 “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin”
- Mother Teresa -
 A decades-long dream has finally come true in Auburn! On Wednesday morning, your City Council members and I joined Debbie Christian, Executive Director of The Auburn Food Bank, to cut the ribbon on their brand-new home! This has been a 40-year conversation in Auburn, and it is now a reality. But this long road was not without its bumps. But we all know that when Debbie puts her mind to something, it will very likely get done. And this week, it got done.
For over 30 years, the food bank has operated out of about 1,200 square feet of space. In all those years, the needs in our community have grown.
Twenty years ago, the leaders in Auburn knew that we needed a space for the most vulnerable to get the help they need. Not just food but also services and resources to make their lives better. And the planning began, and the dream was formed. Then the great recession hit in 2008 and the dream seemed to fade.
 What didn’t fade was that Debbie has always been there for Auburn when the need is the greatest. As we were all grappling with the growing homelessness in our city, we partnered with Debbie to provide shelter and services to address this emerging crisis. The city council and I agreed that we must revive the plans to create a one-stop service model. So, in 2019, the city council approved a lease agreement for the vacant strip mall located on Auburn Way North. For those of you who have been around a while, that is the site of the old Sports Page Tavern.
The dream was again alive! Well, for a minute, anyway.
Once the City of Auburn had finalized the lease on the building, Debbie began the planning to move the food bank into the 6,600 square feet once occupied by the tavern. And then the pandemic put a pause on the construction. In 2020, the estimated construction costs for the project were about $1.6 million, which was well within their budget. But two years later, those costs skyrocketed to well over $2 million, and the dream was dashed once again. The food bank was over budget by almost $1 million.
 In May 2023, Debbie sent out a plea to help settle the debt to the contractors so they could finally move. Some money came in little by little but nowhere near what was needed.
Until November. An anonymous benefactor came forward with a check for $800,000 to settle the debt and make real what was only a dream for so long!
And here we are today! The Auburn Food Bank now can perform all of their operations in a larger space with more efficiency, with space for staff, storage, a full service kitchen, and better service to her clients. All in the same building as our resource center, community court, day and night shelter, treatment clinic and other amenities.
What once may have seemed like a nightmare has turned into the most beautiful reality this week!
 The latest issue of the Auburn Magazine is in your mailboxes! And for those who live outside the city, you can always access it online.
In this issue, our cover story shares the heartwarming tale of Z Street Coffee, a wonderful local coffee roasting company run by Jeff and Diane Pechacek. This amazing couple swooped in just in the nick of time after our Senior Activity Center found itself in a bind in February 2023, when the center’s longtime lunch vendor began no longer providing coffee for our seniors. Out of the goodness of their hearts, Jeff and Diane filled the gap immediately. And they didn’t charge a dime. I really hope you stop and take a moment to read this uplifting story about Auburn companies helping Auburn neighbors!
The magazine also shares some insights in the Pioneer Bike Club, and the amazing new course and pump track at Cedar Lanes Bike Park.
And a story that's likely relevant for most of you -- an update on our downtown infrastructure plans, including of course, the Auburn Ave. Theater.
 I had the good fortune Thursday morning of being invited to the PepsiCo's Rolling Remembrance ceremony, an annual tradition where PepsiCo veteran employees trek thousands of miles across the United States while carrying a U.S. flag. It's all in partnership with the Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. This non-profit that provides scholarship and educational support to children who have lost a parent in the line of duty. This year, they picked the Auburn plant near the Outlet Collection as their starting gate, and I was so honored to be invited!
 As you probably know, Auburn is a wonderful place for veterans and their families. We're proud to host what's probably the largest veterans observance of its kind west of the Mississippi. I'm talking of course about the Veterans Parade, an event we've held for 59 years.
The work Children of Fallen Patriots is doing is important and necessary. I want to say thank you to the foundation and thank you to PepsiCo for supporting our veterans and their families.
 I have a special request for you, Auburn! A request for support for a significant mental health crisis, not only across our nation, state and region, but in Auburn.
Many people of all ages and walks of life are struggling with mental health issues, and a mental health crisis can happen to anyone. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Centers for Disease Control:
- 1 in 5 adults experience a mental health issue each year; as well as 1 in 5 teenagers (ages 13-18); and 1 in 6 students starting in elementary school (ages 6-17).
- An estimated 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins at age 14.
- The average delay between the onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years!
- Suicide is the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14.
According to the King County Community Health Needs Assessment, Auburn has one of the highest percentages of people with mental health issues in the state.
There is hope! Our Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) strives to make Auburn the Healthiest City in Washington. It has developed and presented mental health videos to many city and state groups. But much more help is needed.
In collaboration with the BRC, Wellpoint Washington (formerly Amerigroup) and the Auburn School District (ASD), the Auburn City Council passed a Resolution for Mental Health that challenges all residents in Auburn to help fight this mental health crisis by watching one or more of the R.E.A.D.Y. (Real Emergency Aid Depends on You) videos: R.E.A.D.Y.; TEEN R.E.A.D.Y.; or R.E.A.D.Y. for KIDS (for parents of elementary school children). These videos will help increase our awareness of common mental health issues, reduce the stigmas around mental illness, which often keep youth and adults from seeking help, and equip residents with tools to use in case of a mental health crisis. This outreach effort is one more step for Auburn to become the first city in Washington to actively engage all residents to address this crisis – creating a healthier mental health life for children, teens, and adults.
So please -- give them a watch and pledge your support for a chance to win a gift during a quarterly drawing.
The City of Auburn is R.E.A.D.Y. Are you?
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