As I struggle to wrap my brain around the tragic death of John T. Williams (I’m devastated, been staring at my computer for days…I’m sure work will love that), I’m also reminded of others.  Homelessness is deadly.  Sixteen other human beings have died on our streets in King County in the past six months:

Anna Moore, 42, Ballard, Drowned

James Dolan, 73, Seattle, Fall

Randy Leonard, 52, Seattle, Overdose

Matthew Crook, 41, Normandy Park, Suicide by drowning

Chad Venegas, 32, Auburn, Shot to death

Brandi Lambert, 35,…

One of the more under-reported obstacles for people experiencing homelessness is the sheer number of social service agencies they must visit not just to get their lives “back on track”, but simply to guarantee day to day survival. The labyrinthine route to housing or employment or affordable healthcare often involves multiple trips to different locations spread throughout the city. This constant trekking from agency to agency is especially difficult when you consider a homeless individual’s limited transportation options, especially if they are aged or disabled.…

Just thought it was time to share a few links with our readers:

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Now is not the best time to be a government bookkeeper. It seems that every level of  public administration–federal, state, and local–is confronting the worst budget environment in recent memory. As deficits balloon and public debt levels skyrocket, the instinct to slash and burn what many feel is a bloated, unwieldy public sector becomes all the more appealing.

In this type of climate, it’s often easy to forget that well-designed, strategic public spending– and private philanthropy for that matter–can often SAVE LOTS OF MONEY down…

Last Friday, nearly 60 people representing government, the public, educational institutions, nonprofits and business attended “Disability Lifeline: A Community Conversation” hosted by United Way of King County, State Representative Mary Lou Dickerson, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle City Council Member Tim Burgess. The meeting gave voice to the changes facing the old GA-U program (now called Disability Lifeline) and provided the community an opportunity to generate creative solutions to help ease the transition for people that will be dropped from the program due…

Please join our efforts to obtain authorization for the Calling for 2-1-1 Act. Passage of the legislation will create a federal 2-1-1 system. 2-1-1 is currently being used by many states, including Washington (managed locally by the Crisis Clinic ), as the 3-digit call in number for referrals to health and human services . This easy to remember number has proven to be an invaluable resource in the aftermath of a disaster and provides everyday assistance to anyone seeking health and human services. It is a…

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS

On June 22, the federal government unveiled the first ever national plan to prevent and end homelessness.  The plan, which was developed primarily through the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, defines clear strategies and benchmarks for ending homelessness for individuals and families.

While hundreds of local communities have been working to end homelessness, without the commitment of the federal government the work at the local level becomes significantly more difficult.  We’ve recognized for a…

The first time I walked into Cyndy’s House of Pancakes up on Aurora Avenue and 105th, I pretty much knew what I was getting into.  Mediocre coffee, service that I couldn’t quite decide if it was gruff or motherly, and a delicious stack of blueberry hotcakes.  I’ve only been back a couple of times, and the fact that I have lived in the neighborhood for almost 5 years begs the question as to why that is.  I guess I thought it would always be there.…

Kenneth Wiley, a formerly homeless gentleman who shared his story with us last fall, recently checked in to share some great news. He graduated from FareStart on May 27 after attending classes there for several months every weekday throughout the spring. Along with his certificate of completion, Kenneth received the “Food Lover’s Companion” book and a set of professional knives.

FareStart is a culinary job training and placement program for homeless and disadvantaged individuals. Over the past 18 years, it has provided opportunities…

At our annual Breakfast on June 2, United Way of King County President and CEO Jon Fine opened the event with a report on the progress United Way is making to relieve hunger, end homelessness and to support children and families.

Some highlights of his speech:

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