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Coming together to address racial inequities and care for one another
In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, recognized as Sept. 15 – Oct. 15., the King County Latinx Affinity Group has hosted several events to celebrate the Latinx community. In addition to these events, the Group has also developed opportunities to honor and highlight the great work being done on behalf of other minority communities.
In July, the group held a Lunch and Learn to discuss working alongside the Black Lives Matter movement, and how to support the efforts being made to raise awareness and create change in response to the injustices experienced by the Black community.
To learn more about these events and the Latinx Affinity Group overall, we connected with several members to hear about their experience as members and event organizers. Read more.
Celebrating Latinx voices and culture
We are nearing the end of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage month, but we still have so much to share with you. King County Metro’s very own, Penny Lara, has shared with us a video of her and her family reciting one of her favorite poems – "A Callarse (Keeping Quiet)." She has also shared the significance poetry has in her culture. Check out this blog post to learn more about Penny’s story, and view the video (on SharePoint) below.
Volunteer to close a drop box with King County Elections on November 3
Looking for some Election Day excitement? Meet your neighbors and continue your commitment to public service by volunteering as a drop box closer. Drop box closers are the friendly face the public sees on Election Day, ensuring that every vote is counted, and every voice is heard.
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Who: You and your co-workers
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What: Closing ballot drop boxes across King County
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When: Election night, Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 6-8:30 p.m.
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Where: A drop box location near you
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Sign up: Click here.
Most voters wait until Election Day to return their ballots and drop boxes are often busiest in the last few hours of voting. We need your help to provide customer service and assistance to voters using this last opportunity to return their ballots. Sign up and join us for a fun and fulfilling experience helping your neighbors experience the excitement and community of casting their ballots.
You’ll be partnered with Elections staff and no experience is necessary – we provide all the training you need. Read more.
Free live, virtual exercises classes for King County employees
You asked for it and here it is! In response to employee requests, Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, will begin offering free, live, virtual exercise classes on Wednesday, Oct. 21. King County employees and anyone in their home, including children, are welcome to join.
During the pandemic, many people have shifted to outside exercise due to gym closures and restrictions. As fall and winter set in, Balanced You recognizes that it will be harder to get outdoors and exercise, so we want to provide you with other ways to move. Recently, in Employee News, we asked what type of exercise classes were of interest to employees. King County employees let us know they prefer yoga and strength training, so we designed a schedule focused on these. It’s one more way we’re supporting your health and well-being.
Visit this Balanced You blogpost for the class schedule and instructions on how to register and join. These classes will be hosted on Zoom. They will be begin on October 21 and continue through the end of 2020. We look forward to seeing you there.
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Commitment to people with disabilities and Employment First
People with disabilities face long standing barriers obtaining competitive employment. Recent pre-COVID-19 data shows the overall jobless rate for people with disabilities at two times that of people without disabilities, and if you experience a developmental disability, the rate is triple that of your peers who do not have a disability. As we honor Disability Awareness Month this October, we recognize King County’s strong network of people with disabilities, their families, employment service providers, school partnerships, and business champions who are upholding Employment First to help people with developmental disabilities overcome barriers and gain employment in the community.
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COVID-19 cases are rising in King County – What does that mean for schools?
Cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in King County, after two months of decline. As we move into the school year and into fall, a time when COVID-19 spreads more readily, it’s time to renew our commitment to fighting the spread of the virus in our community, for everyone’s sake. It’s more important than ever to mask up, stay distant and limit your contacts with people outside your household. We’ve driven the case count down before, and we can do it again.
While daily case numbers fluctuate, public health experts look to longer, two-week snapshots as a more reliable way to gauge how the epidemic is growing or shrinking. Adjusting for population, we calculate a key “incidence” metric you may have heard of: cases over 14 days per 100,000 people. This number is a key measure that the Washington Department of Health (DOH) uses to determine whether COVID transmission in a community is high, moderate or low, as it relates to the relative risk of reopening schools. Read more.
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October 15: Participate in the ShakeOut drill and KCInform employee alert test
As part of the ShakeOut drill, at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15, we will test KCInform, our employee alert and warning system. A text, voice message, and email will go out to all registered County phones and emails, along with personal phones and emails that have registered. The message will look like this:
This is a test of KCInform, King County’s employee emergency notification system. This is only a test. Remember to Drop, Cover and Hold On at 10:15 a.m. during the Great ShakeOut. Thank you.
KCInform is used to notify County employees of emergency situations, infrastructure disruptions, facility closures, changes in your department’s business operations, and other critical impacts. Your King County desk phone and @kingcounty.gov email address are already in the KCInform system, however please register your County provided cell phone (if applicable) and personal cell phone and email address to ensure you don’t miss important, time-sensitive messages. The service is free and your personal contact information is secure and protected.
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Supporting Latinx Heritage Month through the 2020 Annual Giving Drive
As we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we’re highlighting four nonprofits participating in the Annual Giving Drive whose work supports Latinx, Hispanic, and Latino-identified communities in our region:
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Casa Latina (9307): Empowers Latino immigrants through employment, education, & community organizing toward the full participation of the Latino community in the economy & democracy of this country.
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El Centro de la Raza (9349): Human & Emergency Services (food, housing, etc.), Child & Youth programs (college readiness, academic achievement, etc.), & Education/Asset-building programs (employment, etc.)
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Latino Community Fund of Washington State (9652): Cultivates new leaders, supports cultural and community based non-profit organizations, and improves the quality of life for all Washingtonians.
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Seattle Latino Film Festival (9963): Film festival bringing audiences and filmmakers together for an educational experience and to support the magic of filmmaking as part the global Hispanic culture.
There are hundreds of nonprofits working on the causes you care about that you can support in this year’s campaign. Find out the many ways that you can take action in support of the participating nonprofits who are doing great work in our community and around the world.
From now to Nov. 20, you can go online or use a paper form to make a pledge to your favorite Employee Giving Program nonprofits. Read more.
STAR-LA Interview Practice and Feedback online
workshops, October 15 and 23
There are two opportunities to attend this online workshop:
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Thursday, Oct. 15 from 1-2 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 23 from 11 a.m. to noon. Register here.
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2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan – All employee briefing opportunity, October 19
King County employees are invited to come learn about the County’s proposed 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) at a free webinar on Monday, Oct. 19. The 2020 SCAP is the County’s five-year blueprint for climate action, integrating climate change into all areas of County operations and work with King County cities, partners, communities, and residents. The plan outlines King County’s priorities and commitments for climate action for decision-makers, employees, partners, and the public. On Aug. 27, Executive Constantine transmitted his recommended plan to the County Council.
All King County employees are invited to participate to get an overview of the new plan, priorities, and the work ahead. Registrants will receive a link to the Zoom meeting by email a few days before the event. If you are unable to join live, consider watching the webinar recording of the first all employee briefing held Sept. 29. The password is CLIMATE2020!
- Special guest, Dr. Jeff Duchin, Public Health Officer. Monday, Oct. 19 from 2 – 3 pm. Register here.
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Building a Future that Works celebration, October 20
The U.S. Department of Labor will host a virtual celebration of the 75th annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The event will explore the crucial role of accessible technology in this year's NDEAM theme of "Increasing Access and Opportunity" for people with disabilities, and the Labor Department's work to ensure that emerging technologies are accessible to all in the workplace. Features will include insightful dialogues with thought leaders and a video showcase of the latest innovations in communications, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and more.
Media Representation of Race and Disability Lunch and Learn, October 21
The Department of Human Resources is hosting a Lunch and Learn discussion via Zoom that focus on Race and Disability. We will begin our discussion with a short captioned video and then have an open dialogue facilitated by Gloria Ngezaho, Jennifer Greenlee, Lili Stansberry, and Christina Davidson. All King County employees are welcome to join.
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Wednesday, Oct. 21, from noon to 1 p.m.
Please email Christina.Davidson@kingcounty.gov to register for the Lunch and Learn session. You will receive an Outlook calendar meeting invite with the Zoom link post registration.
A Conversation on the Impacts of the Pandemic While Living with a Disability, October 29
The Disability Awareness Committee, Balanced You, and the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) are hosting a panel featuring employees with disabilities who will share their experiences and stories living through this pandemic. Resources to support employees with disabilities will also be shared during this panel discussion. All King County employees are welcome to join.
Training Spotlight for October 13
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QuickBooks Level 1 – Online – North Seattle College – Explore everything you need to get started with QuickBooks Desktop. This class is $85.00 and takes place on Thursdays for two sessions on Oct. 15 and 22. Register here
Pet of the Week: Auggie
Who is this handsome doggie? It’s Auggie, our Pet of the Week! This senior Havanese was brought in by his previous family because they could no longer care for him. Auggie lived in a home with one cat, and is sweet and affectionate. He would be thrilled to cuddle up with you at home! Auggie can be quite shy, so he would do best in a calm and quiet home – that’s why we call him one of our “Bashful Blue” personality pets. He can get anxious when he’s not with his people, so it would be good for him to have a place where people are home all the time. Auggie is so friendly, he would fit in with almost any household, although he doesn’t have much experience with children.
Read more and view all available pets at www.kingcounty.gov/adoptapet. Have you or someone you know adopted a pet from RASKC? Let us know. We’d love to tell your story.
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Featured Job: Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Mediator
Salary: $97,787.25 - $123,950.94 Annually
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Department: DHR - Human Resources
Division: Career and Culture
Closing: 10/20/2020 11:59 PM Pacific
KC Headlines
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