Tag Archives: South King County

News

Advocacy Groups, Politicians, and Nonprofits Rally to Help Refugees and Asylum Seekers Left Out in the Cold

by Lauryn Bray

When Gov. Jay Inslee signed his 2024 supplemental budget on March 29, it was a moment of victory for a sudden coalition that formed during an emergency housing crisis this winter for refugees and asylum seekers in South Seattle and South King County.

After months of advocacy from migrants, nonprofit organizations, Tukwila’s Riverton Park United Methodist Church (RPUMC), and concerned Washington State residents, the budget outlined $25 million in aid for refugees and asylum seekers.

Continue reading Advocacy Groups, Politicians, and Nonprofits Rally to Help Refugees and Asylum Seekers Left Out in the Cold →
Voices

OPINION | Donors Must Trust Community Wisdom to Solve Community Challenges

by LeAnne Moss

The past several years have tested our communities in unimaginable ways and revealed fractures in our social safety system that were more like sinkholes. Millions of families were suddenly without an income, isolated from support and thrust into scarcity. While the acute pandemic crisis may have passed, many of these social sinkholes have yet to be repaired, and in our region, they have widened. 

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News

NEWS GLEAMS | South King County Named WA State Health Equity Zone; Future of Seattle Economy Framework Released

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A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS | South King County Named WA State Health Equity Zone; Future of Seattle Economy Framework Released →
Community

FareStart’s Mobile Community Markets Promise Post-COVID Recovery Food Access for South King County Communities

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by Amanda Ong

In an effort to double down on its hunger relief programs since the pandemic began, FareStart, a local nonprofit organization, launched its mobile community market in 2021 as a pilot program that would use “new ways to provide equitable access to fresh, healthy food to communities who are underserved, including those who have been impacted by systemic racism in food systems.” The mobile community market makes weekly appearances rotating between the Kent YMCA, Firwood Circle, Living Well Kent, and Family of Grace. All food at the mobile markets is free.

Continue reading FareStart’s Mobile Community Markets Promise Post-COVID Recovery Food Access for South King County Communities →
News

NEWS GLEAMS | State Collects Funds for Long-Term Care; Community Improvement Fund Open for Applications

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A roundup of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS | State Collects Funds for Long-Term Care; Community Improvement Fund Open for Applications →
News

Funding From King County’s Housing Finance Program Creates Nearly a Thousand Units of Affordable Housing

by Agueda Pacheco Flores

In February of this year, King County awarded nearly $25 million to eight affordable housing projects across the region, including in the South End. 

The money, which comes from the Housing Finance Program, will develop nearly a thousand units of affordable housing across the county. Half of those units will be prioritized for people who have previously been unhoused, veterans, and persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

Continue reading Funding From King County’s Housing Finance Program Creates Nearly a Thousand Units of Affordable Housing →
Voices

OPINION | Tukwila’s Minimum Wage Vote Should Spur More South King County Cities to Act

by Sandy Hunt, Debbie Aldous, Julianna Dauble, Tim Martin, Shannon McCann, and Elaine Hogg

On election night, Tukwila voters sent a clear message that the statewide minimum wage is too low for our high-cost region. City of Tukwila Initiative Measure No. 1, which raises the city’s minimum wage to parity with the higher standards in SeaTac and Seattle, passed by a large margin.

We lead the Highline, Tukwila, Renton, Kent, Auburn, and Federal Way Education Associations. Together we represent several thousand educators working in communities all across South King County. We think it’s time for more cities to follow Tukwila’s recent example and raise their minimum wages.

Continue reading OPINION | Tukwila’s Minimum Wage Vote Should Spur More South King County Cities to Act →
News

NEWS GLEAMS | President Biden to Cancel Student Loan Debt, WA State Book Award Finalists

A round-up of news and announcements we don’t want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle!

curated by Vee Hua 華婷婷

🖋️Letter From the Editor🖋️

Today’s big announcement coming from the White House is that the Biden administration plans to cancel a significant amount of student debts nationally, as well as extend the current moratorium on payments for a final time.

Locally, a number of sites around South King County will be offering free dental care services for youth and adults, Bloodworks Northwest is in desperate need of blood donations, and an extensive list of excellent books can be found in the list of Washington State Book Award finalists! Full disclosure: One nomination includes Readying to Rise: Essays by South Seattle Emerald founder and publisher Marcus Harrison Green.

—Vee Hua 華婷婷, interim managing editor for the South Seattle Emerald

Continue reading NEWS GLEAMS | President Biden to Cancel Student Loan Debt, WA State Book Award Finalists →
Voices

OPINION | South King County Mayors Believe Increased Incarceration Is the Path to Public Safety — They’re Wrong.

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by Gennette Cordova

Earlier this month, eight mayors in South King County issued an open letter to their King County and Washington State criminal justice partners expressing frustration with crime in their cities. Rather than emphasizing the importance of nurturing and stabilizing their communities through non-carceral alternatives, they leaned into the same punitive solutions that have proven to be ineffective in increasing public safety.

Continue reading OPINION | South King County Mayors Believe Increased Incarceration Is the Path to Public Safety — They’re Wrong. →
News

Latino Organizations Find New Homes in Burien, Federal Way

by Agueda Pacheco Flores

Latinos in south King County now have more spaces to find educational resources, labor programs, and community. 

The Latino Civic Alliance and Casa Latina nonprofits each have new locations south of Seattle. Both cited the move in part due to the growing Latino communities that are being priced out of Seattle. 

Continue reading Latino Organizations Find New Homes in Burien, Federal Way →