King County is committed to ensuring the safety and health of all its residents. This can be done in many different ways, including the recent partnership with the City of Seattle and the Seattle Foundation to provide critical services to immigrants and refugees. This partnership created funding for programs and services, titled the Resilience Fund, to help vulnerable residents whose health, safety and human rights are at risk. The purpose of the Resilience Fund is to support community-based nonprofits who want to address unanticipated and emerging challenges that impact immigrant and refugee communities… Read More

Approximately 400 people attended King County’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration at The Sanctuary in downtown Seattle on Thursday, January 11. The celebration acknowledged the life and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and emphasized the need to continue pursuing peace, equity and justice for all. The event featured keynote speakers King County Executive Dow Constantine and King County Councilmember Larry Gossett, as well as a musical performance by King County employees. Deputies Michael Hepburn and Jill Higgins Hendrix from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney performed a medley of the songs “We Shall Overcome” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”… Read More

King County employees are invited to attend the annual King County Martin Luther King Jr. event from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. this Thursday, January 11, 2018 at the Sanctuary, located at 811 5th Ave. in downtown Seattle. Many employees in downtown Seattle work within walking distance of the event venue, and we encourage you to walk or take public transit. The building has an ADA accessible entrance on 5th Ave. and an attendant will be standing by to offer assistance to anyone who should require it. We encourage employees coming from outside downtown Seattle to… Read More

Fulfilling the dream of King County’s namesake is the focus of the office of Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) and its Civil Rights Program. Matthew Butler is the Civil Rights Program manager here in Martin Luther King County.  “Being the Civil Rights Program manager in the county named after our country’s most prominent Civil Rights leader is an honor that means a lot to me and that I take great pride in,” Matthew said. The Civil Rights Program is one resource for County employees who feel they have been discriminated against based on race,… Read More

Crossposted from All Home Facebook  Join us for Count Us In 2018, the annual Point in Time Count of people experiencing homelessness! Volunteers will be asked to work in teams of 2-3 to conduct a visual count of individuals experiencing homelessness across King County in the early hours of Friday, January 26. Sign up to be a volunteer: http://allhomekc.org/king-county-point-in-time-pit-count/

This year’s celebration will take place Thursday, January 11, 2018, from 1 – 2:30 p.m. at The Sanctuary, 811 5th Ave Seattle. More details will be available soon! Calendars: The 2018 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Calendars will start arriving at King County distribution points on Friday, December 22, and will also be available at the celebration. Any questions about the calendars, please connect with Tynishia Walker at 206-263-0534 or TWalker@kingcounty.gov The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is a County-sponsored event and King County directors, managers, and supervisors are encouraged to permit employees to participate, if possible…. Read More

Crossposted from King County Youth Justice  Reform doesn’t happen overnight. That doesn’t mean it can’t be impressive to look back at how much progress can be made in just one year. In 2017, King County continued to step up its investments and commitments to eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline:  Safe Spaces: King County set in motion partnerships with organizations across the County to open up more safe, non-detention overnight spaces for struggling youth. More beds will be opening up in South King County in early 2018.    Stopping the School-to-Prison Pipeline: Best Starts for Kids hired on a… Read More