Greetings HSD community,

Local Events
April is a busy month for HSD, with national and international awareness events for many of the impact areas we work in.

• The last Age Friendly Seattle Civic Coffee is now available on YouTube. This combined March/April event celebrated National Fair Housing Month by featuring a panel of community members talking about resources, challenges, and opportunities in Seattle's Central District.
• In this week’s City Council briefing, Public Safety Committee Chair Lisa Herbold, presented a proclamation declaring April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In Washington State, 45% of women and 22% of men report having experienced sexual violence in their lifetime; evidence indicates that Trans & gender non-binary people are at even greater risk. Together, as a community, we can alleviate the trauma of sexual violence by ensuring supportive resources are available to all survivors. We must also stand-up to and actively disrupt harmful attitudes and behaviors that contribute to sexual violence. Click the link below to our 2022 NOFA to learn about funding opportunities opening in May.

Returning to Office
I would like to thank Senior Deputy Mayor Monisha Harrell and Deputy Mayor Tiffany Washington for attending our recent all-staff meeting to share their vision for #OneSeattle and answer questions. While many of our staff have been working in-office throughout COVID, the remaining staff have begun to implement Return to Office plans. It has been a joy to reconnect with long-time and new colleagues alike.

Leadership Changes
Welcome to Stasha Espinosa, Director of Legislative and External Affairs, who begins this week. As the proud daughter of a retired disabled veteran and a Filipina immigrant, Stasha deeply understands that government systems work best when they are adaptive to the unique identities and needs of the communities they are designed to serve. Shukri Olow will join us as the new Youth and Family Empowerment Division Director in late April. Shukri is a mother and a community organizer in South King County. She has worked on housing, education and human services for the last 15 years. Finally, please join me in thanking Sherri Kokx, Interim Deputy Director, who transitioned from HSD this month.

In Search of the next Aging and Disability Services (ADS) Division Director
Speaking of leadership, if you have not yet had a chance to review the draft job description for the ADS Division Director and share your thoughts—or volunteer to participate in the process—please visit this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ADSdirectorJobDescr

As Springtime blooms and a period of holidays for the three major religions in our country arrives, I would like to wish you and your loved ones good health, prosperity, and abundance this time of year.

All my best,

Tanya Kim

The Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) recently released two Requests for Proposal (RFPs) that were first publicized in our 2022 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), and applications are being accepted right now from interested and qualified community groups and organizations.

On April 11th, our Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division released a request for applications from organizations to provide behavioral health support to young people, including non-residential behavioral health support through clinical treatment and/or non-clinical, culturally specific approaches.

The YFE Division is also seeking applications from organizations and farmers interested in food equity for Seattle Preschool Programs serving low-income children and families. This RFP invests in healthy, local, sustainable, culturally relevant food access and education for 2,000 children ages 3-5 years old.

Every issue of Lifelines features updates on Funding Opportunities. Just scroll down to the bottom 👇 and look for this graphic of helping hands. All RFP materials and the NOFA are posted on HSD’s Funding Opportunities web page. Go there now to join our HSD Funding Opportunities Email List, so that you never miss an announcement!

The City of Seattle Human Services Department (HSD) is pleased to share that we have partnered with Good Food Kitchens, a local food assistance and economic development program that is a part of the Seattle Good Business Network Good Food Economy initiative. As COVID-19 pandemic recovery continues, HSD’s investment in Good Food Kitchens and Seattle’s food pipeline supports community members facing food insecurity by building a more resilient, sustainable, and just local food economy.

The program, created in response to growing food insecurity and the economic impacts of COVID-19 throughout the food system, supports a diverse array of local restaurant and catering partners who are preparing free meals for community members in need. Good Food Kitchens programming takes a holistic approach to service that centers care and dignity for those receiving meals by funding restaurants and caterers who create nourishing and culturally relevant meals that feature locally sourced ingredients. The program simultaneously provides economic relief for restaurants and farmers hit hard by lost revenues and pandemic closures, leading to a more resilient and connected local economy.
 
Good Food Kitchens primarily funds existing community kitchens with established community meal-provider partnerships or those who provide direct distribution to individuals in need. The program also provides matchmaking resources to community organizations and local producers as needed. This program helps keep restaurant doors open and workers employed safely, while supporting local farms and producers, and building long-term local supply chain relationships.

Read more on our blog, view a list of Good Food Kitchen Partners, and find a link to a video on their website which shows the community resilience created between Musang, Oxbow Farm, and SE Seattle Senior Center in Rainier Beach…

The challenges of the last two years have been immense and impacted each one of us. They have laid bare deep inequities and racial disparities in our culture. They have changed the way we live, the way we work, and the way we show up for each other. But, most importantly, these challenges have given us all the rare opportunity to collectively reimagine our future … to shake things up and chart a path toward a healthier, more equitable city.

To understand the impacts of the last two years and what that new path forward might look like, Seattle Department of Neighborhoods launched Reimagine Seattle, a storytelling project in which community members from across the city reflect on their current experiences in Seattle, how they’ve been impacted by recent events, and their hopes for the future of our city. Stories for the series are commissioned from Seattle artists, writers, community advocates, and social justice leaders.

The stories in this project are told through writing, artwork, photography, audio recordings, and videos. Each provides a snapshot of the rich diversity of Seattle and helps identify areas where we can do better.

Visit the blog to view links to several story highlights from the project or visit the project website today.

2022 Youth and Young Adult Behavioral Health RFP

The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division is seeking applications from organizations to provide behavioral health support to young people. Eligible services through this Request for Proposals (RFP) include non-residential behavioral health support through clinical treatment and/or non-clinical, culturally specific approaches. Organizations must have documented experience:

• engaging Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) youth and/or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer or Questioning (LGBTQ+) youth of color;
• providing culturally appropriate behavioral health services; and
• engaging with Seattle’s young people between 8 and 24 years old.

This RFP is investing $938,841 from HSD General Fund. Initial funding will be for the period of January 1 to December 31, 2023. Contract renewal for an additional three years will depend on agency performance and HSD funding availability.

Click here to visit the RFP page for more information and to download materials.

2022 Farm to Table Support Services RFP

The YFE Division is seeking applications from organizations and farmers interested in food equity for Seattle Preschool Programs serving low-income children and families. This Farm to Table Support Services RFP invests in healthy, local, sustainable, culturally relevant food access and education in approximately 50 Seattle Preschool Programs located across the City of Seattle serving 2,000 children ages 3-5 years old. This RFP investment has two program components:

• Nutrition Education: Increase education on healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant foods for children, families, and staff in Seattle Preschool Programs
• Farm to Family Food Bags: Increase access and consumption of fresh and local produce to Seattle Preschool Program children, families, and staff by providing take-home Farm to Family Food Bags

This RFP is investing approximately $839,815 from the following sources: $766,158 in Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax (SBT) funding and $73,657 in City of Seattle General Fund. Initial funding will be for the period of January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

Click here to visit the RFP page for more information and to download materials.