News

Bridging Belonging Through Community Action

February 29, 2024

Last month, I had the privilege of attending the National Community Action Partnership Management Leadership and Training Conference in Las Vegas with Board Vice President Cynthia Wang. We were both so inspired by the keynote speaker Dr. john a. powell, Director of the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkley. The following is a recap …

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Good News from The Other Washington!

January 30, 2024

Yes, you did read that correctly. Last month, Million Shiferaw, our Director of Child Development and I attended the National Head Start Association Winter Leadership Conference. We were able to visit with both Senator Patty Murray and Senator Maria Cantwell, both of whom fully support Head Start and the important work we do in our …

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Looking ahead to 2024

December 21, 2023

Neighborhood House staff with other organizations advocating for refugee rights at the State Capital in Olympia, WA Happy New Year! As we embark on 2024, strengthening our programs, serving our 13,000 clients and community members, and supporting our 350 staff members are our top priorities. Policies and policy makers at the federal, state, and local …

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A Huge Win for the Coalition Fighting for Better Wages for Human Services Workers

November 30, 2023
ECS Team 2023

Neighborhood House staff members at the Education and Community Services team retreat Thanks to the leadership of Mayor Bruce Harrell, Councilmember Lisa Herbold, Council President Teresa Mosqueda, Councilmember Andrew Lewis, and the Councilmembers that joined them, Seattle has taken the first crucial step towards wage equity for human services workers and approved a 7.5% inflation …

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Supporting COFA Citizens: Neighborhood House’s Advocacy and the Compact Impact Fairness Act (CIFA)

October 27, 2023

Neighborhood House employees, COFA citizens, and a White House representative When Cecelia (Cece) Heine started working at Neighborhood House in 2016, she was the first citizen of the Marshall Islands to work here. In 2020, Cece brought on Triple Js Kaminaga to help their community navigate the challenges of COVID. Together, hundreds of Marshall Islanders …

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Latinx Dream Coalition Building Paths to Healthy Changes

September 29, 2023

Members of the Dream Coalition posing for a photo after their launch. When advocates in King County’s Latino community realized they had few services focusing on substance use disorder and prevention, The Latinx Dream Coalition (La Coalición de los Sueños del Condado del Rey) was born in March 2021. Neighborhood House helped start the Latinx …

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Most kids in King County don’t have access to positive youth development programs

July 31, 2023

Neighborhood House is working at multiple levels provide a hopeful future for children and youth in our community by offering quality early learning, partnering with schools to help families experiencing homelessness, offering Guiding Good Choices parenting classes, and creating safe spaces for young people to learn, socialize, and build leadership skills. We know these strategies …

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Vote Yes for vets and seniors on August 1st – renew KC Prop 1 Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy

June 30, 2023

Neighborhood House board voted to sign on with dozens of other community based organizations, elected officials, and labor unions to endorse proposition 1 to renew the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Service Levy (VSHSL) that provides $564 million over 5 years for essential services to across the region. In this video highlighting VSHSL services, our resource …

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Are you ready to stand behind women of color leading change?

June 8, 2023

On Tuesday, I had the privilege of being on stage at Town Hall with three other women of color leading change, “movers and shakers” behind our region’s most influential non-profits, Solid Ground, Byrd Barr Place, El Centro de la Raza, and Neighborhood House. This conversation, expertly moderated by TraeAnna Holiday of Converge, was deeply personal, …

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What is CSBG funding and why we need it

April 12, 2023

Since 1965, born out of President Johnson’s War on Poverty, Community Action Agencies have been helping people gain social and economic mobility, changing inequitable systems that perpetuate the causes and conditions of poverty, and strengthening our community. In 2021, 30 Community Action Agencies served 347,000 low-income Washingtonians in over 175,000 households in all 39 counties. Each of …

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Human services wages are even worse than you imagined

February 23, 2023

“Nonprofit leaders say they’re losing talented workers—and struggling to recruit new ones—because they can’t offer competitive wages. Janice Deguchi, the executive director of Neighborhood House, said the nonprofit recently lost a teacher who had been working to connect a developmentally delayed child to the group’s early-learning program and other services.” Read more about the new comparable …

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Social service workers rally at Seattle City Hall over proposed budget cuts

November 8, 2022

“A city law passed in 2019 was supposed to ensure that front-line social service workers’ wages would continue to increase with inflation in these times. But the mayor’s proposed budget rolled that promise back. People who work on the front lines to serve homeless people and the community’s most vulnerable populations say depressed wages are …

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Mayor’s proposed budget disproportionally impacts women and people of color

October 25, 2022

Leaders of regional nonprofits implore Seattle Mayor and City Council to reconsider human services COLA cap Mr. Mayor, we are confused. We know you are a champion for diversity and equity. So why are you capping inflation-based pay increases for a set of vendors who are disproportionately women and people of color—those predominately serving our …

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Digital access is an equity issue

September 8, 2021

“Those who access and need our government services expect and deserve usability,” said Kendrick Stewart, Washington Department of Commerce’s deputy director. In a public performance review meeting on July 28, 2021, the deputy director went on to say that according to agencies that provide direct services to the public, those who are most likely to …

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Statewide diaper bank and advocacy

August 18, 2021

Last summer, we put out a call to help low-income families with young children in King County get access to diapers. The response was immediate and because of the maintained momentum around this issue, Neighborhood House has since been able to distribute: 110,000+ diapers and $21,000 of baby supplies! Additionally, due to our collective communities’ continued advocacy and concern, …

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Why the Best Starts for Kids levy matters

July 17, 2021

The Neighborhood House Board of Directors endorses Proposition No. 1 “Regular Property Tax Levy for Children, Youth, Families and Communities” on the Primary ballot in King County — also known as Best Starts for Kids. This initiative funds services to promote the health and well-being of children and young adults in the county, through programs at our …

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Washington’s immigrant and refugee elders face challenges in COVID-19 vaccine access

February 8, 2021

“Still, more than two weeks into the current phase, immigrant and refugee elders continue to face challenges in accessing the vaccine, from language barriers to a lack of transportation and technology, say group members Helping Link and Neighborhood House, two nonprofits that serve immigrant and refugee populations. Their experiences reflect concerns about inequities around the …

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Addressing equity in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine

January 26, 2021

This written testimony was sent to the King County Council in response to Motion 2021-0046 regarding equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution and access. Dear King County Council Members, I write in support of Proposed motion 2021-0046 which would address equity in accessing the COVID-19 vaccine during these initial stages of distribution and have some suggestions for …

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Holding commercial tobacco retailers accountable instead of penalizing youth for addiction

January 16, 2021

This statement was put together by the Healthy King County Coalition in partnership with Neighborhood House. Policy Change for Health Equity SB 5129: Concerning the possession of vapor, vapor products, tobacco, and tobacco products by minors When Tobacco to 21 was passed it rightfully omitted penalties for commercial tobacco use and possession on those ages …

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