Last year the Mayor launched the Youth and Families Initiative and through that work met with over 3,000 community members to learn about the help that local children needed to be successful in school and during their out of school time.  Through the Youth and Families Initiative, Engage Seattle Initiative and the Cities of Service Initiative, the Mayor called for community members to volunteer as reading tutors, mentors, and after school volunteers.  Recent data has shown that this is making a difference in the lives…

[Our affordable housing guru Neil Powers takes a look at the City's plan to spend those much-needed Housing Levy dollars approved last year. The initial review: So far, so good...]

Dr. Don Berwick, President Obama’s nominee to become the head of Medicare and Medicaid, visited United Way of King County last year and declared that 40% of good health is  “a roof over your head”.  To that end, Seattle citizens overwhelmingly voted last November for the $145 million Seattle Housing Levy Renewal, agreeing to extend…

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is hosting a series of community meetings to gather input on the “Youth and Families Initiative“, which will guide the City of Seattle’s support for children, youth and families, and inform efforts to renew the Families and Education Levy in Fall 2011.

So far, most of the conversation at the meetings has been focused on school-age youth, with less heard from voices carrying the message that early childhood is a critical time to focus on if the goal is the…

In response to the Excessive Heat Warning and Air Stagnation Advisory issued by the National Weather Service, King County government has designated several “cooling centers” in Auburn, Black Diamond, Federal Way, Redmond and Tukwila. Click here for a complete list of locations.

City of Seattle facilities, including parks, libraries and the Seattle Center are offering people a way to cool off and stay safe during the heat of the day. Click here for more information.

And finally, Seattle City Light offers advice…

United Way of King County and the City of Seattle are recruiting more than 500 volunteers to conduct the Homeless Needs Assessment on Monday, April 13.

The City of Seattle invests more than $40 million a year in services to prevent and end homelessness. In order to gain more information about who is homeless and why, the city is undertaking a homeless needs assessment.

Teams of volunteers will ask questions of every person they encounter in designated study areas. The information gained will complement…