This week, I had the opportunity to visit Americans 4 Equality, a nonprofit located in Bellevue. Their MLK Gandhi Empowerment Initiative provides pathways into high-growth careers by removing barriers to entry and connecting learning directly to opportunity.
This unique program provides personalized coaching and mentorship, hands-on training in both technical and professional skills, and workforce development and internship connections to gain real-world experience. Through partnerships with local workforce development and community organizations, they provide new and exciting career opportunities for people throughout King County.
Earlier this year, Governor Ferguson declared a drought in Washington state for the fourth year in a row. Living in a region known for its frequent rainfall, this may seem surprising. Drought conditions in our region are a result of a lack of snowpack and have less to do with the total accumulation of rain we get. These warmer wetter conditions that result in less snowpack also cause more flooding in the winter, resulting in more water than we need in winter and less water than we need in summer.
These growing water stresses are affecting rivers, aquifers, ecosystems, communities, and farms, including King County’s extensive wastewater system - a system I oversee as Chair of the Regional Water Quality Committee. And it’s why this summer I joined the elected leaders group for a new statewide initiative led by Governor Bob Ferguson and the Washington State Department of Ecology called Washington's Water Future.
Over the course of many meetings with people from all over the state, we built a shared understanding of the state’s water challenges and collaboratively identified potential solutions. Information gathered at the roundtable conversations is being collated to identify a range of potential future policy, planning, and on‑the‑ground actions to respond to impacts of climate change on our water and safeguard ample and clean water for today and for the future. I am proud to have joined the effort to address this critical need before it becomes a crisis.
Next Wednesday, October 7 is community youth art making at Together Center (16305 NE 87th St, Redmond)! From 4:00-5:00 PM kids can join this free event to make their very own collage art. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Explore your creativity, bring a friend, and enjoy!
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