Sept. 18 is the start of Falls Prevention Awareness Week, which Executive Dow Constantine has declared for King County. Falls are the leading cause of injuries for people 65 and older in King County, but they are largely preventable. This week, join county programs and community partners in raising awareness on how to reduce fall risks for our friends, family and ourselves. Learn more here. Read the full proclamation here.

Did you know that King County has 200+ parks and trails in our Parks system? It’s easier than ever to plan your next adventure with our new Backyard FunFinder interactive map. This new tool centralizes all King County park, trail, and natural area information in one place and replaces our former Park Finder and Trail Finder tools. You can search by geographic area, amenities, and recreational opportunities. In addition, you can look up which public transit options are available and if there are any construction projects or other impacts happening in the area. Go… Read More

It is that time of year when teachers are busily getting their classrooms ready for the drove of students to enter, parents and caregivers are gathering school supplies, and students are picking out their first day outfits. It is an exciting time, but it can also be a time of mixed emotions for many youth that are struggling with feelings of anxiety and depression. This is a critical time for students and their mental health. The back-to-school transition is challenging enough on its own—navigating academics, social dynamics, and personal growth are very… Read More

Learn more about tracking and WW tools to help you on your journey of success. Join WW by Oct. 31 and get a free Smart Scale that syncs right to the WW app, making your activities easier – and tracking is one of the keys to building healthier new habits. Available for all new sign ups Sept. 1 through Oct. 31. It’s easy to get started, available to all employees and benefits-covered spouses and state-registered domestic partners, and King County pays for half of your membership dues. (Please note: The dollar value of the employer paid… Read More

Crossposted from Cultivating Connections Ensuring access to basic needs is one of the straightforward ways we can promote community connection and well-being. Reconnect to Opportunity (ReOpp) initially launched the High School Resource Fair in the summer of 2020 in response to the emerging needs at the beginning of the pandemic. With the positive community response and generous support of program partners, ReOpp has been able to host the resource event annually. At the event we work across agencies and community partnerships to hand out school supplies, food bags, and resource information. Last… Read More

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC Editor’s note: this post is a first-hand account by one of our King County communications staff. On what is usually a short walk at a neighborhood park on my lunch break recently, I came across an unleashed dog without a human. It was a beautiful dog, perhaps a Golden Retriever/Irish Setter mix. “Where’s your person?” I asked the dog, while looking around the trail. We were near an off-leash dog park, but in an area that requires a leash. Read more.

Crossposted from DES Express King County Emergency Management is ramping up preparedness activities throughout September in recognition of National Preparedness Month. Activities include free Disaster Skills Training webinars, Emergency Preparedness Workshops at local senior centers, and preparedness posts on social media. Everyone is encouraged to get involved and take action. Share a preparedness selfie and tag #KingCountyReady on social media from Sept. 17-23. View the recording from the King County Employee Disaster Skills Training Webinar to learn more about how you can be prepared for emergencies and disasters. Read more.

Crossposted from the DES Express That ride-hailing service you take home from a late-night concert or sporting event might be the same one used by human traffickers to transport their victims. “There’s been a lot of research done with persons with lived experience in trafficking. The majority say they were transported in for-hire transportation,” said Michelle Hoang, Program Analyst for the for-hire and shared transportation team in DES’ Records and Licensing Services (RALS). Read more.

Crossposted from Tails from RASKC September is a great time to adopt a dog through Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC). All month, it’s just $50 to adopt an adult dog – a savings of 50% or more off the regular adoption fee. Nearly 50 dogs of all sizes have filled the kennels at RASKC and the shelter is over capacity. The shelter needs help from the community to find these dogs their “furever” homes. “We have some truly wonderful dogs right now that have been at the shelter a long… Read More