Juneteenth 2021: A Liberation Celebration with Tales from Our Griots

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates the announcement of General Order No. 3 proclaiming the end of slavery in Texas and other states, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. 

This event virtual will feature stories and experiences of employees who have long worked in various capacities for King County, and who continue their valuable work throughout our communities. All are invited to join and managers are encouraged to support employees who wish to attend.

• Monday, June 14 from 12-1:30 p.m.
• Join the Zoom meeting
• ID: 986 6927 8925; Passcode: 537644 

Bringing COVID-19 vaccines to people experiencing homelessness 

Cross-posted from Public Health Insider

As Public Health – Seattle & King County strives to get vaccines to everyone in King County, special efforts are being made to reach people living unhoused. 

Mobile vaccination teams are holding clinics at homeless shelters and encampments across the county. They have visited more than 170 sites and vaccinated more than 2600 people since the beginning of April. 

Click here to read more about these efforts or find out more information about the program.

Recognizing Metro’s Operators of the Month for March and April

Cross-posted from Metro Matters

Every month, operators from King County Metro’s seven transit bases select their fellow drivers for their positive contributions to Metro and recognize them as Operators of the Month.

The operators selected demonstrate safe driving skills; show courteous and helpful attitudes toward customers; and pay conscientious attention to attendance, appearance, and discipline.

Click here to see the latest honorees for March and April.

Inside the Pandemic: Two mental health workers and community volunteers discuss how cultural experiences and racial trauma affect mental health in BIPOC communities 

Cross-posted from Public Health Insider

There is a lack of diversity among behavioral health professionals and a need to create more opportunities for BIPOC people in this field. Research has shown that understanding a person’s cultural connection is an important part of the counseling process. And during the COVID-19 pandemic, this need has expanded dramatically.

Check out this story of how two professionals are helping address the issues of working in this field and supporting the community.

No need to wait for a COVID-19 vaccine

If you’ve been waiting to get vaccinated against COVID-19, drop-in vaccination is available at sites across King County, no appointment needed.

As of May 13, everyone ages 12 and older is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more about the vaccination for youth at kingcounty.gov/vaccine/youth.

Click here to find out where and how you can get a vaccination. 

Water Taxi invites you to take a summer ‘history walk’

Cross-posted from Captain's Blog

What better way to start summer than to take a walk with history along Alki Beach after a trip across Elliot Bay on the West Seattle Water Taxi? West Seattle resident Greg Whittaker is excited about the recent return of evening and weekend sailings of the Water Taxi, and he invites you to join him on the “undeveloped” side of Seattle. Read the story and watch he video here. 

Total Body Strength Class Moves to Mondays

Balanced You, in partnership with Vivecorp, offers free, live virtual exercise classes for King County employees to join from their home. Starting June 7, the Total Body Strength class is moving to Mondays at 5 p.m.

This class is designed to focus on total body muscular strength and endurance. You’ll perform timed work and rest intervals of total body exercises like squats, push-ups and lunges with either your body weight or dumbbells - perfect for those who want to build an all-around solid strength foundation. Some floor work with no jumping is involved. Exercises are taught at an intermediate level with variations suitable for all fitness levels available.

• Mondays at 5 p.m.
• Visit vivecorp.com/balancedyou to register and for more information

Please Note: This class is 50-minutes long, but you can stay as long as you like. Log in 5 minutes before class to meet the instructor and get set up. No equipment necessary but you can use weights if you have them. An exercise mat is recommended. You don’t need to keep your camera on unless you’d like instructor feedback.

PeopleSoft outage June 4-6

To allow for system maintenance, the PeopleSoft system will not be available the weekend of June 4-6.

During this planned outage, the Business Resource Center (BRC) will apply vendor updates and maintenance.

This work will begin on Friday, June 4 at 3 p.m. and is scheduled to be completed by 6:30  a.m. on Monday, June 7.

The system will not be available for access by any County staff during this outage window. There will be a communication sent out to all County staff when the system becomes available.

We realize that this outage impacts all PeopleSoft users and we appreciate your understanding and support.

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