Greetings HSD community,

We have much to celebrate in May! It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Older Americans Month, National Nurses Month, Mental Health Awareness Month, and more.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is a time to celebrate the heritage of our Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander community. Here are some ways to learn more about AANHPI heritage:

• Visit Chinatown-International District, considered the cultural hub of Seattle’s Asian American communities. Shop and eat there. Learn about C-ID history. Visit the Wing Luke Museum exhibits. Visit the Panama Hotel.
• Shop and/or eat at Asian-owned establishments throughout the greater Seattle area. You can find a good list on Intentionalist.com.
• Read The International Examiner, a source of what’s going on in our local APA communities since 1974.
• Check out API Heritage Month events and ongoing resources (including some for young people) offered by The Seattle Public Library.

Older Americans Month
We were grateful to receive an Older Americans Month in Seattle proclamation from Mayor Harrell and the Seattle City Council, shepherded by Public Safety and Human Services Committee Chair, Councilmember Lisa Herbold. Note their recognition of the ADS Advisory Council and the Mayor’s Council on African American Elders. There’s a proclamation from Governor Jay Inslee, too. Read more about this below in our teaser for the May issue of AgeWise King County.

National Nurses Month
Join me in a round of applause for the nurses who work in Aging and Disability Services:

• Seattle office: Krista Sneller (who reports to Sean Walsh), Carol Furusho (who reports to JoAnn Fruge), Suzanna Velichko (who reports to Carrie Lintz), and Mary Pat O'Leary (who reports to Andrea Yip).
• Renton office: Sucdi Mohamed, Karine Veliyeva, Desu Bezabh, and Yelena Kritovich (all report to Heather Dagg)

I also want to recognize those who support ADS nurses:

• Erik Mannery and Hailey Hong compile monthly nursing stats.
• Suzy Miller and Sarah Barkman review PRN monthly stats and administer the PRN contract.
• Heather Dagg co-facilitates bi-monthly nursing meetings.
• Brittani Shelley, Antonia Derramas, and Caroline Bacon all participate in nursing-focused training.

If you or someone you know deserves a thank you for providing this specialized level of care and support, let them know about a list of freebies and discounts put together by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Mental Health Awareness Month

The last two years of isolation, unpredictability, and unrest have affected our mental well-being. While it’s common to discuss ways to maintain physical health, conversations about mental health are often overlooked. May is an opportunity to raise awareness of mental health resources and support and reduce stigma.

As part of the “Seattle Sheds Light on Mental Health” campaign to fight stigma, educate employees, and provide support, the Department of Human Resources has created a web page with a number of resources, fact sheets, videos, and more. Many of them might be of interest to you even if you are not a city employee.

What’s In a Name?
Before I go, I want to preview a survey in next month’s issue. Our monthly HSD E-newsletter has been called Lifelines for at least a decade now, and we want to know what you think about a renaming contest. Does the banner above still reflect the work we do and the mission we are carrying out today? Does it communicate our department logo’s tagline values of equity, support, and community? We want to help deliver the news and information you are looking for, and it all starts with the name at the top. I look forward to reading your feedback.

All my best,

Tanya Kim

Seattle City Light (electricity) and Seattle Public Utilities (water/sewer/garbage) understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult for some of their customers to afford utility services. They offer short- and long-term payment plans and bill assistance programs to help you get caught up and stay current on your utility bills.

Learn more online at seattle.gov/UtilityBillHelp or by calling (206) 684-3000 (interpretation services available).

Applications are now being accepted for the 2022 Technology Matching Fund (TMF) grant cycle as well as the newly created Digital Navigator Cohort. These digital equity funding opportunities are for non-profits who work to close the digital divide in our community. The TMF grants will be awarding up to $25,000 for qualifying non-profit organizations in Seattle. Projects will have to be completed within one year or less and applicants must match at least twenty-five percent of their funding request with cash, time, or other contributions.

The new Digital Navigator Cohort Grant program serves as the City’s response to the inequities brought about by the pandemic. The cohort grant will allow city and community resources to be leveraged to help residents achieve personal, educational, workforce and community goals. Projects under the cohort grant program must be completed within 18 months or less and may receive up to $50,000 in grant funding. Unlike the Technology Matching Fund, the Digital Navigator Cohort does not require a community match.

This year, applicants will find a new easy-to-use online system to apply for the digital equity opportunities. Grant leads will also be hosting virtual office hours weekly, Wednesdays, 12:00 Noon–1:00 p.m. to answer questions about the new applications system, and digital equity opportunities, and more. The deadline to apply for both funding opportunities is May 13, 2022. Winners will be notified June with projects set to begin in July.

Past winners and applicants are eligible to apply for all digital equity opportunities they qualify for. To learn more about the Technology Matching Fund, Digital Navigator Cohort Grant, the open house opportunities, and more, visit the City of Seattle Digital Equity Funding Opportunities site.

May is Older Americans Month and has been since 1963. It’s a time when proclamations are made and (at least pre-COVID) parties were held to honor older people and the difference they make in communities across the nation.

While our interactions are somewhat limited due to the ongoing pandemic, there’s one thing I would like to see done this Older Americans Month. I’d like to encourage everyone to hold conversations with family members and friends about life experiences and wishes that illustrate this year’s Older Americans Month theme: Age My Way.

We all carry bias about aging. We display it when we cringe at having our age announced on our birthday. And we laugh at the age jokes—until they’re not funny anymore. I believe that by sharing more about our lives and talking more openly about aging, we can broaden perspectives and help to reduce ageism that exists in many cultures.

Visit the blog to read more from the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services Chair on breaking down barriers and to view the proclamation issued by Mayor Bruce Harrell and the Seattle City Council.

Want to help promote OAM awareness through media? You can print any of three selfie placards, write your tips or your wishes, take a selfie, and post on your personal social media with #OlderAmericansMonth. Also, you can download virtual meeting backgrounds here and then add them as an option for Teams, Webex, or Zoom meetings. Look for ADS, Age Friendly Seattle, and HSD social media about Older Americans Month, give posts a thumbs up or a heart, and share with family, friends, and neighbors.

2022 Seattle and King County Comparable Worth Wage Analysis of Human Services Work RFQ

HSD, in partnership with the Seattle Human Services Coalition (SHSC), is seeking applications from individuals, teams, and organizations interested in conducting a comparable worth wage analysis of the City of Seattle and King County human services sector.

Approximately $496,000 in HSD General Fund is available through this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) from City Council add (CBA HSD-002-B-001). HSD intends to fund one proposal. The award will be made for the period of July 15, 2022-June 30, 2023. The final report will be due no later than October 31, 2022.

Applications are due on May 24, 2022, by 12:00 Noon PDT. Click here to visit the RFP page for more information and to download materials.

2022 Youth and Young Adult Behavioral Health RFP

The Youth and Family Empowerment (YFE) Division is still 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.

Applications are due Monday, May 16, 2022, by 12:00 Noon PDT. Click here to visit the RFP page for more information and to download materials.

2022 Farm to Table Support Services RFP

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

Applications are due Thursday, May 5, 2022, by 4:00 p.m. PDT. Click here to visit the RFP page for more information and to download materials.