"Banned Books Week celebrates the freedom to read and spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. By focusing on efforts across the country to remove or restrict access to books, Banned Books Week draws national attention to the harms of censorship.

 ALA’s (American Library Association) Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons.

The theme for Banned Books Week 2022 is "Books Unite Us. Censorship Divides Us." Sharing stories important to us means sharing a part of ourselves. Books reach across boundaries and build connections between readers. Censorship, on the other hand, creates barriers." - American Library Association

Top 10 challenged books

List of frequently challenged books 

Join the US Department of Health & Human Services and Pride Foundation for a virtual convening on LGBTQ+ health, hosted by the Pride Foundation and facilitated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Region 10 on September 28, 2022.

You’ll be joined by other LGBTQ+ leaders, organizations, and service providers from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington; HHS regional and national leadership, and Pride Foundation staff. Together, we will listen, share, and learn more about how HHS funding, policies and initiatives impact the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Foundation is proud to play a convening role in this gathering to help connect LGBTQ+ organizations with the services and offerings of HHS.

Our goals for this convening are to:

• Create a 2-way channel of communication between local organizations and HHS
• Share information with you and build the collective knowledge base about HHS funding, policies, and initiatives that impact LGBTQ+ communities
• Hear questions, concerns, priorities, and recommendations about how HHS can better support LGBTQ+ people and communities
• Build and strengthen relationships between HHS and organizations, and between stakeholders across the region

What we’ll talk about: Monkeypox (MPV), mental health and wellness, LGBTQ+ youth and older adult health, access to care, gender affirming care, and more.

Registration is required. Please visit this link to register.

The Department of Social and Health Services is pleased to announce the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund is open for new applications as of Monday, Sept. 19, 2022. The fund provides at least $1,000 in cash assistance for immigrants living in Washington state.

In 2020 and 2021, the Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund provided financial assistance to 120,853 people who were impacted by the pandemic but ineligible to received federal economic stimulus funds or unemployment assistance due to their immigration status. The Washington COVID-19 Immigrant Relief Fund is a community-driven program established by Governor Inslee with an initial $40 million in August 2020, and $22.5 million in December 2020. The Washington State Legislature continued to support the program by investing an additional $62.5 million in March 2021.

You can read the rest of this article at the Department of Social and Health Services Medium page

Applications are available in English, Español, Chinese (中文), Korean (한국어), or Tagalog here.

To join the webinar at noon on Wednesday 10/26, click here.

Cascade Care Savings is a new state-funded premium subsidy program that will lower monthly premium payments for eligible customers starting in 2023. These savings are available exclusively through Washington Healthplanfinder.

Cascade Care Savings is part of the broader Cascade Care program, the Exchange’s primary affordability initiative. Cascade Care aims to increase the availability of quality, affordable health coverage in the individual market, and has been developed at the direction of the Washington Legislature over the past several years.

 For questions or more information about this webinar opportunity, please reach out to Mary.McHale@wahbexchange.org.

Starting in 2023, the Working Families Tax Credit is a new tax refund that helps Washington workers and their families get more money back at tax time. The refund returns a portion of sales tax paid each year and is modeled after the federal Earned Income Tax Credit program.

The purpose of the Working Families Tax Credit is to stimulate the local economy, promote racial equity, and support the financial stability and well-being of low-to-moderate income Washington residents and their families.

This credit program is managed by the Washington State Department of Revenue (DOR), the state’s tax administration agency.

Find out more information about this program by visiting the Working Families Tax Credit page through this link.

Washington is home to vibrant communities and diverse Washingtonians who all have unique talents, skills and experiences. Governor Inslee places a high priority on boards, commissions, and agencies that are reflective of the diverse make-up of Washington and that utilize the impressive talent of Washingtonians. We are always seeking skilled and experienced individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds to participate in boards and commissions ensuring an effective and representative government.

We are excited to share the highlighted Current and Upcoming Gubernatorial Appointment Opportunities.

As someone with deep roots in your respective communities and organizations, we hope that you will share these opportunities.  Anyone interested in being appointed will need to fill out this Application.  Please explore the Boards and Commissions Profiles if you are interested in learning more about the many opportunities to get involved!

Thank you for your assistance in helping Governor Inslee find well-rounded candidates with significant talent and diverse experiences. Please feel free to reach out to Boards and Commissions staff with any questions you might have.  Thank you for your time.