Human Services Commission · Wednesday, July 16, 2025 · City Council Digest

3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Minutes of June 18, 2025

packet pp.3–4

▶ Watch from 1:20 Open packet at p.3 ↗

Staff report:

APPROVAL OF MINUTES a) 06-18-25 Human Services Commission Minutes Page [0000] CITY OF ISSAQUAH Human Services Commission 6:30 PM Senior Center, 75 NE Creek June 18, 2025 MINUTES Way

4. AGENDA ITEMS

Pride Across the Bridge: Human Services Non-Profit Organization Presentation (I)

Director · 20 min · Axton Burton (they/them), Executive

Topics: Equity

▶ Watch from 1:49

Reclaim: Human Services Non-Profit Organization Presentation (I)

20 min · Jennifer Kirk (she/her), Executive Director

Topics: Equity

▶ Watch from 37:35

Election of Chair and Vice Chair

Action · 10 min · Jaime Fajardo, Human Services Commission Chair

Topics: Elections

▶ Watch from 1:13:21

5. REPORTS

Chair and Commissioner Reports

Topics: Boards & Commissions

Youth Report

packet pp.5–6

Open packet at p.5 ↗

Staff report:

• Community Closet Clothing Swap: Issaquah’s Community Closet Clothing Swap was a two day event May 27/28 at the Pickering Barn that provided our community with free clothing and shoes. The event had 500 visitors, approximately 250 bags of clothing donations form 86 donors ran by a total of 22 volunteers for 152 hours.

Staff Report

2396 segments .txt ↗

0:02 ↗ drum we have.

0:03 ↗ >> All right, we're good to go.

0:06 ↗ >> All right. Well, good afternoon. Uh, it

0:08 ↗ is our human services commission. It's

0:10 ↗ Wednesday, July 16th at 6:34.

0:15 ↗ Um, we will proceed.

0:18 ↗ Um, everything called to order. Um you

0:22 ↗ do have most commissioners Manny Manny

0:26 ↗ Commissioner Min

0:28 ↗ was still a waiting for Commissioner

0:29 ↗ Huma.

0:30 ↗ >> Correct.

0:31 ↗ >> Um

0:32 ↗ JD is present. Um Commissioner Ray,

0:36 ↗ Commissioner Trish. Um I think we're

0:41 ↗ going to be excusing Commissioner Lorie

0:43 ↗ Edwards. What I understand?

0:44 ↗ >> Correct. Yes.

0:45 ↗ >> Okay. And then we're going to be waiting

0:48 ↗ for the new commissioner Bo. It's either

0:51 ↗ today or uh maybe

0:54 ↗ >> yeah he had some medical um stuff that

0:56 ↗ he was dealing with last week so he said

0:57 ↗ he will try to join us virtually but he

1:00 ↗ may not so he may join us

1:01 ↗ >> we will note that

1:03 ↗ all right public comment

1:06 ↗ public comment

1:09 ↗ >> nobody is in attendance for public

1:11 ↗ comments online or in person and I did

1:13 ↗ not receive any

1:15 ↗ >> thank you Hannah

1:17 ↗ um and then we have next item on the

1:20 ↗ approval of minutes from June 18th,

1:24 ↗ 2025. Any additions or corrections to

1:27 ↗ the approval minutes that were sent out?

1:32 ↗ >> I move that we uh approve the minutes as

1:36 ↗ >> I second.

1:39 ↗ >> Okay. Noted.

1:47 ↗ All right. We will move forward to

1:49 ↗ number four agenda items. Pride pride

1:51 ↗ across the bridge human services

1:54 ↗ nonprofit organization. Uh unfortunate

1:57 ↗ they cannot make it today. Um so we were

2:01 ↗ going to have to reschedu

2:03 ↗ um sounds like there was some illness

2:05 ↗ and we want to make sure we respect that

2:07 ↗ and we will be coordinating a

2:09 ↗ rescheduling appointment with uh uh

2:12 ↗ pride across the bridge.

2:15 ↗ Um, Axton Burton, the executive

2:17 ↗ director, they send their apologies. Um,

2:19 ↗ where they are just were hit very

2:22 ↗ suddenly. Um, they were planning to come

2:24 ↗ even this morning and then this

2:25 ↗ afternoon they were hit pretty bad. So,

2:27 ↗ unfortunately, um, they they said

2:29 ↗ they're uh, very excited to meet the

2:31 ↗ commission and share more about their

2:32 ↗ organization. And so, we'll reschedule

2:34 ↗ here in the fall. So, we'll prioritize

2:36 ↗ getting them on the calendar. So,

2:38 ↗ apologies for that last minute change

2:40 ↗ and thank you all for your flexibility

2:41 ↗ with that.

2:42 ↗ >> Is it the facts and burden?

2:43 ↗ >> Correct. Okay,

2:46 ↗ >> any questions from the group,

2:49 ↗ >> comments?

2:50 ↗ >> I will note right across the bridge,

2:52 ↗ they are a new organization um in our

2:55 ↗ region actually and they're a new funded

2:57 ↗ human services organization. We

2:59 ↗ partnered with them um last year. Uh Ray

3:02 ↗ Manahan was a part of a great um panel

3:05 ↗ and Pride across the bridge was a big

3:07 ↗ part of that uh with at the garage two

3:10 ↗ years ago, huh?

3:10 ↗ >> Was it two years ago?

3:11 ↗ >> Was it two years ago? Yes, I think so.

3:13 ↗ maybe last year,

3:15 ↗ >> last year.

3:16 ↗ >> It's hard.

3:17 ↗ >> It's bluring in. So, um so very excited

3:19 ↗ to have them learn more about their

3:20 ↗ organizations and services they provide.

3:23 ↗ Um but we will have to postpone that.

3:25 ↗ Well, thank you.

3:30 ↗ >> All right. And our next group, we had uh

3:33 ↗ repayment human services nonprofit

3:36 ↗ presented by Jennifer Kirk, executive

3:38 ↗ dire. I know from talking to the group,

3:41 ↗ they're going to be showing up online.

3:43 ↗ Yes. So, Jennifer, she's going to be

3:44 ↗ joining us online for uh online

3:47 ↗ presentation. She has a PowerPoint for

3:48 ↗ us. I did tell her of the last minute

3:50 ↗ change if she wanted to. She wasn't um

3:52 ↗ supposed to be in until like after 7:00.

3:55 ↗ So, I did ask her to join us at 6:45.

3:58 ↗ So, hopefully she'll join us at 6:45.

4:00 ↗ So, we will um come back to the second

4:02 ↗ item when she joins us and we can just

4:04 ↗ move forward and

4:06 ↗ >> come back to it.

4:07 ↗ >> Yeah.

4:08 ↗ >> Any thoughts, comments around that the

4:10 ↗ group?

4:13 ↗ All right.

4:14 ↗ >> Thank you again for your flexibility.

4:17 ↗ >> Yes.

4:18 ↗ >> Yes. Um and then the next thing we have

4:22 ↗ is um election of chair and vice chair.

4:26 ↗ Um this is a very important roles. Um so

4:30 ↗ we do need to have a conversation as a

4:32 ↗ group in terms of electing chair and

4:34 ↗ vice chair and want to make sure we have

4:37 ↗ some discussion around that before we go

4:39 ↗ into nomination.

4:42 ↗ So, are you interested in continuing on

4:45 ↗ in your role or do we have term limits

4:47 ↗ or um

4:48 ↗ >> we currently don't have term limit? Um,

4:51 ↗ so it's either um we certainly can ask

4:55 ↗ Mary and Hime to ask it to continue if

4:57 ↗ they're interested. Uh we like to give

4:59 ↗ folks an opportunity to try it out. Um I

5:02 ↗ think giving folks longer than a year

5:04 ↗ sometimes helpful. Um but um but totally

5:08 ↗ open to I haven't talked to anybody

5:10 ↗ prior to this meeting to see if there

5:12 ↗ was interest anywhere else. Um so

5:14 ↗ definitely want to have an open

5:15 ↗ conversation. I mean, Manny, maybe you

5:18 ↗ want to start off by saying if you are

5:19 ↗ interested in continuing in your role or

5:23 ↗ if you're ready to pass the torch or

5:28 ↗ please be honest.

5:34 ↗ >> And with that, I'm actually going to

5:37 ↗ push pause on this.

5:38 ↗ >> More conversation

5:39 ↗ >> more conversations to come. Thank you

5:40 ↗ again for your flexibility. And I'm

5:42 ↗ gonna welcome Jennifer Kerr. Hi, Jen. So

5:45 ↗ good to see you.

5:47 ↗ >> Hi guys

5:48 ↗ >> here and see us all.

5:49 ↗ >> Thanks for having me. Can you hear me?

5:51 ↗ Okay.

5:52 ↗ >> Beautiful background by the way. I

5:54 ↗ appreciate

5:55 ↗ >> Thanks.

5:56 ↗ >> our vibes.

5:59 ↗ >> Well, Jennifer, I don't I um I want to

6:02 ↗ welcome you to our human services

6:04 ↗ commission here. Thanks for joining us

6:06 ↗ online. Um you came in right actually we

6:10 ↗ are ready for you to start your

6:11 ↗ presentation if you are ready to go. Um,

6:15 ↗ so I think you have access to share your

6:17 ↗ screen if you're ready for that. Um, if

6:20 ↗ you need, please take your time.

6:23 ↗ >> Um, it says only or meeting organizers

6:26 ↗ and presenters can share, but it's not

6:28 ↗ giving me access.

6:30 ↗ >> Great. Let me see if I can.

6:32 ↗ >> Yeah.

6:36 ↗ Do you guys have you have AC in that

6:38 ↗ space? I hope.

6:40 ↗ >> Okay.

6:40 ↗ >> It's very pleasant.

6:43 ↗ Good.

6:50 ↗ >> All right. Just give it a second. I

6:52 ↗ think I was able to give you

6:53 ↗ presentation access.

6:55 ↗ >> Okay.

7:00 ↗ >> While she's pulling that up, who here

7:01 ↗ has heard of Reclaim?

7:04 ↗ Anybody familiar? Okay, that's okay.

7:07 ↗ >> Yay.

7:07 ↗ >> Hi, there's a few newbies here.

7:10 ↗ >> Hi, guys. Are you able to see this?

7:13 ↗ >> Yep.

7:14 ↗ >> Okay.

7:16 ↗ Yeah. I don't know that I've met any of

7:18 ↗ you guys in this space other than

7:19 ↗ Hannah.

7:21 ↗ >> Yeah.

7:21 ↗ >> I'm not sure.

7:23 ↗ >> You want to follow around and just say

7:25 ↗ your name, Commissioner?

7:27 ↗ >> I can start first. My name is Haime

7:29 ↗ Fardo. I'm the chair to human services

7:31 ↗ commission. I would say I've been the

7:33 ↗ commission for coming up on three four

7:35 ↗ years and lived in Isqua since 2007.

7:40 ↗ Is there

7:44 ↗ vice chair?

7:45 ↗ >> I'm Manny Brown. I am vice chair and

7:49 ↗ I've uh been here

7:53 ↗ six years now.

7:55 ↗ >> Long time.

7:56 ↗ >> Yeah.

7:56 ↗ >> Six years. Wow.

7:57 ↗ >> I live in the Isqua area and uh

8:01 ↗ >> for 80 years.

8:03 ↗ >> Yeah. Four.

8:07 ↗ >> That's funny.

8:09 ↗ Yeah. 30 years.

8:13 ↗ >> Wow.

8:16 ↗ >> Um, hi Jennifer. My name is Daty

8:17 ↗ Ramirez. Um, I one of I'm one of the

8:21 ↗ newer members. I've been in the Human

8:22 ↗ Services Commission for about three

8:24 ↗ months now. It's my third meeting. Um,

8:27 ↗ I've lived in Isqua for nowhere near as

8:30 ↗ long as Manny. Um, I've been here for

8:32 ↗ about two and a half years. Um, but I've

8:34 ↗ really enjoyed living here. Um, so I'm

8:37 ↗ really excited to hear what you have to

8:39 ↗ present today and learn about reclaim.

8:41 ↗ >> Awesome.

8:42 ↗ >> Yeah.

8:42 ↗ >> Hi, I'm Meline Fish. I've been a

8:45 ↗ commissioner I've been a member of this

8:47 ↗ commission for a couple years now and a

8:49 ↗ longtime ISQL resident and I'm excited

8:51 ↗ to learn more about Reclaim.

8:53 ↗ >> Awesome.

8:54 ↗ >> Hi, Jennifer Ray Man. I too am a newbie

8:57 ↗ with this wonderful group. Um, and have

9:00 ↗ lived in Isqua for a little over five

9:03 ↗ years. Um, and prior to this I was on

9:06 ↗ the um, equity board for four years. So,

9:10 ↗ it's great to stay close to the

9:12 ↗ community.

9:16 ↗ >> Um, my name's Trish Flor. Um, I've been

9:20 ↗ in the Isqua area, well, is school

9:24 ↗ district for 38 years.

9:27 ↗ >> Wow.

9:27 ↗ >> I beat you.

9:29 ↗ And and um I uh I think I've been on the

9:35 ↗ um commission just a year after you

9:38 ↗ something like that.

9:39 ↗ >> Yeah. I I joined during co Right.

9:41 ↗ >> Yeah. When I came on so about five

9:43 ↗ years.

9:43 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah. And um very involved in the

9:46 ↗ community. Um I started working with

9:49 ↗ your um prior uh Snowqualami Valley

9:53 ↗ Shelter Services, right?

9:55 ↗ >> Yep.

9:55 ↗ >> Oh, okay.

9:56 ↗ >> Is that the name?

9:57 ↗ >> Yep. same agency. We just brand

10:00 ↗ rebranded,

10:00 ↗ >> right? You rebranded. Um because I

10:02 ↗ volunteer with Isqua Community Services

10:05 ↗ and we used to um for hotel vouchers. We

10:08 ↗ used to send people there to your

10:10 ↗ organization.

10:11 ↗ >> Awesome.

10:12 ↗ >> Yeah.

10:12 ↗ >> Wonderful. Yeah. We've worked with the

10:14 ↗ mayor and the team for some time now.

10:16 ↗ >> Yeah. So, I'm excited to hear about

10:18 ↗ Yeah. what the rebranding has done.

10:20 ↗ Yeah.

10:21 ↗ >> Yeah.

10:22 ↗ >> We've shifted.

10:23 ↗ >> Take it away.

10:24 ↗ >> I know Hannah.

10:27 ↗ Okay. Uh let me move through here.

10:32 ↗ Um so just a little bit about who we

10:35 ↗ are. Um we are a community resources

10:39 ↗ resource providing pathways to

10:40 ↗ stability, opportunity and connection.

10:42 ↗ So that's our basic mission. Um our

10:45 ↗ vision is to really create this thriving

10:47 ↗ and inclusive community where everyone

10:49 ↗ has access to safe and stable housing.

10:52 ↗ Um, we talk a lot about kind of

10:54 ↗ affordable housing, but even affordable

10:56 ↗ housing isn't really attainable for a

10:58 ↗ lot of our folks that are living in

10:59 ↗ deeper poverty. So, just making sure

11:01 ↗ that we have spaces where everybody I

11:03 ↗ will say that is definitely a place

11:05 ↗ where Isiqua shines. You guys have so

11:06 ↗ many housing opportunities and we we um

11:09 ↗ actually house quite a few of our folks

11:11 ↗ in Isiqua. Um, so thank you for that. We

11:13 ↗ have very little um low-income housing

11:16 ↗ in Snowquami Valley. So, we appreciate

11:19 ↗ that. Um, and then we're very safe,

11:21 ↗ affirming place for um, anybody in the

11:25 ↗ uh, two spirit LGBTQ community, any

11:27 ↗ person of color. Um, we do not tolerate

11:31 ↗ hate speech. Uh, we will exit somebody

11:33 ↗ if they do that. It very rarely ever

11:35 ↗ happens. Um, uh, but we're definitely

11:38 ↗ that safe space for people. Um, and a

11:40 ↗ large percentage of our staff members

11:42 ↗ have lived experience and many of them

11:43 ↗ includ including myself are in recovery.

11:46 ↗ Um, and I think that that just brings

11:48 ↗ kind of this special little team

11:50 ↗ together to do this work.

11:53 ↗ A brief history on us. So, I won't run

11:56 ↗ through uh all of the wording on this,

11:58 ↗ but you can see that map. It kind of uh

12:00 ↗ outlines kind of, you know, we started

12:02 ↗ in 2012 is just a winter only overnight

12:06 ↗ shelter. We ran from usually like

12:07 ↗ November through March or April

12:09 ↗ depending on funding. Um, at the time,

12:12 ↗ Congregations for the Homeless came in

12:13 ↗ and helped us uh kind of run things.

12:16 ↗ They're now Porch Light in Belleview,

12:18 ↗ and they were our fiscal sponsor for the

12:19 ↗ first 5 years of our agency. In 2017, we

12:23 ↗ became our own uh independent nonprofit,

12:26 ↗ and we opened a resource center in

12:28 ↗ addition to that winter only shelter.

12:31 ↗ So, we had a daytime all year round

12:32 ↗ resource center um and the shelter in

12:35 ↗ the winter. In 2020 when COVID hit, we

12:38 ↗ expanded our services. A bunch of money

12:40 ↗ came our way. Um, and we expanded to 247

12:44 ↗ yearround shelter services.

12:48 ↗ In 2022 is when our rebrand happened. We

12:50 ↗ changed from Stowami Valley Shelter

12:52 ↗ Services over to Reclaim. Um, we really

12:55 ↗ the big driving force for our um,

12:58 ↗ rebrand was really the uh, clientele

13:02 ↗ that we saw coming to us during CO. We

13:04 ↗ had a lot of baby boomers. Um, a lot of

13:07 ↗ parents my parents' a or a lot of people

13:09 ↗ my parents age that were becoming

13:11 ↗ unhoused for the very first time in

13:12 ↗ their lives. Um, and we felt like uh an

13:15 ↗ agency with the word shelter and it was

13:17 ↗ a real barrier for that generation that

13:19 ↗ had just this they have such a beautiful

13:22 ↗ sense of pride but it also keeps them

13:23 ↗ from asking for help when they need it.

13:26 ↗ Um, so we rebranded to reclaim. It also

13:28 ↗ allowed us to just kind of grow however

13:29 ↗ we felt that we needed to grow. having

13:32 ↗ provided emergency shelter for years, we

13:34 ↗ really wanted to transition into some

13:37 ↗ prevention um and kind of open up our

13:39 ↗ service model. And uh last year, January

13:43 ↗ of 2024, we bought a building. Uh so we

13:46 ↗ actually own our building now and we

13:48 ↗ have opened up the Upper Valley's first

13:51 ↗ community service center and we have

13:52 ↗ called that the front door. Um, and that

13:55 ↗ name came from, uh, you know, just

13:57 ↗ historically marginalized populations.

14:00 ↗ Uh, people living in poverty, people of

14:02 ↗ color have been expected to kind of

14:05 ↗ access services from the back door or

14:07 ↗ take lo leftovers in a back alley um, in

14:10 ↗ this country. And we just really wanted

14:11 ↗ this welcoming space where everybody

14:13 ↗ felt comfortable coming through our

14:15 ↗ front door, thus the name.

14:19 ↗ Uh, sorry about that.

14:23 ↗ uh and introduce you to the front door.

14:25 ↗ So, it looks a little different now. We

14:26 ↗ have a really cool uh desk system now

14:28 ↗ that is not in this picture. You'll have

14:30 ↗ to come out and visit. Um but we are

14:32 ↗ located in downtown Snowqualami and so

14:34 ↗ we have a really good um kind of that

14:37 ↗ visual to the to the community now and

14:39 ↗ people are able to to find us easier. Uh

14:43 ↗ we are open regular hours Monday through

14:44 ↗ Friday 8:30 uh a.m. to 400 p.m. And this

14:48 ↗ space offers free clothing, emergency

14:50 ↗ food, laundry vouchers. uh so that

14:53 ↗ people can keep their housing costs

14:54 ↗ down, transportation assistance, we have

14:57 ↗ uh bus passes, things like that, hygiene

14:59 ↗ and harm reduction products, uh

15:02 ↗ computers and Wi-Fi, housing, case

15:05 ↗ management, and assistance signing up

15:07 ↗ for p for public benefits.

15:11 ↗ We have our threads of kindness clothing

15:13 ↗ boutique, which is just to the left of

15:15 ↗ that picture that I showed you. Uh when

15:16 ↗ you come into our building, that is uh

15:18 ↗ provided completely from the community.

15:21 ↗ Um, very rarely do we ever have to

15:23 ↗ actually buy anything to add to this

15:25 ↗ space. Um, and it offers free clothing

15:27 ↗ and small household items for anybody

15:29 ↗ housed or unhoused that's in need of

15:31 ↗ those services. Uh, we're also building

15:33 ↗ out kind of a teen section right now.

15:35 ↗ Have a volunteer working on that so that

15:36 ↗ our teens, it's hard enough. We all

15:39 ↗ still remember what it was to be a

15:40 ↗ teenager. It's really hard to do that

15:42 ↗ when you're living in poverty.

15:45 ↗ Uh, we have two different types of

15:47 ↗ sheltering. Our year round program is

15:49 ↗ called shelter to home and that is a

15:51 ↗ 90-day motel-based shelter program. So

15:54 ↗ people come in um and we have the

15:57 ↗ ability to extend their time out if

15:59 ↗ they're actively working with us case

16:01 ↗ management to try to find housing. Um if

16:03 ↗ they kind of come in that space and

16:04 ↗ they're not really ready yet to kind of

16:07 ↗ take advantage of the supportive

16:09 ↗ services, uh we will refer them out to

16:11 ↗ another agency after 90 days and then

16:13 ↗ they can reapply for our services after

16:15 ↗ 6 months. Um, so this helps us to to

16:18 ↗ make sure that those systems um that

16:20 ↗ tend to get bogged down are less bogged

16:22 ↗ down and we can continue to move people

16:24 ↗ through. Um, and I will say something

16:27 ↗ that's not on here. We have an amazing

16:28 ↗ housing uh navigator that uh her rate of

16:32 ↗ housing on any given month is between 70

16:34 ↗ and 80% of our clients are exiting our

16:36 ↗ program and entering home housing

16:39 ↗ directly from our program.

16:41 ↗ She's phenomenal. Um the shelter to home

16:44 ↗ program serves single adults, couples,

16:46 ↗ and families. And on any given night,

16:48 ↗ we're sheltering between 35 to 50

16:50 ↗ people. Um nearly all of our motel, uh

16:53 ↗ we motel in Northbend because the cost

16:56 ↗ is far less expensive. Uh we will uh

16:59 ↗ there are definitely times that we will

17:01 ↗ use is aqua hotels. Uh especially if we

17:03 ↗ have somebody that's fleeing domestic

17:05 ↗ violence, we won't place them in the

17:06 ↗ Motel 6 because that seems like a pretty

17:08 ↗ easy place to find people. Um, but we

17:10 ↗ will find a hotel where it kind of has a

17:12 ↗ lobby and and different security

17:14 ↗ measures for people. And then we have

17:18 ↗ our severe weather shelter which is

17:19 ↗ located in our building in downtown

17:21 ↗ Snowquali. It's the only shelter we do

17:23 ↗ inside of our building. Um, and that is

17:27 ↗ open only during times of extreme cold,

17:29 ↗ heat or smoke events. Like right now

17:31 ↗ we're doing a cooling center during the

17:32 ↗ day there and we have space for up to 15

17:35 ↗ beds when we're doing overnight shelter

17:37 ↗ there.

17:42 ↗ And then uh one of our newest programs

17:44 ↗ uh we just got approval for the name.

17:46 ↗ It's called Resilience Rising and it's a

17:48 ↗ gender-based violence program. So this

17:50 ↗ is a partnership with the Snwami Indian

17:52 ↗ Tribe. Um it serves anyone fleeing

17:55 ↗ domestic violence, dating violence,

17:58 ↗ stalking, human trafficking, um

18:00 ↗ including sex trafficking. A priority is

18:03 ↗ given to indigenous and native females,

18:05 ↗ but we will serve anybody uh male or

18:07 ↗ female that is fleeing um any sort of

18:09 ↗ domestic dating violence or trafficking.

18:12 ↗ Uh this is currently a motel-based

18:14 ↗ program, but we are right in the middle

18:16 ↗ of uh renting a house that the Snwami

18:19 ↗ Indian tribe owns in Snowquami and that

18:22 ↗ will be such a nicer, more confidential,

18:25 ↗ safe space for women and children. It's

18:26 ↗ a three-bedroom, so we'll be able to

18:28 ↗ have up to three families in that space

18:30 ↗ at one time.

18:34 ↗ Uh and then our benefits program. So uh

18:37 ↗ we recently uh made this significant

18:39 ↗ stride. We've talked for years about how

18:42 ↗ unbelievably difficult it is to get

18:43 ↗ people onto social security benefits. Um

18:46 ↗ it is a very long process for any of you

18:48 ↗ that have tried to do that. Um oftent

18:51 ↗ times I think the the rate of uh denial

18:55 ↗ the first time around and applying is

18:57 ↗ over 90%. So, it feels like that system

18:59 ↗ is really built to keep people off of

19:00 ↗ it. Um, but we legitimately have people

19:03 ↗ that are living with disabilities um and

19:05 ↗ they need that that income coming in.

19:08 ↗ So, through a grant uh partially funded

19:10 ↗ from the veteran seniors and human

19:12 ↗ services levy, we were able to hire on a

19:15 ↗ new benefits advocate named Steph um who

19:18 ↗ is working with our clients uh as they

19:20 ↗ come into the front door or the people

19:22 ↗ that are in our motel program uh to get

19:24 ↗ them the benefits that they need.

19:28 ↗ And then this is a program we're

19:29 ↗ building out right now um called Circle

19:32 ↗ of Support. And this is a mentorship

19:34 ↗ program that that supports people for

19:36 ↗ the first six months after they leave us

19:38 ↗ and they transition into housing. Um

19:41 ↗ that that first 6 months can be um

19:45 ↗ really challenging, very exciting, but

19:47 ↗ very lonely, very challenging for our

19:49 ↗ clients, especially people that have

19:50 ↗ been chronically unhoused. transitioning

19:53 ↗ into housing where they don't have

19:55 ↗ access to us all the time anymore. They

19:57 ↗ can't call every time they need

19:58 ↗ something and we can kind of run and get

20:00 ↗ that for them. Um we aren't taking them

20:02 ↗ to their doctor's appointments anymore.

20:04 ↗ Those sort of things. They have to

20:05 ↗ manage their money and their time. Um

20:07 ↗ and so we're hoping that this mentorship

20:09 ↗ program will help assist with program

20:11 ↗ with appointments. Um meet at a farmers

20:15 ↗ market to just do you know social

20:17 ↗ connections. Um, we're hoping to partner

20:19 ↗ veterans with veterans to support them

20:21 ↗ and their needs also. So, we will report

20:24 ↗ back on that one as we get going on it.

20:28 ↗ Um, and then some about our partnership

20:30 ↗ with the city of Stowami. We're so

20:32 ↗ grateful um for your support and you

20:34 ↗ guys are making a massive impact. Um, so

20:37 ↗ currently the funding that you guys

20:39 ↗ provide for us is going to support our

20:41 ↗ front door community service center. And

20:44 ↗ these are just some stats that we pulled

20:46 ↗ together. This is for the first two

20:48 ↗ quarters of this year. Um so uh just

20:52 ↗ kind of I don't need to run through this

20:54 ↗ whole thing, but you can see that um our

20:56 ↗ impact is really large already. And

20:58 ↗ every month we're starting to see more

21:00 ↗ and more momentum. Um so we had almost

21:03 ↗ 330 people come to us for um some sort

21:06 ↗ of navigation whether they needed a

21:08 ↗ referral out somewhere else. They came

21:10 ↗ into our program itself. um they needed

21:14 ↗ access to law services, uh immigration

21:17 ↗ services, whatever that is. We've had

21:19 ↗ that almost 330 touches during that

21:22 ↗ time. Um we have been seeing a lot of

21:25 ↗ people that are struggling to remain

21:27 ↗ housed come through our program. Uh we

21:29 ↗ are actually seeing now people that

21:31 ↗ actually have mortgages, not just our

21:32 ↗ renters, but people that have mortgages

21:34 ↗ that are having a hard time and are

21:35 ↗ coming to see us. So, we're able to help

21:38 ↗ them with uh gift cards, with helping

21:41 ↗ them to get on the Lihe program, which

21:43 ↗ is a free um assistance with their um

21:46 ↗ energy bills. Uh we're able to help with

21:48 ↗ laundry services to reduce down those

21:50 ↗ costs. They can come and get emergency

21:51 ↗ food, um shop for clothes, things like

21:54 ↗ that. Um

21:57 ↗ we also on the far right you will see at

22:00 ↗ the bottom there um almost 420 people

22:03 ↗ experiencing homelessness that came to

22:05 ↗ us during this time. 47 people uh facing

22:09 ↗ eviction. Um and then quite a few 71

22:12 ↗ people that were needing like clothing

22:13 ↗ and hygiene supplies. Uh and if you can

22:16 ↗ see on the left at the bottom 100

22:18 ↗ survivors of gender-based violence

22:20 ↗ during two quarters of the year. that's

22:24 ↗ substantial.

22:26 ↗ Um, and then for more in-depth

22:28 ↗ information, if you're interested, you

22:29 ↗ can go on to our website. You can either

22:31 ↗ go to the who we serve tab and that will

22:34 ↗ have our 2024 impact report. Um, or if

22:37 ↗ you go to our financial overview tab, it

22:39 ↗ has our 2025 case for support. So, feel

22:42 ↗ free, you can download the information

22:43 ↗ right from that website. Um, and you can

22:47 ↗ let me know if you have any questions.

22:51 ↗ And then how you can support our work uh

22:54 ↗ continue um our funding partnership is

22:56 ↗ is just amazing. We we serve quite a few

22:59 ↗ people. I don't have numbers tonight,

23:00 ↗ but quite a few quite a few people from

23:01 ↗ isqua. It's very common for us to see

23:03 ↗ your outreach workers to see air and

23:06 ↗ their team. Um uh they bring us a lot of

23:08 ↗ people during severe weather uh

23:10 ↗ specifically in the wintertime more. Um

23:13 ↗ and so that continued partnership is is

23:15 ↗ really needed and really appreciated.

23:17 ↗ Um, I'd love to set up a time for you

23:19 ↗ guys to come and tour our facility if

23:21 ↗ you're interested in doing that. Um, on

23:23 ↗ our volunteer tab on our website, we

23:25 ↗ have lots of uh information about

23:27 ↗ different volunteer engagement

23:28 ↗ opportunities. Uh, we welcome in kind

23:32 ↗ donations of clothing, hygiene items,

23:34 ↗ um, foods that are non-p perishable. Um,

23:38 ↗ and then just policy support around um,

23:41 ↗ you know, continue those affordable

23:42 ↗ housing initiatives. Um, if you guys are

23:45 ↗ ever interested in talking about day

23:46 ↗ center or shelter in Isaacqua, I'm I'm

23:49 ↗ 110% available to you if that's a

23:51 ↗ direction you guys are going in at some

23:53 ↗ point. And then just making sure zoning

23:55 ↗ is available um like you guys already do

23:58 ↗ to just make sure that we can continue

23:59 ↗ this work.

24:02 ↗ Um, and then we have a couple of events

24:04 ↗ on Saturday, September 27th, we have our

24:06 ↗ uh largest fundraiser of the year, our

24:08 ↗ main fundraiser. Um, and we I'm happy to

24:11 ↗ send this Hannah's way once we we will

24:14 ↗ open up registration um either the end

24:16 ↗ of this week or early next week. Um, and

24:18 ↗ we'd love to have you guys join us. It's

24:20 ↗ a SI view community center in Northbend.

24:23 ↗ And then at that same location on

24:25 ↗ November 15th, we're going to be holding

24:26 ↗ a poverty immersion experience. So

24:28 ↗ that's a place where um people will come

24:31 ↗ into us and they're kind of given a

24:33 ↗ person to be for the next couple of

24:35 ↗ hours and they see different service

24:36 ↗ providers in that room. they're awarded

24:40 ↗ kind of given certain resources

24:43 ↗ um as they're navigating through um and

24:45 ↗ they hit barrier after barrier after

24:47 ↗ barrier during that time. So, it just

24:49 ↗ helps to build empathy

24:52 ↗ um and start to understand what it is to

24:54 ↗ live in deep poverty when there's not a

24:56 ↗ lot of safety nets um involved.

25:01 ↗ Um and then just gratitude to you guys,

25:03 ↗ to your mayor, to your council, to this

25:05 ↗ commission here, to all of your staff.

25:07 ↗ um some information on how to contact

25:09 ↗ us. Uh that's our main phone number. And

25:12 ↗ then my email is is on there too if you

25:14 ↗ want to contact me directly. Um and then

25:18 ↗ let's continue to empower our neighbors

25:20 ↗ uh to build stability, opportunity, and

25:21 ↗ connection, which is our tagline for our

25:25 ↗ uh for our logo. So, and I will happily

25:30 ↗ take questions from you guys.

25:35 ↗ >> Um yeah. Um, thank you. That was great.

25:39 ↗ Um, what is your service area?

25:43 ↗ >> Uh, so we serve all of Snowqualami

25:44 ↗ Valley. So from Northbend up on the pass

25:48 ↗ all the way through Duvall. Um, people

25:50 ↗ from Monroe every once in a while will

25:52 ↗ come to us. Um, we serve um is all

25:55 ↗ Isiqua residents. Um, and then we will

25:58 ↗ we will serve anybody that comes to us,

26:00 ↗ but we're contracted with Isakiqua.

26:01 ↗ We're contracted with Belleview um to

26:03 ↗ provide services. Um, and then

26:07 ↗ So, you service residents from

26:09 ↗ Belleview?

26:10 ↗ >> We do. We don't see a ton of people come

26:12 ↗ from Belleview. Um, it depends on that

26:14 ↗ time of the year. Um, during wintertime,

26:18 ↗ we don't see nearly as many people

26:19 ↗ because it's harder to travel out there.

26:21 ↗ Uh, but we serve quite a few people from

26:22 ↗ Isqua.

26:24 ↗ >> Yeah. Okay. And then, um, I wanted to

26:27 ↗ make sure you don't do actual rental

26:30 ↗ assistance, right? No, we don't do uh

26:33 ↗ rental assistance, but we are always

26:35 ↗ looking for funding sources for that.

26:37 ↗ So, our grant writer is always trying to

26:39 ↗ keep um information kind of accurate to

26:42 ↗ to be able to do that at some point in

26:44 ↗ time. So, we will we will put them in in

26:47 ↗ contact with other agencies or churches

26:50 ↗ that do rental assistance.

26:51 ↗ >> You would like to be able to do that

26:53 ↗ eventually.

26:54 ↗ >> Absolutely.

26:56 ↗ >> We we had a for the longest time we had

26:58 ↗ a a nonprofit that worked out of a

27:00 ↗ church in downtown St. called Helping

27:01 ↗ Hands. Um, and they handled all of the

27:04 ↗ rental assistance and we handled the

27:05 ↗ sheltering part of all of that. Um, and

27:08 ↗ they've they've gone a different

27:10 ↗ direction and so there really isn't um,

27:12 ↗ much rental assistance available in our

27:14 ↗ area right now.

27:16 ↗ >> Yeah. And then one last question, how

27:18 ↗ many staff members in your organization?

27:20 ↗ >> Uh, we currently have nine. We are

27:22 ↗ hiring right now for a volunteer

27:24 ↗ coordinator. Um, and then we'll land at

27:27 ↗ 10 for for some time. I think we'll

27:29 ↗ probably be at 10 for a while.

27:31 ↗ >> Yeah.

27:32 ↗ >> Yeah. And Tissa and I, Tissa is our

27:34 ↗ operations manager or operations

27:35 ↗ director. She and I are co-founders

27:38 ↗ um with quite a few other people that

27:40 ↗ were involved at the time. So, she and I

27:42 ↗ this is kind of our baby. We've been

27:43 ↗ involved. You you think about when

27:45 ↗ you're, you know, every ounce of the

27:47 ↗ life that your children have lived,

27:48 ↗ right? That's how we feel about this

27:50 ↗ agency because we've been around since

27:51 ↗ day one.

27:53 ↗ >> Yeah.

27:54 ↗ >> Well, I know you do good work and it

27:55 ↗ sounds like you're really growing. Yeah,

27:57 ↗ we are.

28:00 ↗ >> Yeah.

28:01 ↗ >> Yeah. And you know, every day we're

28:02 ↗ still turning people away

28:04 ↗ >> every single day. Oh, yeah.

28:06 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah.

28:08 ↗ >> And can we have a copy of her deck and

28:10 ↗ then I'll shut up.

28:12 ↗ >> Yeah. I'll send it over to you. Yeah.

28:14 ↗ >> Wonderful. Thank you.

28:16 ↗ >> Did you Can we have a copy of your

28:17 ↗ PowerPoint?

28:18 ↗ >> Sure.

28:20 ↗ >> Yep. I'll email it to you.

28:22 ↗ >> Yep. Happy to send it off to everybody.

28:23 ↗ >> Okay. Yeah.

28:25 ↗ >> And Jennifer. Um, great presentation.

28:27 ↗ Thank you. Um, tell me about the meaning

28:31 ↗ and the background of the name itself.

28:34 ↗ >> Uh, Reclaim.

28:35 ↗ >> Yes.

28:36 ↗ >> Yeah. You know, we um, one of our board

28:39 ↗ members did our rebrand. He's in

28:40 ↗ marketing and, uh, when we all kind of

28:42 ↗ got together to talk about a name, he

28:44 ↗ threw, it was funny because we met

28:45 ↗ probably six different times and day

28:47 ↗ one, first five minutes out, he threw

28:49 ↗ out the name reclaim and we were all

28:50 ↗ like,

28:52 ↗ I don't know. And then he threw it out

28:55 ↗ again like meeting four or five and all

28:58 ↗ of us said yes that's the name like we'd

29:01 ↗ never heard it before. Um and really for

29:03 ↗ us it was

29:06 ↗ more than anything it was about helping

29:07 ↗ people reclaim their lives um their

29:09 ↗ existence in the world. Um because

29:11 ↗ historically we have served um very

29:14 ↗ chronically homeless folks. Um we don't

29:18 ↗ just serve chronically unhoused folks

29:20 ↗ anymore. We serve anybody and everybody.

29:22 ↗ Um, but watching watching somebody that

29:27 ↗ has lived outdoors for so long. Um, some

29:31 ↗ people it's almost it's almost like they

29:33 ↗ become feral living out there um without

29:35 ↗ other people and just in this constant

29:37 ↗ state of survival. Um, and to watch what

29:41 ↗ happens when they come into our program

29:42 ↗ and they walk through that and they

29:44 ↗ start to reclaim their life is really

29:46 ↗ where that name came from. Um, but then

29:49 ↗ we also felt like it kind of, you know,

29:51 ↗ this is a logging area and we talked

29:53 ↗ about reclaimed wood and and how it kind

29:55 ↗ of represents our environment out here

29:58 ↗ too. So,

30:00 ↗ >> great. Now, um, you started in 2012. Um,

30:06 ↗ how's your numbers growth been?

30:10 ↗ >> Um,

30:12 ↗ we have grown exponentially.

30:16 ↗ um from the time we were just uh using

30:18 ↗ churches before um and they were so

30:20 ↗ gracious with us, we would just move

30:22 ↗ kind of from location to location. And

30:24 ↗ at the time when we opened that shelter,

30:26 ↗ it was specifically uh very low barrier,

30:29 ↗ which means that we we wanted to be able

30:31 ↗ to serve anybody and everybody that

30:33 ↗ needed those services regardless of

30:34 ↗ whether they were struggling with

30:36 ↗ addiction, untreated mental health

30:38 ↗ issues. As long as they were able to be

30:40 ↗ safe and we were able to be safe in that

30:43 ↗ space with them, we had them come

30:45 ↗ indoors.

30:47 ↗ We have we will still always serve

30:49 ↗ people that are chronically homeless,

30:50 ↗ but we've kind of served them all at

30:53 ↗ this point in time after 13 years.

30:57 ↗ They've received all of those services,

30:59 ↗ right? And so we've expanded out and

31:01 ↗ started doing the prevention side and

31:04 ↗ all of that. So, we over the course of

31:06 ↗ the 13 years, we've served uh for

31:09 ↗ shelter alone over a thousand people

31:11 ↗ throughout our program. Um, but now

31:13 ↗ we're expanding out to serve people to

31:16 ↗ just try to keep them housed in general,

31:18 ↗ too. So, we're just growing constantly.

31:22 ↗ >> Thank you.

31:23 ↗ >> Yeah.

31:26 ↗ >> Um, oh, sorry.

31:28 ↗ >> Hey, Jen, what prompted the circle of

31:31 ↗ support program?

31:33 ↗ Yeah, I um I do this um I call it gather

31:37 ↗ and grow. And what I do every quarter is

31:39 ↗ I bring together a really small group of

31:41 ↗ kind of long-term supporters that aren't

31:44 ↗ on our board or aren't on another

31:46 ↗ committee, aren't really plugged in, and

31:49 ↗ we kind of spend some time behind the

31:51 ↗ scenes talking about some challenges

31:53 ↗ that we have. Um, and that was where

31:56 ↗ this it kind of birthed this idea for

31:58 ↗ the circle of support because we talked

32:00 ↗ about um that that first six months,

32:05 ↗ likely more time, but we don't really

32:07 ↗ have the bandwidth to kind of stay with

32:08 ↗ somebody longer than 6 months right now.

32:10 ↗ Um, how scary that can be for people.

32:13 ↗ And there are times that you will see

32:16 ↗ people

32:17 ↗ that have been let down so many times

32:19 ↗ and now this amazing thing's happening

32:21 ↗ where they're getting housing and you'll

32:23 ↗ watch them almost self-sabotage it

32:25 ↗ because they expect that it's going to

32:27 ↗ go away because everything always goes

32:29 ↗ away, right? Um and so really helping to

32:32 ↗ support them to make sure that that's

32:33 ↗ not happening. Um that's kind of where

32:35 ↗ that idea came from is doing that deeper

32:38 ↗ dive um into ensuring that people

32:40 ↗ actually stay housed once they're

32:42 ↗ housed.

32:44 ↗ How's that transition going? Uh,

32:46 ↗ >> it's good. The circle of support

32:48 ↗ program, we have not started yet. We're

32:49 ↗ still building that program out, but we

32:51 ↗ have a lot of volunteers that are really

32:53 ↗ interested in doing that. Um, so we

32:55 ↗ should have we should have all of our

32:57 ↗ programming and be ready to um start

33:00 ↗ training people. Everything should be

33:01 ↗ ready within the next couple of weeks.

33:04 ↗ >> So, I think it'll be a really great

33:06 ↗ program. We'll learn a lot. We'll shift.

33:08 ↗ We'll, you know, we'll start out a one

33:09 ↗ way and certain things will work and

33:11 ↗ certain things won't. So, we'll adjust

33:12 ↗ and we'll do what we always do and kind

33:15 ↗ of keep the good and replace the stuff

33:18 ↗ that's not going so great.

33:20 ↗ >> No, it's a lot.

33:21 ↗ >> Very exciting.

33:23 ↗ >> Yeah. Thanks. And we'll do a lot of

33:24 ↗ training around boundaries. Um because

33:26 ↗ that mentorship um you know people can

33:29 ↗ become kind of close in that space. Um

33:31 ↗ and just making sure that it remains a

33:33 ↗ mentorship program and not a friendship

33:35 ↗ program that kind of those those

33:37 ↗ professional boundaries kind of stay

33:39 ↗ there.

33:43 ↗ Jen, I have a a two-parter question.

33:46 ↗ Yeah,

33:47 ↗ >> thank you for the wonderful

33:48 ↗ presentation. Um, the first question is

33:50 ↗ uh you with community based

33:52 ↗ organizations like yours given what's

33:55 ↗ going on at the national level that's

33:57 ↗ impacting local level uh

34:00 ↗ >> support

34:02 ↗ is are you struggling with that? Is it

34:03 ↗ being is it more challenging for you to

34:06 ↗ keep your lights on and and provide the

34:08 ↗ support you do? Have you had to change

34:09 ↗ your strategy because of what's going on

34:12 ↗ um at a national and this impacted local

34:13 ↗ levels? That's question number one.

34:15 ↗ >> Okay. Um we we are lucky in the fact

34:21 ↗ that we do not have very much federal

34:23 ↗ funding that comes to our agency and by

34:26 ↗ the time all of this kind of hit we had

34:28 ↗ some ARPA money that we had all kind of

34:30 ↗ build out already. Um and so we had kind

34:32 ↗ of received that funding. The largest uh

34:35 ↗ pocket of federal funding that we are a

34:39 ↗ beneficiary of is that gender-based

34:42 ↗ violence program with the Snowqualami

34:44 ↗ tribe. I was very concerned about that

34:46 ↗ program because it's the it's department

34:48 ↗ of justice office of violence against

34:50 ↗ women and um I don't know if you

34:53 ↗ remember back in probably right at in

34:55 ↗ January um maybe early February the

34:59 ↗ applications for that were completely

35:01 ↗ pulled. anybody that was in the middle

35:02 ↗ of applying for those funds, it was

35:04 ↗ halted completely.

35:06 ↗ >> The tribe had already been awarded that

35:08 ↗ funding the year before. Um, but I was

35:11 ↗ still nervous that every So, what

35:13 ↗ happens is we have our costs, we bill

35:15 ↗ out the tribe, then the tribe bills the

35:17 ↗ DOJ, then the DOJ pays, then the money

35:20 ↗ gets distributed out to us and whoever

35:22 ↗ else is contracted to serve. Um, I was

35:25 ↗ really concerned that we would go to

35:26 ↗ pull down that money one month and it's

35:28 ↗ all reimburseable only. So, we were all

35:30 ↗ already spend that money and that that

35:32 ↗ money would not be available. Um, I

35:34 ↗ don't feel that way anymore because

35:36 ↗ we've met with the tribe and there are I

35:38 ↗ I did not know this, but there are

35:40 ↗ congressional holdouts for tribal

35:43 ↗ organizations that I was not aware of as

35:45 ↗ a white person. Um, and that is a law.

35:49 ↗ And so those those

35:51 ↗ the money for the DOJ money is very

35:54 ↗ secure if it sits in a contract with a

35:56 ↗ tribe. and they feel like not only will

35:59 ↗ that continue on, but we actually may be

36:01 ↗ able to receive more money for that

36:03 ↗ program as long as it runs through the

36:04 ↗ tribe first.

36:06 ↗ >> Okay.

36:06 ↗ >> So, but we do have uh contingency plans.

36:09 ↗ We built all of that out in January and

36:11 ↗ February. Um we have policies now around

36:15 ↗ uh what staff does if um ICE comes to

36:17 ↗ our building. Um we have an intercom

36:21 ↗ entry system into our building now. So,

36:23 ↗ you have to actually push a button and

36:25 ↗ be let into our building. Um, we had

36:27 ↗ already planned to do that for security,

36:29 ↗ but we bumped that up when we were

36:31 ↗ concerned about ICE coming to our

36:32 ↗ building. Um, so we we will work with

36:36 ↗ them if there's a judicial warrant. Um,

36:39 ↗ of course, but

36:41 ↗ >> that's

36:42 ↗ >> what other questions you got. Did that

36:43 ↗ answer your question?

36:45 ↗ >> It did. Details. Um, so question number

36:48 ↗ two is, so with it sounds like federal

36:51 ↗ funding is pretty safe, but there's also

36:53 ↗ local Medicaid dollars that are being

36:56 ↗ impacted by changes slowly trickling

36:58 ↗ down to local communities like ours.

37:00 ↗ >> Um, I don't know what that looks like in

37:03 ↗ the coming year or coming years. Um, but

37:07 ↗ it So do you ever So here I'll give you

37:10 ↗ a scenario. a a an uh

37:15 ↗ somebody walks in was brought to the ER

37:18 ↗ at Swedish Isiqua by the Isiqua Police

37:21 ↗ Department and that and when they when

37:24 ↗ they took this individual, they said

37:26 ↗ that we're looking for what do we do

37:28 ↗ with this individual after they've been

37:29 ↗ sitting there for a while? Have there

37:31 ↗ ever been referrals to you, not only by

37:33 ↗ the hospital, but other healthc care

37:35 ↗ providers who might receive funding

37:37 ↗ through Medicare or Medicaid that have

37:39 ↗ entered your doors because of a referral

37:41 ↗ that came through that route?

37:43 ↗ >> Many times, many times we receive, we

37:46 ↗ actually have a special questionnaire

37:48 ↗ that we use for hospital staff um or

37:52 ↗ outreach staff from different cities

37:53 ↗ that are calling us. Um the crisis

37:56 ↗ clinic will call us sometimes. Um so we

37:58 ↗ do receive many calls um from Swedish

38:01 ↗ from Snowqualami Valley Hospital out

38:03 ↗ here um because they're trying to exit

38:06 ↗ somebody and they literally have nowhere

38:07 ↗ to go and they don't want to just put

38:09 ↗ them out on the street. So that's very

38:11 ↗ common. Um we are concerned uh we don't

38:14 ↗ know what it will look like yet. Um,

38:16 ↗ we're really talking about uh really

38:18 ↗ trying to beef up our volunteer program

38:21 ↗ in case we need to depend on volunteers

38:23 ↗ more and more as 2026 hits and 2027 when

38:26 ↗ all of that federal all of that starts

38:29 ↗ trickling down, right? Um, and I think

38:31 ↗ that's when we're really going to see

38:32 ↗ that. Um

38:36 ↗ the I just learned recently that part of

38:39 ↗ that uh bill basically cut funding for

38:43 ↗ Mckin Vento which is an act um that uh

38:48 ↗ protects it's in schools. Basically they

38:50 ↗ have counselors that that are Mckin

38:52 ↗ Vento counselors and it protects

38:54 ↗ children that are experiencing

38:55 ↗ homelessness. Um, and so it makes sure

38:57 ↗ that there's transportation to get into

38:59 ↗ and from school, that they have all the

39:00 ↗ school supplies that they need, that

39:01 ↗ they have the support that they need,

39:03 ↗ the food, all of the things that they

39:04 ↗ need to be able to learn. Um, and so

39:08 ↗ from my standpoint, that's that's just

39:10 ↗ it's heartbreaking. Um because how in

39:13 ↗ the world do we stop perpetuating

39:16 ↗ chronic and generational homelessness

39:19 ↗ without education,

39:21 ↗ you know, without educating our kids and

39:23 ↗ giving them an opportunity to escape

39:25 ↗ that poverty. Um if that's not

39:27 ↗ available, it will just continue on and

39:29 ↗ then they will have children into that

39:31 ↗ poverty system. Right. So

39:34 ↗ yeah,

39:40 ↗ >> they should have run for the uh

39:44 ↗ federal secretary job.

39:48 ↗ >> There you go.

39:51 ↗ >> Got my vote.

39:54 ↗ >> Are you talking about me?

39:56 ↗ >> Yeah.

39:57 ↗ >> Oh, that's funny. I'm a snowclami

39:58 ↗ resident. Sorry.

40:03 ↗ Jennifer, do you have um a behavioral

40:05 ↗ health specialist on staff?

40:08 ↗ >> No, we do not. And um I'm sure that you

40:12 ↗ guys are well aware that our police

40:14 ↗ department has gone through a lot of

40:15 ↗ changes out here in Snowquami as of

40:17 ↗ recently. Um and uh we lost our

40:21 ↗ behavioral health specialist that was

40:23 ↗ contracted with the city of Snowquami.

40:25 ↗ She had gone on maternity leave, but

40:27 ↗ then she didn't return. Um,

40:31 ↗ and uh, that was really unfortunate cuz

40:34 ↗ we needed we needed her. She worked with

40:36 ↗ all of the first responders and she had

40:38 ↗ gotten to know kind of those frequent

40:41 ↗ flyers that are needing those emergency

40:43 ↗ services, right, around mental health.

40:45 ↗ Um, and that was really unfortunate. So,

40:48 ↗ no, we do not have anybody out here and

40:50 ↗ it is desperately needed.

40:53 ↗ >> Okay. And you guys, you know, I'm really

40:54 ↗ bad with the boundaries. You're not

40:56 ↗ covered by East Side Fire and Rescue,

40:58 ↗ right? You have your

40:59 ↗ >> No, we have our own fire department

41:01 ↗ here, Snowqualami. Um although um if

41:04 ↗ it's outside of um so so one of the

41:08 ↗ hotels that we use motel that we use in

41:10 ↗ Northbend, it's east enough to where it

41:13 ↗ doesn't fall it is East Side Fire. Um so

41:16 ↗ our facility itself is Nocomi.

41:20 ↗ >> Thanks.

41:21 ↗ >> Yeah,

41:24 ↗ >> great questions, Commissioner.

41:26 ↗ Well, I'll wrap us up by just saying

41:28 ↗ thank you, Jen. Reclaim has been such a

41:32 ↗ pivotal piece for our services. We've

41:35 ↗ really relied on this partnership as you

41:37 ↗ mentioned a few times, but I just want

41:38 ↗ to share my gratitude for your staff.

41:41 ↗ Like you said, those numbers are quite

41:43 ↗ incredible. Um, very profound and just

41:46 ↗ shows the dedication. I mean, I look at

41:48 ↗ this the numbers that you provided and

41:51 ↗ knowing that you're only a staff of nine

41:53 ↗ currently. I mean, it's very impressive.

41:55 ↗ So, thank you for the hard work boots on

41:58 ↗ the ground and uh making this community

42:01 ↗ better and improving lives. It really

42:03 ↗ makes a difference. So, we really love

42:06 ↗ working with you all. So, thank you.

42:08 ↗ >> Well, right back at you. Yeah. Thank you

42:11 ↗ so much for your partnership and we love

42:13 ↗ working with Hannah.

42:14 ↗ >> You're awesome.

42:16 ↗ >> Yes. Thank you.

42:18 ↗ >> All right, Jen, we'll wrap up. Um, you

42:21 ↗ are welcome. We have just some boring

42:23 ↗ human services, so you're welcome to pop

42:26 ↗ off. But we appreciate your time this

42:27 ↗ evening.

42:28 ↗ >> Yeah, of course. I hope Aston's feeling

42:30 ↗ better.

42:30 ↗ >> I was sorry to hear that he wasn't

42:32 ↗ feeling well. So, and I'll get the uh

42:34 ↗ deck over to you guys so that you have

42:35 ↗ that for your for your records. So, let

42:38 ↗ me

42:39 ↗ >> if you guys have any questions, take

42:41 ↗ care.

42:42 ↗ >> We'll be in touch. Thanks, Jane.

42:49 ↗ very impressive growth that they've had

42:51 ↗ and numbers. So, no kidding.

42:53 ↗ >> Yeah. Glad we were able to learn a lot

42:54 ↗ more. And I remember visiting them when

42:57 ↗ they had this beautiful house, like an

42:59 ↗ old snowcoming house where they really

43:01 ↗ did a beautiful job transforming it into

43:03 ↗ just these very suitable, I mean, for a

43:06 ↗ shelter, very suitable private cubbies

43:08 ↗ where people had a bed and dresser and

43:11 ↗ closet uh where they really they had

43:14 ↗ chores. They had a big communal kitchen.

43:17 ↗ Um, and it was just a very homey feeling

43:18 ↗ and people didn't want to leave there.

43:20 ↗ They just loved staying in that shelter

43:21 ↗ and felt safe and um, so that was so

43:25 ↗ that was before their purchase. Um, so

43:28 ↗ it's great to see kind of their new and

43:30 ↗ improved location.

43:32 ↗ >> Well, I know the lease the lease ran

43:34 ↗ out.

43:35 ↗ >> Yeah. And so I'm really glad to hear I

43:37 ↗ mean it sounds like things are bigger

43:39 ↗ and better now because I thought

43:41 ↗ >> when they lease ran out

43:44 ↗ >> but I think it ran out during co or

43:45 ↗ something but things were kind of

43:46 ↗ falling apart.

43:48 ↗ >> Yeah.

43:48 ↗ >> And it sounds like they've really picked

43:49 ↗ themselves off.

43:50 ↗ >> Yeah. And and I think the biggest thing

43:52 ↗ is we really utilized and originally um

43:54 ↗ during co we utilized our services as a

43:57 ↗ shelter. We saw reclaiming back then so

43:59 ↗ called valley shelter services. It was

44:01 ↗ truly just shelter services. We referred

44:04 ↗ many of our unhoused um Isla residents

44:07 ↗ um to shelter there um for long or short

44:10 ↗ periods of time. And when they lost the

44:12 ↗ lease, it was really like, okay, what

44:14 ↗ does Reclaim do if you're not shelter

44:16 ↗ anymore? And so the rebrand and the re

44:19 ↗ uh the building and like the services

44:21 ↗ that they provide are just as important

44:23 ↗ as sheltering. And they do shelter. It's

44:25 ↗ just in a kind of more unique way.

44:27 ↗ >> And the motel. Yeah.

44:29 ↗ >> Yeah. which, you know, we've learned our

44:31 ↗ own house population would much rather

44:34 ↗ have a private room um with a shower

44:38 ↗ right there.

44:39 ↗ >> Um and so it gives them better living

44:41 ↗ quarters um as an option. So

44:46 ↗ >> yeah, very impressive. So I'm glad we

44:48 ↗ were able to learn more about them.

44:49 ↗ >> That's great.

44:50 ↗ >> And if anybody gets a chance to go out

44:52 ↗ there, they'd be one saying hi. So

44:54 ↗ they'd love to see y'all.

44:57 ↗ >> All right. Well, that concludes that.

44:58 ↗ It's a tough transition from this great

45:00 ↗ work onto

45:03 ↗ going back to the election of the chair

45:05 ↗ and vice chair.

45:07 ↗ >> It won't be this long.

45:10 ↗ >> All right. All right. Otherwise, you

45:12 ↗ guys just You're not going to open your

45:13 ↗ mouth. Okay. Are you guys willing to

45:15 ↗ stay on in leadership roles?

45:17 ↗ >> What does that mean? For how long? We'll

45:19 ↗ talk

45:20 ↗ >> a year. Every year we do it both.

45:22 ↗ >> I I mean date wise

45:24 ↗ >> May to um April. So started this

45:27 ↗ technically was we were going to do this

45:29 ↗ in May and then we were going to do it

45:30 ↗ in June.

45:31 ↗ >> Okay.

45:32 ↗ >> That's what's throwing me off.

45:33 ↗ >> Yeah. So it's it's not like the year.

45:34 ↗ >> So you get credit for time served

45:39 ↗ >> again.

45:40 ↗ So term So chair and vice chair term

45:43 ↗ typically goes from May to April. So

45:45 ↗ when the new commissioners come on in

45:47 ↗ May, we usually end up voting either in

45:50 ↗ May or June. We just got a little bit

45:53 ↗ delayed.

45:54 ↗ >> And I know you've said you're not

45:55 ↗ interested. I'm not.

45:56 ↗ >> Okay. And I'm not going to point to you

45:59 ↗ guys because you guys are new. I figure

46:00 ↗ you want at least a year.

46:02 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah.

46:03 ↗ >> Well, see who's not here that we could

46:04 ↗ nominate.

46:05 ↗ >> That's true.

46:06 ↗ >> That's how Danny got nominated.

46:10 ↗ >> Yes.

46:11 ↗ >> I'm I'm willing to say it's vice chair.

46:14 ↗ That's

46:14 ↗ >> okay. What about chair?

46:17 ↗ >> No. Okay. Well, that that was easy.

46:21 ↗ >> No, I'm just uh

46:23 ↗ >> That's okay. You don't have to explain

46:25 ↗ anything. Are you willing to stay on his

46:27 ↗ chair?

46:29 ↗ >> I think for one more one more year. Um I

46:31 ↗ attended the training yesterday with

46:32 ↗ Mayor Paulie and uh you know it's

46:35 ↗ definitely a huge responsibility and we

46:37 ↗ have a few new members and want to make

46:39 ↗ sure that we can kind of uh keep growing

46:41 ↗ our folks. Um so I am interested one

46:44 ↗ more year. I think what I heard was I

46:46 ↗ noted it down May.

46:53 ↗ >> Yes. Um,

46:54 ↗ >> okay. I think we have a slate.

46:57 ↗ >> What about you, Trish?

46:58 ↗ >> What about you?

46:59 ↗ >> I've already done it.

47:00 ↗ >> Okay.

47:01 ↗ >> I've already done it.

47:03 ↗ >> Um, I think we have a slate.

47:06 ↗ >> Well, I'm going to I'm going to follow

47:07 ↗ the script that I got here from Hannah

47:09 ↗ here.

47:10 ↗ >> You have to do proper

47:12 ↗ action item.

47:13 ↗ >> So, let me go. The the following process

47:15 ↗ will be used. Um, first I will call for

47:17 ↗ nominations.

47:21 ↗ So I nominate Manny as vice chair and

47:25 ↗ Himeay as chair

47:28 ↗ or do I have to say I move that we

47:30 ↗ nominate and someone has to second it or

47:33 ↗ >> I think it would be is there a unanimous

47:35 ↗ consent from the group of uh vice chair

47:38 ↗ with Manny and myself as chair thumbs up

47:47 ↗ for you. We got

47:49 ↗ >> we don't

47:51 ↗ >> so I think from what I understand and

47:53 ↗ keeping to make sure I follow spirit it

47:55 ↗ would be we would do the chair first and

47:57 ↗ the vice chair and then what I'm hearing

47:59 ↗ is there's unanimous with the vice chair

48:01 ↗ of Manny Brown being the vice chair.

48:04 ↗ >> Yes.

48:04 ↗ >> Yes. Okay. I'm going to go ahead with

48:07 ↗ the chair is a unanimous consent with

48:11 ↗ myself being the chair with

48:14 ↗ All right. Um, well, first of all, say

48:17 ↗ congratulations to the group.

48:21 ↗ >> I want to make sure I'm clean on this

48:22 ↗ though.

48:24 ↗ >> What's he reading?

48:25 ↗ >> Script script.

48:27 ↗ >> The script I was given, but I want to

48:28 ↗ make sure because it is something it is

48:30 ↗ a responsibility. You know, I want to

48:31 ↗ make sure it is uh I'll give you an

48:34 ↗ example of, you know, doing the

48:35 ↗ interviews with Manny, myself, and

48:37 ↗ Hannah, making sure we're,

48:39 ↗ >> you know, leading with our mission,

48:41 ↗ vision, values. something that we do do

48:43 ↗ take in heart specifically, we just had

48:45 ↗ a speaker come from the housing

48:48 ↗ situation is that when we go into the

48:50 ↗ grant circumstances, um those other

48:53 ↗ decisions that you know, you're all

48:54 ↗ selected for a reason and it's to make

48:56 ↗ the best for our residents of Isqua. So,

48:58 ↗ it is um

49:00 ↗ >> it is a responsibility. I know.

49:02 ↗ >> No, no, no, no. I get you. I get your

49:04 ↗ >> giving me a haircut.

49:05 ↗ >> No, no, no, no. I and I appreciate that,

49:06 ↗ Trish. You actually really mentored me.

49:09 ↗ Um, but I want to make sure that we have

49:11 ↗ unanimous consent and we can kind of

49:13 ↗ move forward that way and we'll revisit

49:16 ↗ this again next year.

49:17 ↗ >> Next year and we'll see how we feel.

49:19 ↗ >> Okay.

49:20 ↗ >> And just sorry I wasn't able to join for

49:23 ↗ the uh

49:25 ↗ um presentation you gave. Was that the

49:28 ↗ uh one with Mayor Paulie?

49:32 ↗ >> What what are you talking about?

49:34 ↗ >> That was city clerk. City clerisha.

49:38 ↗ Tissues.

49:39 ↗ >> I know this. Yak.

49:42 ↗ >> I know. I know. We're confused.

49:46 ↗ >> Yeah. No. No. I get confused on the

49:47 ↗ names too sometimes. I understand.

49:49 ↗ >> Yeah. It happens to all of us. But yes.

49:52 ↗ Um. Great.

49:53 ↗ >> All right. So, what I'm hearing then,

49:55 ↗ vice chair, chair have been um with

49:57 ↗ unanimous consent um and made April 226.

50:02 ↗ Right.

50:03 ↗ >> Yeah. and Manny and Hi, I just want to

50:04 ↗ say I've really enjoyed this last year

50:06 ↗ working with you both and the time and

50:07 ↗ commitment that you have made for this

50:09 ↗ commission and for me personally and for

50:11 ↗ human services in our community. It's

50:13 ↗ been a pleasure working with you and I

50:15 ↗ look forward to another year of you both

50:17 ↗ in this role and

50:19 ↗ >> yay

50:20 ↗ >> enjoying um kind of the next um year of

50:24 ↗ our work. So, thank you both.

50:26 ↗ >> Nine months

50:29 ↗ >> down.

50:32 ↗ Thank you.

50:34 ↗ >> Thank you so much. Thank you all from

50:35 ↗ the group. Um we're going to go forward

50:38 ↗ to reports. Um I have chair and

50:42 ↗ commissioner reports. Um I would just

50:44 ↗ check with other commissioners, see if

50:46 ↗ they have reports they want to kind of

50:48 ↗ bring to the table.

50:50 ↗ >> I I actually do.

50:51 ↗ >> Yeah.

50:52 ↗ >> Yeah. I visited with Alicia Spinner.

50:55 ↗ Okay.

50:55 ↗ >> She's the executive director at the

50:57 ↗ Circle. Um it was a couple weeks ago. We

51:00 ↗ met for about I want to say an hour and

51:03 ↗ a half and um I just thought you all

51:06 ↗ might be interested. You all know the

51:09 ↗ circle.

51:09 ↗ >> Yeah, we did a presentation recently.

51:11 ↗ >> I'm thinking of the new people. Yeah.

51:12 ↗ >> Okay.

51:13 ↗ >> Um and um she was very focused on

51:16 ↗ telling me about the situation with um

51:20 ↗ the um people that are being detained

51:23 ↗ >> and um that population. and she said

51:27 ↗ that uh they currently have nine people

51:32 ↗ from Isiqua

51:34 ↗ that were taken by ICE down to the

51:37 ↗ detention center in Tacoma

51:39 ↗ and um she makes it a point to go down

51:43 ↗ there once a week. Oh, am I repeating?

51:46 ↗ You probably already

51:46 ↗ >> No, please. No, this is this is one more

51:50 ↗ information.

51:50 ↗ >> Okay. She goes down there. she said once

51:52 ↗ a week. And she also um I guess

51:57 ↗ uh you can go online with the detention

51:59 ↗ center and there's these budgets you can

52:01 ↗ set up for the detainees. And her

52:04 ↗ organization

52:06 ↗ puts $100 a week into each detainees

52:10 ↗ budget.

52:12 ↗ And she said, and I had said to her,

52:14 ↗ "Well, when you visit them, do you like

52:16 ↗ take them down goodies and stuff like

52:17 ↗ that?" She said, "No, you're not allowed

52:19 ↗ to." She said it's a profitm

52:22 ↗ organization. The the detention center

52:24 ↗ is they have a commissary.

52:26 ↗ >> Oh gosh.

52:27 ↗ >> And everybody that's detained

52:30 ↗ has to buy everything from the

52:32 ↗ commissary.

52:34 ↗ So uh yeah, she can't even take food

52:36 ↗ down there. You know, something really

52:38 ↗ basic and simple like that. So she puts

52:40 ↗ $100 a week in. So that's $900. And of

52:44 ↗ course when she did her budgeting for um

52:47 ↗ you know this fiscal year that you know

52:50 ↗ that wasn't in her budget as many other

52:52 ↗ things weren't in her budget. But um

52:55 ↗ yeah she's really consumed with uh

52:59 ↗ trying to help that population. And of

53:02 ↗ of course um none of them are criminals.

53:06 ↗ They're just people that were grabbed.

53:09 ↗ >> Yeah.

53:10 ↗ >> And what else did she say? Oh, I did ask

53:13 ↗ her about the backgrounds and she said

53:15 ↗ they're all native Spanish speaker

53:18 ↗ and there used to be 10 and she had one

53:23 ↗ had just been deported and he was

53:25 ↗ deported to back to his luckily he went

53:28 ↗ to his home country Hondur I mean they

53:30 ↗ eventually he he got off the plane in

53:33 ↗ his home country of Honduras but she

53:35 ↗ said that once he got to Honduras he

53:38 ↗ called her because they had no idea

53:40 ↗ where he was because ICE put him on, you

53:43 ↗ know, one of those big cargo ships and

53:46 ↗ um didn't and this is, you know, I'm

53:49 ↗ getting this all third or fourth hand,

53:51 ↗ but um this is what he's telling Alicia.

53:55 ↗ Um ICE didn't tell anybody where they

53:57 ↗ were going and they went from Seattle to

54:01 ↗ Denver to I guess to pick up other

54:04 ↗ Hondurans and then I think they went

54:06 ↗ down to New Orleans and then they went

54:08 ↗ to Guantanamo.

54:10 ↗ >> Oh my god. And I asked her how I said,

54:12 ↗ "Well, how long did he have to stay

54:13 ↗ there?" And she wasn't quite sure, but

54:15 ↗ she said then they eventually, you know,

54:17 ↗ I don't know how long he was in transit,

54:19 ↗ but apparently um they were all

54:22 ↗ clueless. They didn't know what was

54:24 ↗ happening. And I guess fear is part of

54:27 ↗ the whole thing. And he was he he was

54:31 ↗ able to be uh he you know, his mom is in

54:34 ↗ Honduras and he's and he's 22 years old,

54:36 ↗ so he's back in Honduras. And that was

54:39 ↗ her first that's the first Isquak

54:41 ↗ resident that actually was deported.

54:43 ↗ >> And the others are still in the

54:44 ↗ detention.

54:45 ↗ >> There's nine. Yeah.

54:46 ↗ >> So, did they where did they get picked

54:48 ↗ up from? From

54:50 ↗ >> um ju just down the street.

54:52 ↗ >> Oh, they weren't they weren't at the

54:54 ↗ center at the

54:55 ↗ >> Oh, they weren't at ICE. I mean, they

54:57 ↗ weren't at the circle. Excuse me.

54:59 ↗ >> Yeah. I wasn't sure about that. and she

55:01 ↗ said that they haven't had any ice rates

55:04 ↗ at the circle,

55:06 ↗ but they do have some emergency

55:08 ↗ protocols that they've set up.

55:11 ↗ I asked her if she's getting any um ugly

55:14 ↗ phone calls. She said she's not getting

55:17 ↗ ugly phone call to herself. She's not

55:20 ↗ getting any ugly phone calls from ICE,

55:22 ↗ but she said she is getting ugly phone

55:24 ↗ calls from community members.

55:26 ↗ >> Really?

55:28 ↗ >> She's getting good phone calls, too. She

55:29 ↗ said that she's getting unpleasant phone

55:32 ↗ calls from community members.

55:37 ↗ >> Against it or

55:39 ↗ >> Yes.

55:39 ↗ >> like her her work or

55:41 ↗ >> Yeah.

55:42 ↗ >> Okay.

55:42 ↗ >> You know, just this, you know, maybe

55:45 ↗ they're all Trumpsters. I don't know,

55:48 ↗ >> you know.

55:48 ↗ >> Yeah. And you'll notice the circle has

55:50 ↗ uh removed their online presence. Um so

55:52 ↗ they don't do their social media

55:54 ↗ anymore. or they don't communicate with

55:55 ↗ their website updates um out of safety

55:59 ↗ concerns um or protection. So they use

56:02 ↗ different forms of communicating. Um but

56:06 ↗ um yeah, they've had to really shift and

56:08 ↗ transition their services

56:11 ↗ um to focus on I mean this work is

56:15 ↗ the need has increased. Um but it what's

56:18 ↗ hard hardest for the circle and

56:20 ↗ organizations that work with immigrants

56:21 ↗ and refugees is it's just the heaviness

56:24 ↗ of this work um and the capacity it

56:28 ↗ takes from staff.

56:30 ↗ >> Sure. This is hard.

56:32 ↗ >> I mean, she was crying when she was

56:33 ↗ talking to me. She Yeah.

56:35 ↗ >> It doesn't seem to make any sense to me

56:37 ↗ because the administration's talking

56:39 ↗ about saving money, but this seems to be

56:42 ↗ it's not cost effective.

56:47 ↗ >> Yeah. As a city, we're very fortunate

56:49 ↗ that we have the circle in Isiqua who

56:51 ↗ has the expertise and the connections

56:53 ↗ with our community members. Um that many

56:56 ↗ feel safe with the circle. um that they

56:59 ↗ can be a good representation

57:02 ↗ um for um for Isiqua and for those

57:05 ↗ community members who needs that

57:07 ↗ support. I'm very thankful for um that

57:10 ↗ we have an organization and you know

57:13 ↗ that they I think they started in 2021

57:15 ↗ as a grassroot organization. So the fact

57:17 ↗ that they are very new and they're doing

57:20 ↗ this level of work with very little

57:22 ↗ staff is very very impressive. Um, but

57:25 ↗ yeah, the weight is on them and as a

57:26 ↗ city, our job is really to advocate,

57:28 ↗ support them, uplift them, do what we

57:30 ↗ can.

57:33 ↗ >> Thank you for meeting with her, by the

57:35 ↗ way. I I think Yeah, we we just happen

57:37 ↗ to set up Yeah. coffee together.

57:40 ↗ >> Yeah.

57:41 ↗ >> Yeah.

57:41 ↗ >> It adds a personal narrative to what's

57:44 ↗ going on at this crazy national level to

57:47 ↗ be able to

57:49 ↗ >> Yeah. impact.

57:51 ↗ >> Yeah. to be able to continue the story

57:53 ↗ and just share it with people because

57:55 ↗ we're curious like

57:56 ↗ >> what does that have to do with us

57:58 ↗ there's a there's a story right there

58:00 ↗ that share

58:02 ↗ >> yeah and this is a big p piece of why a

58:06 ↗ lot of community members are not leaving

58:07 ↗ their house or they are had to quit

58:09 ↗ their second job or they don't go to the

58:11 ↗ food bank anymore

58:13 ↗ >> um because they've had um incidences

58:16 ↗ there or just you know are concerned

58:19 ↗ >> and you know school's out now but while

58:21 ↗ school was in session. Some of the

58:22 ↗ families weren't sending their kids to

58:24 ↗ school.

58:26 ↗ >> Yeah.

58:27 ↗ >> So, it's been very disruptive for our

58:29 ↗ community and living in fear is tough.

58:31 ↗ >> Has food bank been raided?

58:33 ↗ >> They haven't been raided. Um, they did

58:35 ↗ have community members uh pass say

58:38 ↗ threatening things as they were passing

58:39 ↗ by to a family member.

58:42 ↗ >> I know. And it's really hard to believe

58:44 ↗ that can be a lot of our circles are a

58:47 ↗ very inclusive circle. A lot of people,

58:49 ↗ you know, it's it's a very open

58:51 ↗ um commu welcoming community here and I

58:54 ↗ and I I hope that we can be that

58:56 ↗ representation as a commission um for

58:59 ↗ our community and and spread that. But

59:01 ↗ unfortunately

59:03 ↗ don't live in a perfect world and there

59:06 ↗ was one I just remembered there was one

59:08 ↗ other thing and I that won't take too

59:09 ↗ much longer. She um there is a couple

59:12 ↗ that is working on asylum and it's a

59:15 ↗ process where you have to go to the

59:17 ↗ immigration court. Well, ICE now is

59:19 ↗ hanging out down at King County Superior

59:22 ↗ Court

59:24 ↗ >> at at the hall where the immigration,

59:27 ↗ you know, hearings are held and she went

59:29 ↗ down there with one couple because they

59:31 ↗ were scared to go down and um yeah, ICE

59:35 ↗ was there and um they ended up getting

59:37 ↗ detained

59:38 ↗ >> and and they're now at the detention

59:40 ↗ center

59:40 ↗ >> and that was illegal. They had the

59:42 ↗ paperwork from the judge that they were

59:43 ↗ clear to go, the attendees.

59:46 ↗ >> Yeah. And um the lawyer was there, Lisio

59:49 ↗ was there, they had representation.

59:51 ↗ >> It's not enough.

59:52 ↗ >> They had the paper. It's terrible.

59:53 ↗ >> And I ignored in that incident, ignored

59:58 ↗ paperwork. And I mean, what she told me

1:00:01 ↗ was like it was just we they looked at

1:00:04 ↗ us as if we weren't human. Like we were

1:00:06 ↗ cattle. We were we were just treated as

1:00:09 ↗ the enemy. And just like on the TV,

1:00:11 ↗ they're all they're all like this like

1:00:14 ↗ band banditos, you know.

1:00:17 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:00:17 ↗ >> Yeah. Yeah.

1:00:19 ↗ >> So anyways, yeah, it's very sad

1:00:21 ↗ situation.

1:00:23 ↗ >> It is very sad. And as a city, we're

1:00:25 ↗ really trying to prepare staff and

1:00:28 ↗ figuring out what what do we do, right?

1:00:30 ↗ We don't know the answers either. And so

1:00:31 ↗ we've been talking to our city attorney,

1:00:33 ↗ our city leadership to figure out how do

1:00:35 ↗ we support our community members. Um

1:00:38 ↗ unfortunately like our like the circle

1:00:41 ↗ and our other partners we can't promise

1:00:43 ↗ safety that's not unfortunately our role

1:00:47 ↗ >> uh but uh we are trying to figure out

1:00:50 ↗ how do we

1:00:52 ↗ especially as a public and government

1:00:54 ↗ agency for us how do we best support our

1:00:58 ↗ community members what's the role how

1:01:00 ↗ much yeah how can you intervene support

1:01:04 ↗ >> yeah and so really our role right now is

1:01:06 ↗ just supporting places like the circle

1:01:08 ↗ um safe places that our community

1:01:10 ↗ members can continue to go to and um

1:01:13 ↗ just kind of gather information and

1:01:17 ↗ figure out um you know more what's going

1:01:20 ↗ on here in Isiqua but also regionally

1:01:22 ↗ because I think regional impacts we'll

1:01:24 ↗ see that here as well.

1:01:27 ↗ It's a big topic for human services. I'm

1:01:29 ↗ glad you brought it up um because it is

1:01:31 ↗ something that's important for us to

1:01:32 ↗ kind of just keep an eye on and realize

1:01:34 ↗ um you know human services is all about

1:01:37 ↗ serving our vulnerable population and

1:01:39 ↗ that can look I mean that spectrum is

1:01:41 ↗ huge um from people with disabilities to

1:01:45 ↗ seniors to children to unhoused

1:01:47 ↗ individuals or lowincome uh and

1:01:49 ↗ immigrants and refugees are very much on

1:01:51 ↗ that list and right now they are one of

1:01:53 ↗ the most vulnerable populations. So,

1:01:55 ↗ it's a it's an important topic for us to

1:01:57 ↗ continue to figure out how do we as a

1:01:58 ↗ commission just um just realize that um

1:02:04 ↗ our community members are ch are being

1:02:05 ↗ are struggling and they our nonprofits

1:02:08 ↗ who are serving this are also

1:02:09 ↗ struggling. Um and this is a we really

1:02:13 ↗ as human services especially with our

1:02:15 ↗ funding decisions really align with our

1:02:17 ↗ strategic plan. Um however this is a

1:02:19 ↗ very unexpected change. It's a five-year

1:02:23 ↗ strategic plan. We're in year three of

1:02:25 ↗ it. Um so something that maybe we can um

1:02:28 ↗ do in preparation of funding and

1:02:29 ↗ priorities for our next cycle is really

1:02:31 ↗ kind of we'll do a check-in with our

1:02:33 ↗ community members of like what's our

1:02:34 ↗ what's our new priorities? Is it still

1:02:37 ↗ the behavioral health and community

1:02:39 ↗ resources and language access or is

1:02:41 ↗ there a stronger priority that we need

1:02:44 ↗ to focus on in our funding decision? So,

1:02:47 ↗ so it's good for us then therefore to be

1:02:49 ↗ kind of include what's going on in our

1:02:51 ↗ community and what is our needs um to

1:02:53 ↗ help drive kind of these funding

1:02:55 ↗ decisions that you are all um in charge

1:02:57 ↗ of. So,

1:03:00 ↗ >> can I a question follow up to that?

1:03:02 ↗ Yeah.

1:03:02 ↗ >> Because J and I haven't been educated on

1:03:04 ↗ that process. So, that's a four-year

1:03:06 ↗ cycle that how do you how do you

1:03:08 ↗ determine which of these organizations

1:03:10 ↗ get a percentage of whatever money is

1:03:12 ↗ allocated to you? That's like

1:03:16 ↗ read the but

1:03:17 ↗ >> oh yeah it it is daunting. So for

1:03:19 ↗ example last cycle there was a $2.1

1:03:21 ↗ million in request and we only had just

1:03:24 ↗ over $650,000 to provide. So you can see

1:03:28 ↗ do the math and realize there's a lot of

1:03:30 ↗ notes.

1:03:30 ↗ >> It's a two-year cycle and it's a

1:03:31 ↗ two-year cycle. Um and so and and the

1:03:36 ↗ applications will open in March and

1:03:37 ↗ close in April and uh reviewing those

1:03:40 ↗ applications will begin in May. So

1:03:42 ↗ between now um well yeah we'll really

1:03:47 ↗ gear up in 2026 between January and

1:03:50 ↗ April we'll do a lot of information

1:03:53 ↗ sharing of preparation so you are not

1:03:55 ↗ just going into this here's an

1:03:57 ↗ application go make a decision um you

1:04:00 ↗ will get a lot of training in um some

1:04:03 ↗ how do you review applications with an

1:04:04 ↗ equity lens um how do you pull out your

1:04:07 ↗ biases that we all have how do you um

1:04:10 ↗ >> we have a strategic plan that helps

1:04:12 ↗ informed decisions

1:04:13 ↗ >> perfectly.

1:04:14 ↗ >> We break into subgroups so we're you're

1:04:17 ↗ not reviewing not every person is not

1:04:20 ↗ reviewing every grant application.

1:04:23 ↗ >> So that I think and Hannah has a really

1:04:25 ↗ great um

1:04:26 ↗ >> six.

1:04:28 ↗ She has a great I'm trying to

1:04:30 ↗ >> like it's a tool kit tool kind of a tool

1:04:33 ↗ sheet that will help us kind of say okay

1:04:37 ↗ great organization but not right first

1:04:39 ↗ of all based off of how much money we

1:04:41 ↗ have or yes we definitely need to fund

1:04:43 ↗ them and then let's maybe think about

1:04:45 ↗ it. So we'll go into all those details

1:04:48 ↗ when it gets closer but we still have

1:04:49 ↗ some time. This is the year you're

1:04:51 ↗ coming in where we're just really

1:04:52 ↗ getting to learn more about our

1:04:54 ↗ community needs and our uh community

1:04:57 ↗ based organizations.

1:05:00 ↗ >> That was at the at uh Commissioner Ray

1:05:03 ↗ was when we were finding our our local

1:05:06 ↗ agencies was like how do we get to know

1:05:08 ↗ more?

1:05:09 ↗ >> And so that's how we're having more

1:05:10 ↗ presentations from folks from the

1:05:11 ↗ community which has been awesome.

1:05:14 ↗ >> And we all decided on that to say hey

1:05:16 ↗ we're making a decision and we also want

1:05:18 ↗ to get to know more. Mhm.

1:05:19 ↗ >> So when it comes to those funding

1:05:20 ↗ decisions, we we have more than just

1:05:22 ↗ what we're seeing in paper.

1:05:25 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:05:25 ↗ >> So

1:05:26 ↗ >> yeah, you really learn so much more when

1:05:28 ↗ Jen comes and helps out reclaimed and

1:05:31 ↗ get you get a fake

1:05:32 ↗ >> face

1:05:34 ↗ and Yeah, exactly.

1:05:40 ↗ >> Any other Thank you so much for visiting

1:05:43 ↗ live streaming.

1:05:44 ↗ >> Any other updates from the the

1:05:46 ↗ commissioners? Let me circle here.

1:05:51 ↗ Commission Matty

1:05:55 ↗ reports from you all

1:05:57 ↗ the vice chair.

1:05:59 ↗ >> Oh, thank you.

1:06:02 ↗ >> Um, see you in May.

1:06:06 ↗ >> Youth report. I um

1:06:07 ↗ >> um so uh Preston's on summer vacation.

1:06:11 ↗ Um, so he's not in attendance and we

1:06:13 ↗ also um uh don't have a written need to

1:06:17 ↗ report.

1:06:18 ↗ >> Okay. Okay.

1:06:21 ↗ >> Then we have staff report with you now.

1:06:23 ↗ >> Yes. Okay. So I'll go through some stuff

1:06:26 ↗ quickly here. Um so staff report is

1:06:30 ↗ really a time for me to share

1:06:31 ↗ information if anything is going um

1:06:33 ↗ human services related to our council.

1:06:36 ↗ Um I'll provide updates on that. It's

1:06:38 ↗ been a little while since we've been to

1:06:39 ↗ council. And then I also provide some

1:06:41 ↗ human services um just updates uh like

1:06:44 ↗ about events or upcoming um information

1:06:47 ↗ with our nonprofits. So one thing I want

1:06:50 ↗ to report on is we let me see if I can

1:06:53 ↗ share my screen quick. Um so we did in

1:06:57 ↗ end of May we did a first time ever um

1:07:00 ↗ community closet. Um not sharing. Oh

1:07:04 ↗ there it goes. Um, so this is just a

1:07:07 ↗ like our impact report that our staff

1:07:09 ↗ from Pickering Barn completed. Just kind

1:07:11 ↗ of a cute little visual. Um so

1:07:15 ↗ um about oh sad to say two years ago um

1:07:19 ↗ we started a clothing forum with

1:07:21 ↗ organizations like the food bank, the

1:07:23 ↗ garage um the circle um some PTSA the

1:07:28 ↗ school district um PTSA volunteers and

1:07:31 ↗ from that we really identified wow

1:07:32 ↗ there's just such a gap in our community

1:07:34 ↗ for free clothing without the stigma of

1:07:37 ↗ a clothing bank. We recognized the

1:07:39 ↗ barriers of having a clothing bank of

1:07:41 ↗ like the staff time, the donation base.

1:07:45 ↗ And so we really came together as okay,

1:07:47 ↗ how do we how do we fill in this gap? Uh

1:07:50 ↗ we all have this need, we all want to

1:07:53 ↗ work towards it, and we all do it in

1:07:54 ↗ little capacities, but how do we do it

1:07:56 ↗ in a bigger scale for the And we had

1:07:58 ↗ some amazing volunteers from um

1:08:02 ↗ community, well, there are PTSA

1:08:05 ↗ um individuals who work with um the food

1:08:07 ↗ bank. They volunteer at food bank.

1:08:09 ↗ They're very involved in our community

1:08:11 ↗ and they decided to do kind of a

1:08:14 ↗ clothing swap the with the concept of

1:08:17 ↗ okay, we collect clothes one day, we

1:08:19 ↗ organize it and we kind of put it out

1:08:21 ↗ for like this is free for everyone with

1:08:23 ↗ the idea of sustainability, the idea of

1:08:26 ↗ it's open for everybody. It's kind of a

1:08:29 ↗ fun community building um kind of

1:08:32 ↗ gathering and really the hope was to

1:08:34 ↗ meet the needs of our community members

1:08:36 ↗ who really really could use some freeze

1:08:38 ↗ clothing. But again, it's take away that

1:08:40 ↗ stigma and make it fun. And so, um we

1:08:44 ↗ tried it out and it was a little bit of

1:08:46 ↗ a guinea pig and um it was very fun and

1:08:50 ↗ very successful at the Pickering Barn.

1:08:52 ↗ Um we had um over 500 visitors and

1:08:56 ↗ that's in like a 4hour span.

1:08:59 ↗ >> That's crazy.

1:09:00 ↗ >> We had 85 lined up the door. We were not

1:09:04 ↗ expecting that. But hey, free clothing.

1:09:06 ↗ I guess you're going to get people

1:09:07 ↗ coming. Um they it was a small but

1:09:09 ↗ mighty crew of 22 volunteers over 150

1:09:13 ↗ hours. Uh we received um over 250 bags.

1:09:18 ↗ It was a very hard thing to measure

1:09:19 ↗ because some bags were like garbage bag

1:09:22 ↗ size bags, some were just, you know,

1:09:24 ↗ grocery size. Um, but lots of great

1:09:26 ↗ donations. Um, and out of the 250 bags,

1:09:31 ↗ I think there was only 25 bags that were

1:09:35 ↗ we we were very picky about what went

1:09:38 ↗ through. Um and so anything that added

1:09:40 ↗ staining or just seems a little ragged,

1:09:42 ↗ we just um threw it to the side um for

1:09:46 ↗ um donations to Recology. So Recology is

1:09:48 ↗ a partner of the city of Vista Club that

1:09:50 ↗ will take textiles and what they do with

1:09:52 ↗ those textiles is they turn it into um

1:09:54 ↗ insulation for houses. So um so yeah, so

1:09:57 ↗ we had just under 400 pounds of textiles

1:09:59 ↗ from 25 bags um that were we were able

1:10:02 ↗ to donate. So it was just a very

1:10:04 ↗ rewarding event. And I kind of just

1:10:06 ↗ bring this up. Um, this is kind of an

1:10:08 ↗ impromptu let's community members came

1:10:10 ↗ to us and said, "Hey, we're interested

1:10:12 ↗ in this. Can we use your space?" And we

1:10:14 ↗ supported them through human services

1:10:16 ↗ >> because the Isiqua Food Bank is not

1:10:19 ↗ going to do clothing anymore. Correct.

1:10:21 ↗ >> They unfortunately do not have the

1:10:22 ↗ space.

1:10:24 ↗ >> So, did was this successful enough that

1:10:27 ↗ you see it becoming an annual thing?

1:10:30 ↗ >> I am happy to report that community

1:10:31 ↗ closet is now a 5013C.

1:10:34 ↗ >> Oh, wow. volunteers in our community.

1:10:38 ↗ >> It did not take them long and I'm very

1:10:41 ↗ proud of them and so um they will be

1:10:43 ↗ coming. I've encouraged them to come say

1:10:45 ↗ hi to everybody introduce as it gets

1:10:47 ↗ closer to funding cycle um for them to

1:10:50 ↗ introduce their new concept and their

1:10:51 ↗ programming and uh so they're still

1:10:53 ↗ working on kind of the bigger concept

1:10:55 ↗ but um we are looking to have another um

1:10:58 ↗ event in October. So that's awesome.

1:11:01 ↗ >> Which is great that we got city support

1:11:03 ↗ for that

1:11:03 ↗ >> for winter.

1:11:05 ↗ >> Yeah, it'll be kind of the winter. It'll

1:11:06 ↗ be right before Halloween. So they'll

1:11:08 ↗ probably have some Halloween costumes

1:11:09 ↗ and and it is um clothing and shoes. Um

1:11:12 ↗ all sides are so we have a youth se

1:11:15 ↗ section, a kids section, an adult

1:11:17 ↗ section. And I um trends I saw um a lot

1:11:23 ↗ of women clothing donations, which is

1:11:25 ↗ great. Um, but the main need was men's

1:11:28 ↗ clothing. That went by so fast and so

1:11:30 ↗ many men came for free clothing and we

1:11:33 ↗ we did not have the need for what was

1:11:36 ↗ wanted. But some people took like one or

1:11:39 ↗ two things, some people took like totes

1:11:40 ↗ and bags. We didn't, you know, we were

1:11:42 ↗ like, "Please, please, please take it.

1:11:44 ↗ We don't want leftovers." So,

1:11:46 ↗ >> you have much leftover. um they have a

1:11:48 ↗ little bit of leftover that is going to

1:11:50 ↗ um the school does a back to school um

1:11:53 ↗ clothing drive as a part of their like

1:11:55 ↗ it's a resource fair for many things and

1:11:57 ↗ so they'll have a clothing drive there.

1:11:58 ↗ So the same staff that worked with us

1:12:00 ↗ there is also staffed for this so she'll

1:12:03 ↗ use it for that and then some of it went

1:12:05 ↗ to the circle and the garage so we've

1:12:07 ↗ got a great network. So like we're just

1:12:09 ↗ always rotating clothes. So we're really

1:12:11 ↗ hoping to fill this, you know, clothing

1:12:13 ↗ gap in Isafa through kind of this

1:12:16 ↗ potential clothing closet and have it be

1:12:18 ↗ a maybe

1:12:20 ↗ by annual, quarterly, monthly. We'll see

1:12:22 ↗ where they end up going with it.

1:12:24 ↗ >> Are other East Side cities doing

1:12:26 ↗ anything about I mean the need for

1:12:28 ↗ clothing is is so like I was fascinated

1:12:30 ↗ to see that um Oh my gosh, the gal that

1:12:34 ↗ just um gave her presentation. Thank

1:12:36 ↗ you. um that they're doing a clothing

1:12:39 ↗ opportunity in um Snow Polyamy and

1:12:43 ↗ there's there's just a huge huge need.

1:12:45 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:12:46 ↗ >> So I wasn't like Belleview, Kirkland,

1:12:48 ↗ Redmond. Is anyone else doing anything?

1:12:51 ↗ >> Nothing like this. Um just something new

1:12:54 ↗ and if you see like kind of more profits

1:12:57 ↗ kind of working or like people like

1:12:59 ↗ doing a swap for purchase or a swap.

1:13:01 ↗ Yeah. So, so it's a little bit different

1:13:03 ↗ of like a the heart and vision for it is

1:13:05 ↗ a little bit different, but I have not

1:13:07 ↗ heard of any cities doing anything like

1:13:09 ↗ this. This is a very isqua and unique

1:13:11 ↗ innovated

1:13:13 ↗ kind of approach. So,

1:13:15 ↗ >> super

1:13:15 ↗ >> very proud of this group and very just

1:13:19 ↗ their response and actions to this and

1:13:21 ↗ some incredible volunteers for this. So,

1:13:24 ↗ um we'll see where this goes and you'll

1:13:26 ↗ have an opportunity to learn more about

1:13:27 ↗ their organization um coming up.

1:13:29 ↗ >> The volunteers local. Oh, yeah. Um,

1:13:32 ↗ yeah, they work or they Yeah, part-time

1:13:34 ↗ work at Ess School District and then

1:13:36 ↗ they volunteer at the Squ Foody Bank.

1:13:39 ↗ >> And I'm sorry, you said the next one is

1:13:40 ↗ October 2021.

1:13:42 ↗ >> Oh, yes. Um, it's the date. I'm uh we

1:13:46 ↗ don't have the date yet. Oh, October

1:13:48 ↗ 20th through the 21st is the 10 to 5.

1:13:51 ↗ >> You'll hear all the motions when it

1:13:53 ↗ comes up, but got that approved and

1:13:55 ↗ we'll move forward with that planning.

1:13:57 ↗ >> Yeah. And then moving forward with a few

1:13:59 ↗ um upcoming events to look forward to

1:14:01 ↗ and hopefully you all can join and

1:14:02 ↗ participate is our big issue culture

1:14:04 ↗ fest. Um that's a very fun one. It'll be

1:14:07 ↗ out here on the community center lawn on

1:14:09 ↗ September 5th. Um that is where we'll

1:14:12 ↗ have um a resource fair with our

1:14:15 ↗ nonprofits organizations and Isiqua kind

1:14:18 ↗ of local community groups with the

1:14:21 ↗ intention of hey get connected with

1:14:23 ↗ Isiqua, get involved and here are

1:14:25 ↗ resources in case you're interested. So,

1:14:28 ↗ a good variety of nonprofits. We'll have

1:14:31 ↗ um Bri Henna. Um there's going to be I'm

1:14:34 ↗ really excited. We're actually um we

1:14:36 ↗ have an art commissioner coming in to

1:14:38 ↗ help us with a u community art project.

1:14:41 ↗ So, basically um you can come in do a

1:14:44 ↗ little art piece and she's creating this

1:14:45 ↗ big community collage. Um so, really

1:14:48 ↗ excited about that. Um cougar zoom.

1:14:51 ↗ We'll have a couple of animal.

1:14:53 ↗ >> Wow.

1:14:54 ↗ >> Yeah. Not a cougar or anything. Nothing.

1:14:55 ↗ Nothing big.

1:14:58 ↗ Like like a lizard or a bird or

1:14:59 ↗ something.

1:15:00 ↗ >> What was it out? Wasn't it kangaroos or

1:15:02 ↗ something got lost that got loose and or

1:15:04 ↗ zebra?

1:15:04 ↗ >> Zebras.

1:15:05 ↗ >> Zebra.

1:15:06 ↗ >> Zebras. Yes.

1:15:09 ↗ >> But really excited to have some uh some

1:15:12 ↗ wonderful performances. Bulgarian dance.

1:15:15 ↗ We have a local violinist who's uh Chuck

1:15:17 ↗ Menistan. Um so very excited about that.

1:15:20 ↗ Some uh Bali um Indian interactive

1:15:22 ↗ dancing. Um Japanese drums. We'll have

1:15:26 ↗ uh lots of food trucks for purchase. So,

1:15:29 ↗ this one is one of our big events and

1:15:30 ↗ and I really do want to call out this

1:15:32 ↗ event is a it's a global campaign for

1:15:35 ↗ immigrants and refugees and what a time

1:15:38 ↗ to be able to honor and serve and

1:15:41 ↗ celebrate our immigrants and refugees.

1:15:43 ↗ Um so, we are really being um

1:15:46 ↗ >> cautious and resilient is our word. Um

1:15:49 ↗ >> Hannah, there was a culture fest for a

1:15:51 ↗ specific not an all-encompassing thing

1:15:54 ↗ like the city's doing, but it was in um

1:15:56 ↗ Seattle

1:15:57 ↗ >> that they ended up cancing.

1:15:59 ↗ >> Yes. So you will start seeing a lot of

1:16:02 ↗ um cultural specific or international

1:16:04 ↗ type of events being cancelled that um

1:16:07 ↗ people are not feeling safe to attend. I

1:16:09 ↗ wouldn't be surprised if our numbers are

1:16:10 ↗ lower this year because of that reason.

1:16:12 ↗ Okay.

1:16:13 ↗ >> However, in conversations with our um

1:16:16 ↗ immigrant um organizations that serve

1:16:19 ↗ our immigrants, refugees um not just in

1:16:21 ↗ Isqua, but in our region, what we

1:16:22 ↗ continue to hear is that um that we are

1:16:26 ↗ being asked to do these events. Um that

1:16:28 ↗ it communicates that we are welcoming,

1:16:31 ↗ that we should not be living in fear.

1:16:33 ↗ And the biggest thing is people feel so

1:16:35 ↗ isolated right now. Yeah.

1:16:36 ↗ >> We learned through co how tragic that

1:16:38 ↗ can be. And so we are trying to fight

1:16:40 ↗ that isolation. and this is just a way

1:16:42 ↗ that we can do that. So, we are very

1:16:44 ↗ honored to be able to celebrate our

1:16:46 ↗ diversity.

1:16:46 ↗ >> And one of the big sponsors is the

1:16:48 ↗ library, the King County Library System.

1:16:50 ↗ >> Yep. We partner with them. They're part

1:16:52 ↗ of our planning group. Um downtown

1:16:54 ↗ associations, is DIA, downtown is

1:16:57 ↗ associations, is highlands. We have B

1:16:59 ↗ culture providing funding for that. So,

1:17:02 ↗ it's a big it's our big one. So, please,

1:17:04 ↗ please, please plan to come if you can.

1:17:06 ↗ Um and we will be meeting um September

1:17:10 ↗ meeting will be after that.

1:17:11 ↗ >> Oh yes, you Oh yeah. So that's hopefully

1:17:14 ↗ I'll see that's my next time I'll

1:17:15 ↗ probably see you

1:17:15 ↗ >> because August we take a

1:17:17 ↗ >> we take a

1:17:20 ↗ point. So I'll remind you you'll hear

1:17:21 ↗ from a few emails from me between now

1:17:23 ↗ and then

1:17:24 ↗ >> September 17th

1:17:26 ↗ >> and then um Hispanic Heritage Month. I

1:17:28 ↗ don't have details yet, but as of now,

1:17:30 ↗ and I'm certainly there's things could

1:17:32 ↗ change. Um, but, uh, the circle is

1:17:34 ↗ hosting Hispanic Heritage Month at

1:17:36 ↗ Pickering Barn again. Um, so I don't

1:17:38 ↗ have details yet. Last year it was like

1:17:39 ↗ a family dance. Super fun. Um, so

1:17:42 ↗ hopefully we'll have more details to

1:17:43 ↗ come on that.

1:17:45 ↗ Um so then the last thing is our um I

1:17:50 ↗ just need to ask a question to you all.

1:17:53 ↗ Um in regards to um it feels like far

1:17:57 ↗ away but we in preparation for like I

1:18:01 ↗ mentioned our grant um review process we

1:18:04 ↗ do um equity training. I think it's a

1:18:06 ↗ really important piece to really um

1:18:08 ↗ center us uh and prepare us for

1:18:11 ↗ reviewing these applications. Um we have

1:18:13 ↗ done it every year. Um I did we have

1:18:15 ↗ done it typically jointly with our east

1:18:18 ↗ side human services commission. Um and

1:18:22 ↗ so last time we did some feedback and

1:18:25 ↗ the followup that um I recall was

1:18:27 ↗ basically that there was value to that

1:18:29 ↗ you did like doing it jointly. However,

1:18:33 ↗ um the improvement would be to just have

1:18:35 ↗ a kind of a followup kind of a to

1:18:38 ↗ dedicated time to um questions of

1:18:42 ↗ following up with um kind of an isqua

1:18:46 ↗ commission specific conversation about

1:18:48 ↗ the equity training. And so um if so my

1:18:52 ↗ question is do we want to do again a

1:18:56 ↗ joint equity training with our east side

1:18:59 ↗ commissions? Do we want to do something

1:19:02 ↗ separately? Um, yes.

1:19:04 ↗ >> One thing I remember from the joint one

1:19:06 ↗ is that it was not a very great

1:19:08 ↗ experience unless you could attend in

1:19:10 ↗ person. Absolutely.

1:19:12 ↗ >> Um, I um I I was able to attend in

1:19:15 ↗ person, but I know I think Mari maybe I

1:19:18 ↗ was more than one person and it was

1:19:21 ↗ >> it wasn't set up very well.

1:19:22 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:19:23 ↗ >> For your for you to be part of the

1:19:25 ↗ conversation.

1:19:27 ↗ >> So that's the only

1:19:29 ↗ >> Yeah. Great feedback and something we

1:19:31 ↗ will we are definitely know that we'll

1:19:33 ↗ have to change that for this year.

1:19:35 ↗ >> How did you feel being there in person?

1:19:37 ↗ I mean was it valuable?

1:19:39 ↗ >> I I in general I find those types of

1:19:42 ↗ conversations and trainings very

1:19:44 ↗ valuable like you you always learn

1:19:46 ↗ something new would be would be my

1:19:49 ↗ >> perspective.

1:19:50 ↗ Um but I just know that that was turned

1:19:53 ↗ out to be a pretty

1:19:56 ↗ large group there. or it wasn't a great

1:19:58 ↗ experience for people that were trying

1:20:00 ↗ to participate online. So that's just

1:20:02 ↗ yeah,

1:20:03 ↗ >> I'd be curious to hear options for a

1:20:05 ↗ different

1:20:07 ↗ >> Yeah, it's a great point. Um, so if if

1:20:10 ↗ we move forward with this, I would be

1:20:11 ↗ part of the planning committee and and

1:20:13 ↗ what I would advocate for is that the

1:20:15 ↗ training gets set up for some like maybe

1:20:18 ↗ some a little bit of homework prior and

1:20:21 ↗ then like a training like a educational

1:20:23 ↗ training that can be online view. done

1:20:26 ↗ it before. Um or in person um but that

1:20:31 ↗ it's set up for follow-up questions. So

1:20:34 ↗ So it does a training does some like

1:20:36 ↗ interacting with the other commissions

1:20:37 ↗ at that time. Um and then it says,

1:20:40 ↗ "Okay, here here is your follow-up

1:20:43 ↗ questions and discussions for your own

1:20:44 ↗ commissions for next meeting." Okay.

1:20:46 ↗ >> Um is how I would want to see it. Um and

1:20:50 ↗ and where I would see most value. Um,

1:20:54 ↗ >> I'd love to see um a homework type of

1:20:57 ↗ thing beforehand so that

1:21:00 ↗ >> um you know where you stormed as far as

1:21:03 ↗ >> visualizing

1:21:05 ↗ your biases and things of that sort.

1:21:09 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:21:09 ↗ >> Yeah. I like that idea too. Make it a

1:21:12 ↗ little bit more

1:21:12 ↗ >> thoughtprovoking.

1:21:14 ↗ Actually, one of my the one maybe it was

1:21:18 ↗ because it was my first, but um was

1:21:20 ↗ during co and so it was online and it

1:21:24 ↗ was with all the um neighbor um

1:21:28 ↗ commissions

1:21:29 ↗ >> and we had a really good facilitator and

1:21:32 ↗ then we had breakout rooms on Zoom

1:21:36 ↗ >> and um I liked it and it could be

1:21:39 ↗ because I really liked her. Do you

1:21:40 ↗ remember who it was?

1:21:41 ↗ >> I don't remember the name but I know who

1:21:42 ↗ you're talking about. I don't I was

1:21:44 ↗ there and I love that one as well.

1:21:47 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:21:49 ↗ >> Yeah. I think um I attend the the online

1:21:52 ↗ one I attend the the joint one and I

1:21:55 ↗ think one of the things I noticed is um

1:21:58 ↗ it improving like on those intimate

1:22:00 ↗ discussions where when we do split up in

1:22:02 ↗ groups I think the one we had last year

1:22:05 ↗ I think it was like a hurry up. It

1:22:07 ↗ didn't feel as you know you know you

1:22:09 ↗ know what I'm saying? didn't feel like

1:22:10 ↗ it's it's an important topic and then it

1:22:12 ↗ got really like rushed and I think that

1:22:14 ↗ was like the I think people felt like

1:22:17 ↗ they got in a way like cheated in a way

1:22:20 ↗ because it was just so quick.

1:22:21 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:22:22 ↗ >> I wasn't crazy about the people

1:22:23 ↗ facilitating the one

1:22:25 ↗ >> I I Yeah.

1:22:26 ↗ >> last year the one that I was zooming in

1:22:29 ↗ on.

1:22:30 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:22:30 ↗ >> Yeah. That's great feedback as we plan.

1:22:33 ↗ I will say the benefit of uh jointly

1:22:36 ↗ doing it is um fiscal benefit um right

1:22:39 ↗ that we can afford more and and usually

1:22:44 ↗ >> so you're you're saying is that having

1:22:46 ↗ the same format but then having like a

1:22:47 ↗ debrief

1:22:49 ↗ >> like afterwards or like having a

1:22:50 ↗ discussion within our groups like what

1:22:52 ↗ do we take away what do we learn how

1:22:54 ↗ does that apply to what we're doing

1:22:55 ↗ right now

1:22:56 ↗ >> okay

1:22:56 ↗ >> to really uh focus on that like intimate

1:22:59 ↗ discussion and and to me I think it's I

1:23:01 ↗ think it's great to hear um other

1:23:03 ↗ commissioners. I think you can learn

1:23:05 ↗ from different city commissioners. But

1:23:07 ↗ what I think is more valuable is this

1:23:09 ↗ discussion at this table and how do we

1:23:12 ↗ like this is this is a safe place. side

1:23:14 ↗ we talk about um

1:23:18 ↗ >> I remember being super surprised last

1:23:20 ↗ year finance I've always thought it was

1:23:22 ↗ super helpful that we have a strategic

1:23:24 ↗ plan and we know our values and we have

1:23:26 ↗ a and not every commission has that

1:23:29 ↗ which I think I I don't know just yeah

1:23:32 ↗ made it made some of those conversations

1:23:34 ↗ more challenging like well we have a

1:23:36 ↗ framework for for making these decisions

1:23:40 ↗ that I think is really important to have

1:23:42 ↗ and so it was

1:23:44 ↗ Yeah, I get the fiscal responsibility

1:23:46 ↗ part of it though too because

1:23:48 ↗ >> with collaboration you can maximize your

1:23:50 ↗ resources probably.

1:23:52 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:23:53 ↗ >> Yeah. And just the mentally strategic

1:23:55 ↗ plan if the new newbies haven't read

1:23:58 ↗ that it's a good good thing to

1:24:01 ↗ >> it's good to be familiar with it

1:24:05 ↗ >> yeah I will set you up for success

1:24:07 ↗ because it's a long document but we'll

1:24:09 ↗ point you in the right directions and

1:24:11 ↗ get you familiar with it by the time we

1:24:12 ↗ review applications. I mean I actually

1:24:15 ↗ this I would think I would love to hear

1:24:17 ↗ from both of you all of something either

1:24:19 ↗ like intimate of either having it within

1:24:21 ↗ ourselves or having to join other

1:24:24 ↗ commissioners from other cities. What

1:24:27 ↗ would be some maybe some thoughts for

1:24:28 ↗ both of you all? Did you have good

1:24:31 ↗ dialogue with the other um participants

1:24:34 ↗ or was it more hearing and

1:24:37 ↗ participating?

1:24:37 ↗ >> To me zooming in it looked chaotic.

1:24:40 ↗ Yeah, there's some of that, I think.

1:24:43 ↗ >> But that was just last year's. We've had

1:24:45 ↗ other ones. Yeah.

1:24:46 ↗ >> Yeah. So, that would be

1:24:49 ↗ I'd love to hear from both of you. So,

1:24:50 ↗ it sounds like Would you be in favor of

1:24:52 ↗ doing like a join or have more of an

1:24:54 ↗ intimate

1:24:54 ↗ >> intimate for me?

1:24:56 ↗ >> Intimate for you. Okay. You just came

1:24:57 ↗ from the equity board. That's why I was

1:24:58 ↗ kind of inquiring with you,

1:25:00 ↗ Commissioner Ray.

1:25:02 ↗ >> How about you, Commissioner JD? Um, I I

1:25:05 ↗ think it's interesting because obviously

1:25:07 ↗ like we're all in our own commissions

1:25:09 ↗ based on things that are of interest to

1:25:11 ↗ us. So, it's always interesting to hear

1:25:13 ↗ like someone else's point of view where

1:25:15 ↗ I think like yes, it's a a safe space

1:25:18 ↗ and people may have some differences,

1:25:20 ↗ but we at least align on the same like

1:25:22 ↗ we all care about people and helping

1:25:24 ↗ people and sometimes there are areas

1:25:26 ↗ that like someone else can we all have

1:25:29 ↗ blind spots. Um, and so I think

1:25:31 ↗ sometimes like when you have people from

1:25:32 ↗ other interests, like areas of interest,

1:25:34 ↗ but still within like we're all

1:25:36 ↗ committed to the city, um, it could help

1:25:39 ↗ inform some of those blind spots.

1:25:41 ↗ >> But it does sound like there's been some

1:25:43 ↗ kind of like facilitating challenges

1:25:46 ↗ with like a big group. And I mean that's

1:25:47 ↗ something to consider like sometimes a a

1:25:51 ↗ group too big is not it just takes away

1:25:54 ↗ from an activity for training. So

1:25:57 ↗ >> yeah, absolutely.

1:25:59 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:26:01 ↗ Well, good food for thought. Um, let me,

1:26:05 ↗ um, just gather some more information.

1:26:07 ↗ Unfortunately, I might have to make a

1:26:09 ↗ decision,

1:26:10 ↗ uh, prior to our next meeting because

1:26:12 ↗ they want to move forward. Um,

1:26:15 ↗ basically, right now, other cities that

1:26:17 ↗ I partner with very closely with are

1:26:19 ↗ saying who's interested. So, they can

1:26:21 ↗ kind of determine what their budget is

1:26:22 ↗ and then start vetting different

1:26:24 ↗ organizations

1:26:25 ↗ >> to facilitate

1:26:26 ↗ >> to facilitate. Yeah. So we contract out

1:26:29 ↗ the equity training.

1:26:31 ↗ Um

1:26:33 ↗ >> was the one you guys had on Zoom just

1:26:35 ↗ smaller group or was it with everyone?

1:26:38 ↗ Not this last one but the one that you

1:26:40 ↗ mentioned during co um

1:26:43 ↗ >> we had one woman facilitator. She was

1:26:45 ↗ very good and you know all of the

1:26:49 ↗ commission nurse around here zoomed in

1:26:52 ↗ and then we had breakout sessions in

1:26:54 ↗ Zoom.

1:26:55 ↗ >> I really like that whole experience.

1:26:58 ↗ Yeah. And I think especially for Isiqua,

1:27:00 ↗ it's harder to get to certain locations.

1:27:02 ↗ Like right, you know, we're just a

1:27:04 ↗ little bit tucked away. So sometimes

1:27:06 ↗ trans uh transporting

1:27:10 ↗ um

1:27:12 ↗ >> just just real quick just because when

1:27:14 ↗ we say joint commissioners it's it's

1:27:16 ↗ Belleview

1:27:19 ↗ >> Kirkland

1:27:22 ↗ >> would be their human services commission

1:27:24 ↗ for

1:27:25 ↗ >> all the part just their human services

1:27:28 ↗ commission from uh Belu and last year

1:27:30 ↗ actually Belv didn't participate they

1:27:32 ↗ did their own thing um but they the uh

1:27:36 ↗ Redmond

1:27:36 ↗ >> Kirkland Redmond Samish.

1:27:41 ↗ >> See, I don't mind doing this on Zoom.

1:27:44 ↗ >> Yeah, there's something Yeah. very

1:27:45 ↗ convenient about that. And there's

1:27:46 ↗ something nice about being in person as

1:27:48 ↗ well, right? And so, um,

1:27:50 ↗ >> also advantage for the presenter, too.

1:27:52 ↗ >> Say that again.

1:27:53 ↗ >> There's an advantage for the presenter

1:27:55 ↗ that if they're on Zoom, they can get

1:27:57 ↗ everything else set up and

1:27:59 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:28:00 ↗ >> But they didn't do a great job with

1:28:01 ↗ their Zoom interface last year,

1:28:04 ↗ >> right? No, what I mean is having the

1:28:05 ↗ entire thing on Zoom.

1:28:07 ↗ >> Oh, okay.

1:28:08 ↗ >> Yeah,

1:28:08 ↗ >> it makes it a little more accessible um

1:28:12 ↗ removing some of the barriers

1:28:13 ↗ >> and you can do breakout rooms,

1:28:16 ↗ >> you know, on Zoom and all that. I

1:28:18 ↗ >> Yeah, regardless of what we do, we will

1:28:20 ↗ have kind of a follow-up debrief with

1:28:24 ↗ intentionality of let's really dive into

1:28:26 ↗ this and give ourselves a lot of space

1:28:29 ↗ to talk about it. So, um

1:28:33 ↗ we we have it in our budget um to

1:28:37 ↗ contract for um this training

1:28:40 ↗ >> a shared a shared facilitator.

1:28:42 ↗ >> Um yeah, I don't know if our budget

1:28:44 ↗ could afford necessarily a facilitator,

1:28:46 ↗ right,

1:28:47 ↗ >> on their on our own. Um, so what I'm

1:28:50 ↗ hearing is that

1:28:53 ↗ online would be helpful with like um

1:28:57 ↗ some homework potentially or some like

1:29:00 ↗ kind of pre-work done.

1:29:01 ↗ >> I like that idea.

1:29:02 ↗ >> Um, I like the idea of like kind of like

1:29:04 ↗ here's your pre-work and preparation,

1:29:06 ↗ come to this meeting and then the

1:29:08 ↗ facilitators giving some just education

1:29:10 ↗ and like let's learn. Um, so let's

1:29:14 ↗ understand our biases or understand um

1:29:17 ↗ where we're coming from on the equity

1:29:19 ↗ spectrum and then let's um learn from a

1:29:24 ↗ expert matter person and learn um and

1:29:28 ↗ that will set us up nicely for reviewing

1:29:31 ↗ an application with an equity lens and

1:29:33 ↗ then let's take it let's get some

1:29:35 ↗ questions from them that can really help

1:29:38 ↗ facilitate a dialogue between us. So

1:29:40 ↗ that's what I'll advocate for in in the

1:29:42 ↗ regional our regional partners and if we

1:29:45 ↗ can't get that then I will excuse this

1:29:48 ↗ from the joint commission or equity

1:29:50 ↗ training and we will determine what our

1:29:53 ↗ own options are. Um but if they're on

1:29:56 ↗ board for kind of that type of format,

1:29:59 ↗ then maybe we can do that jointly since

1:30:01 ↗ we can get a little bit of um you have

1:30:05 ↗ individual time to reflect. You have a

1:30:07 ↗ larger group to be a part of and then

1:30:09 ↗ we'll have an intimate conversation in

1:30:11 ↗ this

1:30:12 ↗ >> in this circle.

1:30:13 ↗ >> You can also email us too and we'll

1:30:15 ↗ respond.

1:30:15 ↗ >> I mean because Oh, true.

1:30:18 ↗ >> That's right. The internet. I could

1:30:19 ↗ totally email you.

1:30:21 ↗ >> Yeah. We're not going to see you

1:30:23 ↗ forever. But but I mean if you have to

1:30:25 ↗ make a if something comes true. Okay. I

1:30:27 ↗ appreciate that. Thank you for the

1:30:28 ↗ reminder.

1:30:30 ↗ >> Yeah.

1:30:30 ↗ >> I think it's just a special.

1:30:37 ↗ Okay. Well, that's it. Thank you all for

1:30:39 ↗ your input. I really do appreciate that.

1:30:41 ↗ >> And I'm just guessing in your guys line

1:30:43 ↗ of work or other nonprofits you've

1:30:44 ↗ worked for or commissions that you guys

1:30:46 ↗ have had some kind of equity training.

1:30:49 ↗ >> Yeah. So this Yeah.

1:30:51 ↗ >> Yeah. I I think we are um equity is a

1:30:54 ↗ very important

1:30:56 ↗ um it's a very embedded into this

1:30:58 ↗ commission. It's very

1:31:02 ↗ >> well maybe we'll call your wife.

1:31:08 ↗ >> That's great.

1:31:09 ↗ >> All right. Well, more to come on this

1:31:10 ↗ one from the group. Um any other

1:31:14 ↗ business or announcements from the

1:31:17 ↗ group here?

1:31:20 ↗ >> All right. Well, as Hannah mentioned,

1:31:22 ↗ our human service commission will recess

1:31:24 ↗ in August and our next meeting will be

1:31:26 ↗ scheduled for September 17

1:31:30 ↗ and uh meeting is adjourned at uh 8:06.

1:31:37 ↗ Thank you.

1:31:38 ↗ >> Oh, you're welcome. You're welcome.

1:31:45 ↗ Everyone.

Approved minutes

Extracted from the next meeting's packet, where this meeting's minutes were approved as a consent-calendar attachment.

Open PDF

Attendance

Council / Members (6)

Jaime Fajardo

Manny Brown

Madeline Fish

Jaydianette Ramirez

Ray Manahan

Trish Bloor

Staff (2)

Hannah Roberts, Senior Human Services Coordinator

Jennifer Kirk, Reclaim Executive Director

Excused

Maury Edwards

Huma Mohibullah

Beau Pulliam

Recommendations & actions (2)

Sentences extracted from the narrative containing words like recommended, requested, directed, moved, or approved. Best-effort — verify against the full minutes for context.

Commissioner BROWN motioned to approve the minutes of June 18, 2025 as presented.
Commissioner FISH seconded the motion, there was unanimous consent to approve the minutes as presented.