to bless others, we want to be a blessing.  Sometimes our being a blessing is by dancing during fundraisers to raise support for those in need and other times it's digging in to lend a helping hand. 


If you represent a local faith-based nonprofit or church that would benefit from a partnership with Paradosi to meet immediate real world needs, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.  We cannot accept every invitation but if it is in our ability to do so, we would love to come along side you in being salt and light in your community. 

Soup Kitchen

During the lockdown's of COVID and before vaccines were available, the dancers and staff of Paradosi ran a soup kitchen with Anchor Church in Tacoma one day per week.  The kitchen provided meals for anyone in the community who was in need of assistance.  Each week we averaged preparing 70-meals which were distributed by volunteers from the church to shut-ins, homeless, and those who were impacted by the pandemic.  

Back to School Jam

Each summer local churches come together to provide for the needs of students in Tacoma.  This is a free event that is open to any family who is in need of school supplies.  During the students are provided with not only free school supplies but there are usually also free services and other needs being met such as sports physicals, haircuts, and clothing.  Each year Paradosi comes along side this outreach to serve in the distribution of items to families in need, teach free dance classes, and provide scholarship information for our dance school to make lessons accessible for families who could not otherwise afford to have their children take dance classes. 

Other Opportunities

Fundraising: 

Paradosi partners with other local organizations in their fundraising efforts to help those in need.  For more information on partnering with Paradosi for  fundraising events, please visit our Outreach Events Page.   Funds raised during these fundraisers go directly to the sponsoring organization and do not go to Paradosi. 


Generosity: 

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Paradosi has the ability to receive gifts in kind.  Gifts in kind that we cannot use are distributed to those in need in our community.  We believe in living generously and want to be a light to whomever we can bless.