 Celebrate Together Center’s new campus grand opening
 The bold new endeavor by Together Center to redevelop its downtown Redmond campus, expand wraparound human services and add 280 affordable housing units - all in one transit-oriented location -is complete and tomorrow it’s time to celebrate!
This ambitious and visionary new community campus will build on Together Center’s trailblazing model for co-locating nonprofits on one campus. Together Center is a first-in-the-nation facility that brings together 20-plus diverse human services providers all under one roof. This unique model gives those providers the opportunity to more efficiently and effectively collaborate and significantly lowers barriers to people accessing essential services. Learn more about Together Center, its services and what the exciting new campus will provide:
 Click on the image above to learn more about Together Center, its services and what the exciting new campus will provide
In 2021 I was so glad to direct $900,000 from King County’s mid-biennial budget to go to this campus redevelopment so Together Center could take this next big step to provide access to both services and affordable housing for our neighbors in need across East King County.
Come celebrate this historic occasion at the Grand Opening & Community Celebration tomorrow, Saturday, September 9 from 10am to 12pm!
Shelter and hope for 100 men
Yesterday, I joined PorchLight (formerly Congregations for the Homeless) for the Welcome Home Celebration of their newly opened, long-fought-for homeless shelter in Bellevue, the first and only permanent men’s shelter in East King County. This celebration was the culmination of a promise I made when I was the mayor of Bellevue to site a shelter that would serve men experiencing homelessness on the Eastside.
After over ten years of dedication, hard work, and compassion from PorchLight leadership, community advocates, and elected officials, men started moving into the 100-bed shelter in June. With beautiful murals, welcoming indoor and outdoor spaces, access to onsite services, and more, this is a shelter that we can be proud of as a community. I am thrilled that after years of effort, men experiencing homelessness on the Eastside finally have a dedicated facility that will offer them the services and support they need to get on a path out of homelessness and into safe, stable housing.
Mercer Island’s Mary Wayte Pool awarded $2 million King County Parks Levy Grant
 Swimming at Mercer Island’s Mary Wayte Pool will become even more accessible to people of all ages and abilities following the King County Council’s approval of a $2 million Parks Levy grant for pool accessibility and maintenance improvements. The funding to the Mercer Island School District came from the King County Parks Levy Aquatic Facilities Grant Program. It builds on an earlier King County Parks Levy feasibility grant awarded in 2022 that laid the groundwork for the capital improvements that will now be funded by the $2 million grant made possible by this week’s King County Council action.
Swimming is a wonderful way to get active and stay active throughout a lifetime and is something that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy. Having places to learn to swim is critical to everyone’s safety and this grant will make it possible and easier for even more people to participate. I'm proud to have led the development of the King County Parks Levy in 2019 that provided funding for our aging local pools, including the Mary Wayte Pool.
The $2 million in funding will make improvements for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access needs. New upgrades will allow all visitors, including those with mobility needs, to view swim meets and lessons from the main spectator area on the mezzanine, as opposed to the pool deck where people using wheelchairs or those with mobility issues now must view all aquatic activities. Locker rooms, showers and the associated restrooms right now do not fully meet ADA requirements and will be brought up to accessibility standards. Additionally, the grant funding will be used to repair the pool bowl and exterior siding. The project is slated to begin in early 2024 with a completion date of late 2025.
It's Welcoming Week in East King County!
 Welcoming Week is an annual campaign that celebrates the work in communities to become welcoming places for all, including immigrants. Launched in 2012, Welcoming Week provides individuals and organizations the opportunity to showcase their values through events and initiatives that foster connections and collaboration between immigrants and non-immigrants, as well as belonging for all.
Once again, the Eastside Refugee and Immigrant Coalition has taken the lead in organizing and promoting events across the Eastside to celebrate Welcoming Week. From cultural festivals to the unveiling of new public art to community discussions about affordable housing, these events are open to anyone who wants to deepen their connection with their community and their neighbors. Check out the full list of events here:
Spread the word!
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Sincerely,
 Claudia Balducci
King County Council
District 6
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