By Dow Constantine, King County Executive

Each year, employees in every department and every branch of our government join together in the spirit of giving and community during King County’s Annual Giving Drive. It is a time that demonstrates the power of our collective giving in support of the causes that are important to us.

At a time when many communities – here at home and around the world – have been devastated by natural disasters, our support can help them recover, build resilience, and thrive once again. More than 100 people lost their lives in Florida during Hurricane Ian and billions of dollars of damage was caused; Pakistan is facing one of the worst natural disasters in modern history with floods submerging a third of its land; communities in Puerto Rico are struggling to recover from Hurricane Fiona. You can find out more about some of the nonprofits who help communities recover from disasters by watching a recording of this week’s Natural Disaster Expo.

The Annual Giving Drive brings employees together to make a difference collectively. Whether supporting disaster recovery and resilience, increasing access to healthcare, housing, and education, or finding forever families for our furry friends, our individual small acts add up to make a world of difference.

King County’s Annual Giving Drive runs through Nov. 18 and provides several options for us to support the people, communities, and causes across the world that are important to each of us:

• Payroll Donation – One time, once a month, or twice a month.
• Time Donation – Up to three nonprofit organizations.
• Credit Cards and e-Checks – on the online storefront.
• Special Events – Raise awareness and money for a particular cause.
• Volunteer – Eligible employees may take up to three sick days a year to volunteer.

You have the option to give online or with a paper form. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask your work site Ambassador, or reach out to the Employee Giving Program at employeegiving@kingcounty.gov.

Thank you for all you do, both here at King County and outside of work. Our community and our world are better for it.

Whether you’re traveling to your worksite full-time or working a hybrid schedule, King County Metro Vanpool can save you time and money, and improve your commute. Best of all, your Employee Transportation Program (ETP) covers everything – the van, gas, tolls, insurance, emergency ride home and more –so you pay nothing out-of-pocket!

Vanpool is a consistent group of people — such as co-workers, neighbors, family or friends — who share a similar commute route and work schedule. It takes just three or more people to start a vanpool, with the members sharing the driving and record-keeping roles to make the vanpool run smoothly.

Vanpool is flexible. Vanpoolers may ride just a few days a week, ride only one way, ride in two separate vans to accommodate a longer workday, or combine a bike plus a vanpool commute. For commuters working a hybrid schedule, they can operate the van just three days a week. Groups may also find more people from the same neighborhood or gather at a park-and-ride to share a vanpool operating a five-day or seven-day schedule with some riders joining the van on flexible days. For instance, several riders could commute only Tuesdays and Thursdays with others riding Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and some commuting weekend schedules.

“We didn’t realize how convenient it really is. Because everyone shares the responsibilities, it eases the burden of commuting.”  – Vanpool 6123

With high gas prices and increasing highway congestion, Vanpool is a great commute option. Metro Vanpools save money and reduce stress with group members sharing the driving role, getting to work faster using HOV lanes and eliminating the cost of tolls. While vanpool groups often split any parking fees, depending on their worksite location, many King County worksites have free, reserved vanpool parking. 

Need more information? Visit the ETP website, call me, Hossein Barahimi, at 206-477-5853 or email me at Hossein.Barahimi@kingcounty.gov.

When the coronavirus pandemic kicked into full gear, some of the many county services that got shut down were the employee-focused, in-person training and education programs. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, the state of Washington allowed for various certifications to be postponed. Ever since the state removed those restrictions this spring, the team responsible for trainings has been in hyperdrive trying to meet the demand and recertify all employees that need to be.

“Safety training is essential to the success of many King County employees,” said Mary Beth Short, Central Employee Service Division Director. “Not only does it help prevent on-the-job injuries, it also helps keep workers’ compensation claims down.”

King County offers a variety of safety training courses for employees, ranging from forklift safety to defensive driving to emergency evacuation floor warden. Some of these are required before an employee can begin a job, such as traffic control flagging, but others can be taken by almost any employee. The most popular of these courses available to employees is CPR — or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation — and first aid training.

“One of the cool things about CPR and first aid training is that people are more likely to need it in their personal lives than on the job,” said Tammy Harris, one of the two safety trainers. “This makes it all worthwhile, knowing people have used this in real situations.”

Tammy’s official title is Occupational Education and Training Program Administrator Senior. “That’s a mouthful,” she said, preferring to go with the more digestible Safety Trainer.

After getting an education degree, Tammy decided that teaching wasn’t her calling, so she did a stint in the insurance business. That experience helped her land a role at King County in 1993 managing workers’ compensation claims. In 2000 when the trainer position came open, her education and previous experience made her a perfect fit for the role. She’s evolved with the program over the years, learning to lead some trainings virtually and in person, even taking the show on the road.

“It’s a lot of fun for me to do in-person trainings,” Tammy said with a smile. Most departments request a training on site, but not all locations have a conference room “so we have to think creatively, whether it’s setting up in Atlantic Base Vehicle Maintenance shop or working with a road crew in Skykomish.”  

In 2008, the decision was made to create a second trainer position. Karen Bert, who also prefers the shorter Safety Trainer title, saw how much her former coworker from Workers’ Compensation enjoyed the training job and decided to give it a try. She’s never looked back.

“Helping people is in my nature,” Karen said, “it’s very important to me.”  She even went back to support the Department of Human Resources Compensation team during the pandemic shutdown because they were dealing with so many additional claims. “It fell under the ‘other duties as assigned’ clause in the job description,” she quipped.

Training to the rescue

Earlier this year, the week after receiving a CPR and First Aid training at the Office of Emergency Management, employees’ knowledge was put to the test when a coworker suffered a heart attack on the job. And as recently as this summer, another King County employee used his county CPR training to provide assistance in an emergency situation on a coworker.

“Our goal is that people leave the class confident in how to handle a situation if it arises and to be willing to try to help if they need to,” Tammy said. “It’s better to perform it on someone who doesn’t need it than decide not to do it when someone does. And it’s better to be trained.“

The training course is available in-person and a blended virtual method. The CPR element includes active hands-on learning with mannequins, while the first aid portion covers several topics including EpiPens (for allergic reactions), bandaging (severe external bleeding), discussion about the signs of a heart attack, signs of shock and concussions, using Narcan for overdoses, and more.

“They’ve both been with the county a long time and take their work seriously,” said Mary Beth. “They teach in a way that’s understandable and effective to boots on the ground. Their work really does make a difference.“

To learn more about safety classes, CPR and First Aid training, and other educational opportunities, visit www.kingcounty.gov/employeesafety.

King County Executive Dow Constantine and the Metropolitan King County Council, proclaim October 10, 2022, as Indigenous Peoples Day in King County and encourage all residents to learn about and embrace the historical truths and cultures of American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Indigenous Peoples, and to respect their many contributions.

Read the full proclamation below.

By the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice

King County’s Annual Giving Drive (AGD) is underway through Nov. 18. To celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, consider supporting causes and nonprofits that serve Indigenous people and are Indigenous led. 

Indigenous organizations know best what they need to prosper and thrive, and have the knowledge, ability, and right to determine the solutions that serve their communities best. 

Utilize the list below to learn more about Indigenous organizations serving Indigenous youth, education, cultural assets, health, the environment and more, and how these organizations and contributing to building the strength of local and regional American Indian, Alaska Native, and Indigenous communities. 

1. 0963 Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center 91-1122115 4705 W Marginal Way SW, Seattle, WA 98106 https://www.duwamishtribe.org We focus on local Duwamish heritage Preservation, Cultural Education, School Tours, environmental and social justice initiatives that promote understanding of the Duwamish people. Real Rent Duwamish is also an initiative of the Duwamish Tribe. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

2. 9835 United Indians of All Tribes Foundation 91-0889016 5011 Bernie Whitebear Way, Seattle, WA 98199 https://www.unitedindians.org We provide culturally appropriate social, educational, and cultural services to American Indians & Alaska Natives in western WA, and community-wide cultural events and activities. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

3. 2746 American Indian College Fund 52-1573446 8333 Greenwood Blvd, Denver, CO 80221 https://www.collegefund.org Native Americans account for only 1% of college students. Scholarships/program support. Let’s reimagine what’s possible for our students. 

4. 9443 Chief Seattle Club 91-0852503 410 2nd Ave Extension S, Seattle, WA 98104 https://www.chiefseattleclub.org Chief Seattle Club is a 501(c)(3) registered organization dedicated to physically and spiritually supporting urban American Indian and Alaska Native people. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

5. 380 Seattle Indian Health Board 91-0869056 611 12th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 https://www.sihb.org Provides primary care for American Indian/Alaska Natives in King County including medical, dental, chemical dependency, mental health, DV case management, youth & elders services. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

6. 10805 Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative 81-4680515 3545 7th Ave SW Ste #305, Olympia, WA 98502 https://www.innovationshtc.org/ Indigenous survivor-led org engaging stakeholders in innovative solutions to eliminate human trafficking & empowering survivors to heal & build self-sufficient, affirming lives. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

7. 10909 Sound Works Job Center 91-1415881 PO Box 2019, Poulsbo, WA 98370 https://www.homepagesdonobi.net/soundw Sound works Provides free professional employment assistance for Veterans, low-income and homeless individuals such as professional resumes, interview training, and job counseling. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

8. 9827 Snohomish County Music Project 91-1204042 1702 Pacific Ave, Everett, WA 98201 https://www.scMusicProject.org Fostering individual and communal well[1]being through anti-oppressive and trauma[1]informed music therapy. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

9. 9604 Sound Salmon Solutions 91-1484389 712 3rd St Ste B, Mukilteo, WA 98275 https://www.soundsalmonsolutions.org Connecting you with our watersheds for the future of salmon through state-of-the-art habitat restoration, interactive education, and hands-on stewardship opportunities. Community Served: American Indian, Alaskan Native 

10. 2786 American Indian Youth Running Strong 54-1594578 8301 Richmond Highway Ste 200, Alexandria, VA 22309 https://indianyouth.org/ Providing relief, development to Indian Reservations. Teaching traditional life skills, healthy lifestyles, respect for Mother Earth 

For more information on King County’s overall Annual Giving Drive campaign, visit the website.