DES Director’s Office employees repack 4,300 pounds of food
Crossposted from the DES Express Thirteen employees from the Department of Executive Services (DES) Director’s Office sorted and repackaged nearly 4,300 pounds of baked goods at Food Lifeline recently. That’s a lot of dough! The Director’s Office has volunteered at Food Lifeline for four consecutive years as a team-building activity and to give back to the community. Food Lifeline’s mission is to feed people experiencing hunger today while working to end hunger for tomorrow. Groups of volunteers sort and repack food at their Seattle warehouse in two-hour sessions, helping feed people facing… Read More
King County Metro restarts fare enforcement March 31
Crossposted from Metro Matters Starting March 31, King County Metro Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of fare payment on buses and streetcars. Friendly, verbal reminders will be given to riders who did not pay. Metro first will focus fare inspections on RapidRide routes, other high-ridership bus routes and the Seattle Streetcar. “Metro relies on fares to provide safe, clean and reliable transit service, however we estimate that one-third or more of our riders are not paying their fare,” Metro’s Chief Safety Officer Rebecca Frankhauser said. “By restarting fare enforcement,… Read More
Providing reentry supports for veterans following incarceration
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Returning to the community after incarceration poses new and unique challenges, especially for veterans. Getting identification and taking care of physical and mental health needs are a priority, and so is finding employment, securing housing, and accessing food and transportation. Understanding all of these systems can be challenging. Recognizing the specific needs of veterans returning to their communities after incarceration, King County’s Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) launched the King County Veterans Reentry Program (KCVRP) last year. Empowering veterans to successfully rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society, KCVRP helps… Read More
King County Council Women’s History Month celebration, March 25
The King County Council will host its annual educational panel discussion for Women’s History Month. The purpose of the event is to bring people together to explore, share and honor women’s history. This year’s theme is Moving forward together! Women educating and inspiring generations, which will be an opportunity to celebrate the collective strength and influence of women who have dedicated their lives to education, mentorship, and leadership. Councilmembers will also present the second annual Jeanne Kohl-Welles Women Uplifting Women Award. Tuesday, March 25 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. King County Chinook Building, Rooms… Read More
Helping people in a crisis: Update on King County’s Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections King County launched its new Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams (MRRCT)1 in December and the expanded program is providing much-needed relief to our communities while we build more crisis care centers for people to go in a mental health, drug or alcohol related crisis. Mobile crisis teams are trained mental health workers and peer specialists with lived experience of mental health or substance use challenges. They travel to help people in a crisis where they are. The teams work to calm, stabilize, and solve the crisis in the field and then connect people… Read More
Tap your King County ID or ORCA card on transit
King County Metro will resume fare inspection on March 31. Fare Enforcement Officers will ask riders for proof of payment. As a reminder, everyone—even riders with fully-subsidized transit benefits from an employer like King County—needs to tap their King County ID or use another payment method. As a reminder, you can use your King County ID to travel anywhere, at any time, for free on transit. Tapping your card directly supports transit—and benefits you and Metro in other ways, too. For example, it lets Metro know how you ride public transportation so they can… Read More
ORCA transit ridership grows to 151 million trips
Crossposted from Metro Matters Regional ridership jumps 12% in 2024 Transit in the Puget Sound region delivered 17 million more trips in 2024 than the prior year, according to six ORCA transit agencies. Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit and Sound Transit delivered 134 million trips in 2023 and 151 million trips in 2024. The growing popularity of transit aligns with recent expansions and improvements across the region. Transit agencies celebrated adding more bus trips, opening new bus rapid transit lines, launching Sound Transit Link light rail… Read More
Airport unveils new hybrid electric fire truck, cutting air and noise pollution
Crossposted from the DES Express King County International Airport-Boeing Field (KCIA) is the first airport in the country to receive a hybrid electric airport fire truck to respond to emergencies like aircraft crashes or hangar fires. The Oshkosh® Striker® Volterra™ from Oshkosh Airport Products dramatically cuts greenhouse gas and particulate emissions compared to diesel-only fire trucks. KCIA’s new hybrid electric fire engine is designed to maximize performance while reducing fuel use, emissions and maintenance costs. The new fire truck is part of the airport’s work to combat climate change and allows the airport to… Read More
Pet adopters and foster homes still urgently needed at RASKC
Also: What to do if you lose a pet, or find an animal at large in the community Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC) continues to be overwhelmed with the number of animals at the Pet Adoption Center in Kent. Pet adopters and foster homes are urgently needed to address overcrowding at the shelter. “All of our dog kennels are full, and in fact we’re ‘double bunking’ some of the smaller dogs to make room,” said Tim Anderson, interim manager at RASKC. “Our cat condos are also overflowing, with peak kitten… Read More
DAJD’s Angela Toussaint honored as ‘Unsung Hero of Black Seattle’
By Noah Haglund, DAJD Communications Specialist The Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention’s (DAJD) Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager, Angela Toussaint, was honored as an “Unsung Hero of Black Seattle” for 35 years of community service at a Black History Month celebration hosted by Byrd Barr Place. The award was presented on Feb. 22. Originally founded in 1964 as the Central Area Motivation Program, Byrd Barr Place was led by the Honorable Larry Gossett from 1979 until his election to the King County Council in 1993. Byrd Barr Place’s mission is to help… Read More
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