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Friends and Neighbors:
Thanks to the dedication of our healthcare and essential workers, along with your commitment to follow public health guidance, Spring is on the horizon in the fight against COVID-19.
Last week, Governor Inslee announced that, due to the progress we have made in decreasing statewide case rates and our efforts to vaccinate, on March 22nd our state will move into Phase 3 of our recovery. So what does that mean? In short, indoor spaces, like restaurants and movie theaters, will be allowed to open up to 50% occupancy. Additionally, up to 400 people may attend indoor and outdoor activities, such as high school graduations or concerts so long as physical distancing and masking is enforced.
It’s important to remember that this reopening is contingent on a continued decline in case rates. That means we must continue hygienic practices like washing our hands, wearing masks, and physical distancing.
Perhaps most importantly, as soon as you are eligible, GET VACCINATED! With new supply streaming into King County, new locations are opening, including a mass vaccination site at Lumen Field Events Center (where the Seahawks and Sounders play). When fully supplied, this site will be able to administer up to 20,000 vaccines a day.
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People who are eligible can sign up on a notification list for this locations at http://seattle.gov/vaccine or call 206-684-2489 from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Saturday.
As always, you can determine your vaccine eligibility here and find locations to receive the vaccine here.
COMMUNITY FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
King County offers many funding opportunities for projects of all kinds throughout the year to support local governments and organizations in enriching our communities. Please take a look through some of the opportunities below and if you have any interest or questions, reach out to our office!
Get Active / Stay Active
Get Active Stay Active is a two-year grant awarded by Council offices for organizations who provide youth and amateur sports and fitness programs. Local government agencies and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations located in district are eligible to apply. Funding can be used for program implementation costs, such as coaching or space rentals, camp and program fee scholarships, athletic and fitness equipment, or capital projects. For more information on the Get Active Stay Active grant, please contact our office.
Flood Reduction Grants
The King County Flood Control District provides grants for medium and small local flood reduction projects that address existing or potential flooding. Eligible applicants include HOAs, schools, non-profits, tribes, cities and towns, tribes, and King County agencies. Applications are generally due in late spring. Visit the Flood Control District’s webpage for details on this year’s application process and guidelines.
Van Donation Program
The King County Council van donation program allows councilmembers to donate retired (but still useable) vanpool vans to eligible nonprofits and local governments to help serve seniors, people with disabilities, young people, and low-income people. Services must be provided to eligible individuals without regard to their affiliation with any organization and vans must be used to transport eligible people, not items, equipment, or staff. If your organization serves King County Council District 2 and you are interested in learning more, please contact our office.
4Culture
Did you know that King County has a whole agency that’s here to help fund your creative projects and cultural organizations? 4Culture provides all kinds of funding and support in King County with deadlines rolling out throughout the year.
This Friday, I’ll be joining 4Culture for a Zoom Info Session to help connect our communities with the many opportunities they provide. You can register for the event using this link or you can always find out what's a fit for you at the 4Culture website.
SKYWAY PROJECT UPDATES
We had some huge budgetary victories for Skyway last year including funding for a community center, new dollars for affordable housing, additional service from King County Metro and a $10 million fund for a participatory budgeting process. Now the work of implementing this vision begins. To that end, we want to provide continued status updates and opportunities for engagement, which you can read about on our council website. As always, feel free to reach out to our office or any of the project leads that are listed.
HELP US GROW OUR REACH
My team and I send email updates like the one you’re currently reading every couple of weeks and we want to ensure we’re reaching as many of you in our community as possible. So if you know anyone who would like to receive these updates, please be sure to send them to over to our County Council website to sign up!
And as always, for more frequent and daily updates, you can check out our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages. For the latest news, resources, and opportunities to engage with your King County government, follow me on the social media channels of your choice:
Facebook: facebook.com/Councilmember.Girmay
Instagram: @councilmember.girmay
Twitter: @GirmayZahilay
Sincerely,
Councilmember Girmay Zahilay
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