King County partners with University of Washington to open free veteran civil legal clinic
On Sept. 6, King County Executive Dow Constantine and the University of Washington School of Law announced a new partnership to open a free civil legal services clinic for veterans, servicemembers, and their families. Starting in early 2025, law students will work with the Veterans Clinic to provide free legal advice, representation, and services to veterans seeking benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and other legal assistance. Read more.
Fifth annual Reconnect to Opportunity High School Resource fair distributes resources to more than 450 community members
Crossposted from Cultivating Connections It is back-to-school season, and this August the Reconnect to Opportunity (ReOpp) team hosted the fifth annual High School Resource fair with 23 community partners and 466 community members participating. The resource fair was initially launched in the summer of 2020 as a drive-through resource fair to connect families to basic needs items for school such as food, school supplies, and backpacks. The fair has become a fixture and draws consistent turnout from the community and organizational partners. Read more.
Your voice can be part of the future of Metro’s paratransit services
Crossposted from Metro Matters Are you an Access rider, caregiver to an Access rider, or service provider? Help shape the future of Access Transportation by taking our survey! King County Metro is continuing its full review of our paratransit rideshare service, Access Transportation, that will shape the service for the next seven to 10 years. We are at the stage where we are looking for community feedback from Access riders, Access caregivers, and Access service providers – organizations and businesses where Access riders are picked up and dropped off. If any of… Read More
A new era of health and racial equity in King County
Crossposted from Public Health Insider At a recent community celebration, Public Health – Seattle & King County unveiled an ambitious five-year strategic plan aimed at improving the health and well-being of our community. This new roadmap is the culmination of extensive collaboration and input from nearly 100 community and public health system partners, as well as hundreds of Public Health staff members. Informed by the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic and underscored by King County’s commitment to equity and the declaration of racism as a public health crisis, the plan charts a course toward a… Read More
Black Women’s Experience Project examines equity at King County
Crossposted from the DES Express The Black/African Women’s Affinity Group, co-chaired by DES’s own Miesha Vaughn, Tort Claims Investigator in Risk Management, and by Ebony Frazier, EIB Manager in the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention (DAJD), recently released a report with the Wright Resource Group, “An examination of the experiences of Black women employees at King County.” From the Executive Summary: “The purpose of the project is to understand the current state of Black Women employed at King County and to provide recommendations to address possible inequities and promote a healthy… Read More
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month
July is Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Mental Health Month, a time to highlight the unique strengths and challenges faced by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in relation to mental health. Named in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a journalist, teacher, author, and mental health advocate, this month is dedicated to continuing her legacy by focusing on the mental health needs and experiences of BIPOC communities. Fear of judgment, cultural beliefs, generational differences, and lack of access to resources often prevent people of color from addressing mental health… Read More
In their own words: Meet the dynamic AANHP Leadership Council
Since its inception, the American Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pasifika (AANHP) Affinity Group has flourished under exceptional leadership: Sung Cho and Stephanie Santos (2019 – 2020), Renee Hosogi and Phoebe Naguit (2020 – 2022), and Helen Potter and Guru Dorje (2023 – 2024). As we transition into a new phase, a collective decision has been made to establish a joint leadership structure known as the AANHP Leadership Council (ALC). This council aims to honor the collective identity of the AANHP community through collaborative leadership. The ALC comprises the following members: Allen Ikua Gomes,… Read More
First-ever Juneteenth flag-raising at King County
Crossposted from the DES Express For the first time ever, King County raised a Pan-African Flag over the Administration Plaza as part of a celebration of Juneteenth – Freedom Day. After a few brief speeches, participants broke into song at the event on June 18, singing the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a hymn written as a poem by NAACP leader James Weldon Johnson in 1900. The flag waved proudly over the Plaza through June 19 to commemorate the first Juneteenth celebrations that took place in 1866, a year… Read More
Keeping young minds engaged at annual Youth Academy
By Manny Apostol Jr., Community Engagement Specialist, King County Sheriff’s Office Last week, the King County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Renton Police Department, the Newcastle Police Department, and the DEA’s Operation Engage, held the second annual Youth Academy, which was an exciting and impactful event. A group of 36 enthusiastic middle schoolers from the Renton School District, ranging from 11 to 14 years old, had the opportunity to engage with public safety professionals from 12 different agencies. The activities offered were both educational and entertaining, encompassing a combat challenge, captivating… Read More
Reducing lead in cookware leads to BRG Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice
By Mary Miller, Executive Communications, Office of Performance, Strategy, and Budget A joint team from the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources (DNRP) and Parks and the Environmental Health Division of Public Health – Seattle and King County received the 2023 Best-Run Government (BRG) Innovation Award for Equity, Racial & Social Justice. The project team took significant and decisive action to address the health risks that exposure to lead in aluminum cookware posed to Afghan refugee children – and then broadened new protective measures to help residents… Read More
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