Solid Ground names new leadership team

Gordon McHenry, Jr., Solid Ground President & CEO

Solid Ground is pleased to announce that Gordon McHenry, Jr. has been named President & Chief Executive Officer. McHenry most recently served as the Executive Director of the Rainier Scholars, a Seattle-based academic enrichment and leadership development agency. Rainier Scholars increases college graduation rates for low-income students of color by providing comprehensive support from 6th grade until college graduation.

Solid Ground also announces that Sandi Cutler has been named Chief Operations & Strategy Officer. Instrumental in the growth of Bastyr University and other agencies, Cutler brings significant strategic, operational and organizational development experience.

The hirings highlight a time of intentional introspection and change at the King County nonprofit, as the agency implements a new strategic plan calling for increased collaboration and coordination among its services.

“We are thrilled to bring this talented leadership team to Solid Ground,” stated Lauren McGowan, Solid Ground Board Chair. “We undertook a national search and in our own backyard found leadership whose careers and life stories embody the notion of creating opportunity for all to thrive,” she said.

“People in our communities continue to suffer from the prolonged economic downturn,” McGowan said. “As an agency, we are being called on to do more, often with less. Gordon and Sandi have the vision and skills to expand Solid Ground’s response to poor and oppressed people, as well as our advocacy to address root causes of social injustice.”

“Fundamentally, it’s about leadership,” McHenry said. “We envision Solid Ground being perceived as a key leader when it comes to addressing economic disparities.”

McHenry previously served in a variety of executive leadership roles in The Boeing Company, most recently as Director of Global Corporate Citizenship in the Northwest Region. A lifelong member of the Seattle community, McHenry has served on many local boards, including the Central Area Motivation Program (now called Centerstone), United Way and The Seattle Public Library. He currently serves on the boards of Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and Seattle University.

McHenry’s father was the first African-American engineer promoted into management at Boeing, as well as the first person in his family to graduate from college. His mother grew up and was educated in a segregated community in Texas. Their experiences gave their children deep respect for education and a strong belief in being active community leaders.

Cutler’s father led efforts to desegregate public schools in the Central Valley of California. His legacy bore fruit in Cutler’s early work as a political activist and management of progressive political campaigns and reform efforts.

“I am delighted to team up with Sandi Cutler. His activist roots and organizational development experience will help Solid Ground strengthen our community by giving more people the firm foundation they need to succeed,” McHenry said.

Ruth Massinga, Interim CEO since August 2011, will continue working with Solid Ground through the fall on several strategic initiatives.

“Ruth stepped out of retirement and guided us through a strategic refocusing. We are indebted to her for the gift of leadership,” McGowan said.

A quiet request to GiveBIG

If you support any nonprofits in the Puget Sound area – heck if you ever even thought of supporting a nonprofit in the region – you’ve probably been deluged with messages from organizations to participate in the Seattle Foundation’s GiveBIG effort on Wednesday, May 2.

And that’s a good thing: More awareness about philanthropy helps create more philanthropic activity. It’s the “if you build it, they will come” theory.

You can give to us on GiveBIG Day by going to our page on the website between midnight and midnight on May 2 and making a contribution.

We applaud Seattle Foundation for providing this incredible venue to talk about, and encourage, giving. And we thank them for developing the “stretch pool,” money that gets allocated to participating nonprofits on the basis of how much they bring in through their Seattle Foundation webpage on the 24-hour GiveBIG.

If you are already a Solid Ground donor, this is a great way to make your regular gift. If you are unable to come to our annual luncheon on May 11, you can make your “lunch gift” through GiveBIG. If you are on our email list, we’ll send you a message closer to the day to remind you about this opportunity.

If you’ve not yet contributed to Solid Ground, this is a great way to start. It’s a community-wide celebration of giving, and what better way than to extend your philanthropic circle to include us?!

One thing you should not expect from Solid Ground, however, is a ton of over-the-top hoopla about this event. We are not making a video, sending in the clowns, or sponsoring hydro racers. We know every human service, animal welfare, environmental, etc. agency in town is already screaming about GiveBIG, and we didn’t want to add to the noise.

We just wanted to quietly remind you that Solid Ground is at the GiveBIG party, and we hope to see you there.

Protect the safety net and fight for jobs on MLK Day

“The existence of poverty in the US should not be accepted as a necessary evil or an insoluble problem, but should be considered a crisis requiring emergency measures. It is a matter of will and priorities, not a matter of resources.”

~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

This MLK Day, join Statewide Poverty Action Network in Olympia rallying and advocating with lawmakers to protect our safety net. Sign up at www.povertyaction.org.

The annual Seattle celebration of Dr. King focuses this year on unemployment and jobs. A workshop on “Jobs: Where Are They?” starts at 9:30 am at Garfield High School at 23rd and East Jefferson. For more details go to the event facebook page.

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 36,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 13 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Building community & creating multi-vocal spaces

Melissa Poe, anthropologist and Solid Ground supporter, shares her thoughts about why she gives to Solid Ground – and why she’s excited to attend our 10th annual Building Community Luncheon on Friday, May 6!

 

Melissa Poe, anthropologist & Solid Ground supporter

Like charitable organizations elsewhere, Solid Ground helps alleviate poverty and suffering by providing direct services to individuals and families who are struggling with economic and other types of hardship. Providing meals, housing, transportation, counseling and other emergency services to people in need is as critical now as ever.

What sets Solid Ground apart, however, is not simply its effective and ongoing delivery of food, shelter and services, but the organization’s commitment to fight root causes of social and economic injustices. You know the saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Solid Ground takes this direct service and empowerment model of charity and goes one step further by asking: Why is there hunger and poverty? Who experiences disproportionate poverty in our communities? And how can we affect change at institutional levels to end poverty?

When I give financial support to Solid Ground, I know that my small contribution is multiplied threefold by this dedicated and visionary organization.

I had the privilege of attending my first Solid Ground Building Community Luncheon in 2010. The luncheon gave me an opportunity to learn about the breadth of programming and hear moving personal stories from individuals who have received services over the years.

This year, I look forward to hearing from a local voice, Dan Savage. Mr. Savage has been a fierce, outspoken advocate for LGBTQ people and frequently raises questions about institutional injustices. As anyone who has read his relationship and sex column in The Stranger weekly newspaper knows, he can also be controversial. When thinking about the potential learning lessons that Savage’s recent “It Gets Better” project – where he takes off his columnist hat and dons a social service hat to offer hope to young people who may be facing crippling despair because of bullying and bigotry – might offer to a community of people dedicated to alleviating suffering and ending poverty, there are a couple of things I hope to reflect on.

First, community building. Over 10,000 videos have been submitted to the “It Gets Better” project. Multiply the number of videos by the number of people who produced and viewed them, and we are witnessing an enormous outreach effort to save lives and elevate happiness, potential and positivity for people, especially young queer people.

My second reflection is space. The project has created space for diverse voices to communicate their personal stories. It’s a space for creating, sharing, healing from trauma, and celebrating cross-generational and cross-cultural connections. 

Building community and creating multi-vocal spaces where people can heal, thrive, be nourished, and find home in the biggest sense of these words, is the common thread here. And it’s why I’m grateful to be able to attend Solid Ground’s annual fundraising luncheon once again.”

You can visit our Building Community Luncheon webpage to register to attend the event, or contact Megan Locatelli at meganl@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6862 for more information!

First tenants move in at Brettler Family Place

If you listened carefully this morning, you could hear the soft padding of young feet in jammies in the hallways at Brettler Family Place. Tea kettles whistled and warm voices called “wake up,” where once the drone of air compressors and the pop of impact drivers filled the soundscape.

Kelly, our first resident!

For the past year, the sounds and sights of construction have dominated this little hillside on the western edge of Magnuson Park. Now, homemaking has taken over. Because yesterday, the first dozen families moved from shelter and transitional housing facilities across the region into their new, permanent, affordable homes at Brettler Family Place.

“This is the beginning of something great for me,” said Joyce, who called her car ‘home’ not too long ago. She was all smiles as she approached her apartment for the first time, its third floor views extending across Magnuson Park to Lake Washington and the Cascade mountains.

Monday afternoon, six new families received their orientation by staff at Solid Ground, who developed the 52-unit Brettler Family Place, and Mercy Housing, who are managing the property. They went over ground rules and guidelines for making this new community a safe, welcoming, environmentally-friendly one. For some, it was the first permanent housing they have ever had; for others, the first in a long time.

Orientation with staff of Solid Ground and Mercy Housing

The first 12 families got their keys on March 7. Within a few weeks, 51 units will be filled with formerly homeless families. In the context of the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, this represents significant progress: Within a few weeks, homelessness will be over for these 51 families. The supportive services on site will help ensure that they maintain their new position on solid ground.

And all around King County, as these families exit the facilities they have been living in, other families anticipate moving into now-vacant slots at transitional housing programs. Unfortunately, there is no shortage of candidates for those programs.

Throughout the spring, the landscaping at Brettler Family Place will take root – and the yard, which still reminds you of a construction zone, will fill in. The Lowry Community Center will open to host casual get-togethers and formal events. Kids will ride their bikes in the park. And life will start to settle down from the crisis-driven cycle of homelessness to something more even-keeled. From beautiful buildings will come a vibrant community.

Landscapers still working at Brettler Family Place

The process of transforming a formal military airfield, one of the nation’s foremost “swords in ploughshares” conversions, will come a step closer to fulfilling its promise of 200 housing units for formerly homeless folks. Sometime in the next year, Solid Ground hopes to launch the final phase of the development, constructing additional family units as well as housing for veterans and other singles.

When the Naval Station Puget Sound was first listed for base closure in the mid-1990s, there was a tremendous outpouring of ideas about how to best use the remarkable facilities and setting. Throughout a multi-year, city-wide planning process, the Sand Point Liaison Committee – under the leadership of former City Council member Jeannette Williams – helped the city craft a plan that incorporated recreational, cultural, educational and other uses. The notion of housing formerly homeless people on the site was proposed early on in the planning process. While there was some trepidation at first, it was soon roundly accepted by the Committee, which represented most of the community clubs and neighborhood organizations in the NE part of the city, as well as other park stakeholders.

Living in transitional housing is not the best time to collect lots of stuff

I had the privilege of serving as the alternate representative for the Seattle King County Coalition on Homelessness to the Liaison Committee. In that role I saw how initial fears about locating housing for formerly homeless people in the park transformed into concerns about how we could work together to build the best possible community for these people. Since Spring 2000, when families and singles first moved in to repurposed Navy buildings, neighbors from the surrounding community have invested their time, talent and love in making the Sand Point Community Housing program successful. Individuals and groups from “up the hill” continue to help shape and support this growing community.

But for the families who moved in yesterday, that is all just old business. For parents like Justine, their sights are set on the future.

While Justine thinks about a better future, Analiyah thinks about a nap.

Justine is a 20-year-old single mom, who, along with her young daughter Analiyah, moved into her first real home yesterday. “I’ve never had my own permanent housing before,” Justine said. Kicked out of her family as a teen, she’s had a handful of challenging years. But now, Brettler Family Place is giving her the stability to pursue a nursing career. She’s almost finished with her prerequisites at a local community college. Her sense of hope, and that of her new neighbors, is as powerful as the promise of spring. And like the blooms that will soon overtake the park, new life is shooting up at Brettler Family Place.

Townhomes, views to Lake Washington

Stand up for your rights!

Statewide Poverty Action Network and concerned citizens around the state are joining together to make sure that Washington State does not balance its budget on the backs of its most vulnerable citizens. Here’s a little video call to action:

Join Poverty Action for Lobby Tuesdays, Phone Bank Thursdays and Members in Action Nights.

Call 866.789.7726 or email Senait Brown to get involved.

Poverty Action members at the 2011 MLK Day Rally in Olympia

A bipartisan argument for National Service

Check out this recent op-ed by Eric Tannenblatt about how National Service is a strategy that can be embraced by both Democrats and Republicans to meet our country’s most vital community needs: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0111/47652.html.

Tannenblatt, who describes himself as a “lifelong Republican,” notes that:

1) AmeriCorps taps into the strengths and skills of grassroots community members to solve community problems.

2) AmeriCorps is a highly cost-effective program.

3) AmeriCorps has a transformative effect on its participants, “often putting them on a lifelong path of civic engagement.”

Voices for National Service, a national advocacy organization that works to educate the American public and our nation’s leaders about the power and impact of National Service, notes that funding for National Service has been included in the President’s 2011 fiscal year budget. Go to their website to learn more!

(Editor’s note: Tera Oglesby runs Solid Ground’s JustServe AmeriCorps program. JustServe AmeriCorps Members work with youth at risk of violence, support victims of domestic violence, help create alternatives to incarceration, support people coming out of the prison system, and mobilize community members of all ages to get involved in violence prevention.)

People who will pay for Yes on I-1098

Lots of folks who would be the hardest hit by the state income tax on high wage earners proposed in Initiative 1098 support the Initiative because of the way it would fund education and health care, as well as cut the taxes of most of the rest of us.

Bill Gates, Sr. supports I-1098

Poverty Action initiative endorsement: YES on 1098 & 52, NO on everything else

This year, there are a record number of issues, initiatives and measures on the ballot in Washington State. And ALL of them will impact our state’s investments in the health and wellbeing of our communities, particularly our low-income communities and communities of color.

Solid Ground’s Statewide Poverty Action Network combed through all of the election information, researched what impact these ballot measures would have on our families, friends and neighbors, and came up with a list of endorsements. Solid Ground’s Board of Directors also endorsed these positions (with the exception of taking no action on I-1082 and Ref 52).

In short, Poverty Action urges you to vote YES on I-1098, APPROVE Referendum 52, and vote NO on everything else.

And here’s why:

VOTE YES ON I-1098 & REF. 52

I-1098 invests in Washington communities. Vote Yes
I-1098 would raise over $1 billion per year for health care and education by establishing a limited income tax on the wealthiest 3% of Washingtonians (individuals who make over $200,000/year or couples who make over $400,000/year).

Ref. 52 makes our schools safer and creates jobs. Vote Approve
Approving Referendum 52 means that our state can continue our commitment to making schools safer, saving energy and creating 30,000 new jobs.

VOTE NO ON EVERYTHING ELSE.

Big oil, big developers, big insurance and big banks have bankrolled these five dangerous initiatives that would cost Washington communities more than $1.2 billion.

I-1053 is Tim Eyman’s latest anti-tax disaster. Vote No
I-1053 would require a two-thirds vote in each house of the legislature or voter approval for every tax increase, surely leading to more cuts to priorities like education, health care and other critical programs.

I-1107 would lead to further cuts to education and health care. Vote No
I-1107 would cut $300 million from our schools and kids by repealing a small tax on soda, bottled water, candy and gum.

I-1082 is bad for you and good for the private insurance industry. Vote No
I-1082 would privatize our workers’ compensation insurance system, which protects workers who are injured on the job. This would cost our state millions, drive up employer costs and prioritize corporate profits over workers’ health.

I-1100 & I-1105 put our jobs, education, health care and public safety at risk. Vote No
By privatizing the sale of hard liquor, I-1100 & I-1105 would strip $350 million each year from local schools, health care, police, firefighters, and alcohol and drug abuse programs, and lead to more underage drinking, drunk driving and alcohol-related crime.

Still have questions? Email vote@povertyaction.org and we can help you figure it out.

Want to help us spread the word about these ballot measures? Email volunteer@povertyaction.org and we’ll get you set up.

Drop the I-word!

Recently, I attended the “Facing Race” conference in Chicago sponsored by Applied Research Center and Colorlines magazine, which focused on racial justice issues. The plenary and workshops that I attended were great and provided me a new sense of commitment and insight about why this work is so important.

But what resonated with me most was the Drop the I-Word campaign. The I-Word campaign views the word illegal(s) as a damaging word that divides and dehumanizes communities and is used to discriminate against immigrants and people of color. The I-word is shorthand for illegal alien, illegal immigrant and other harmful racially-charged terms.

From the Colorlines website...

I am an immigrant and have members of my family who are undocumented, so I feel firsthand the impact of the word illegal. Members of my family live daily in the shadows, always looking over their shoulders, afraid that ICE will be knocking at their door any minute. They live in a world we can’t ever imagine, with no rights to organize, no rights to fight for better wages, decent hours or working conditions. Many in our society view them as draining vital resources away from their communities, without understanding the immeasurable contributions (economically and socially) that undocumented immigrants have given to this country. Being labeled illegal aliens rips the souls and spirits of my relatives and denies them the potential to fully achieve their American dreams of better housing, education, healthcare, and most importantly, as human beings.

It’s time to hold organizations and institutions accountable for perpetuating the word illegal. It’s time to see everyone as a human being regardless of status, because, aren’t we all immigrants one time or another?

Go to the Colorlines website for more information on the Drop the I-Word Campaign.

Here is the campaign’s video.

Sharehouse truck cleaned!

Thanks to the good folks at Greenlake Pressure Washing, The Sharehouse’s truck has been cleaned and is back on the road. You can read about how it was tagged here.

The Sharehouse's truck after cleaning!

Sharehouse truck tagged, services curtailed. Please help!

It’s such a simple idea: recycle good quality used furniture and household items to folks who are transitioning out of homelessness to help them start new homes. For more than 20 years, The Sharehouse has pioneered this work, turning housing into homes for thousands. Started by a group of hearty volunteers, the program has developed into a cornerstone of our community’s response to homelessness. And I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for The Sharehouse, as I was the first director and ran the program for four years.

Last night their delivery truck was tagged by graffiti, and the program needs to take it out of commission until it is cleaned up. That means no more picking up donated furniture and no more deliveries to help families move into a new place.

But they don’t have the resources to pay for a cleaning. So I’m asking folks to help. If you know of someone who could clean the truck pro bono, please email director Michal Nortness. Or consider joining me in making a donation to help cover the costs. You can do it online through The Sharehouse’s donation page. Thanks!

May Day March & Rally for Immigrant Rights!

From our friends at Washington Community Action Network:  

Washington CAN!'s youngest spokesperson, 11-year-old Marcelas Owens

 

Join Washington CAN!, Statewide Poverty Action Network, Solid Ground and many others at the 10th Annual May 1st March & Rally for Immigrant Rights! In 2006, thousands of people across the nation took to the streets to protest inhumane immigration policies and support immigrant and worker rights. In Seattle, the May 1st march has historically been a grassroots effort with full support from all sectors of the community and driven by the Latino community in the Puget Sound Area. 

There is an indisputable need for immigration reform for everyone in our country. We need comprehensive immigration reform that reflects our American values of justice, fairness, and respect for humanity. We believe all communities can come together to better our country. 

Event Information: 

• Rally 12:00pm at Judkins Playfield (behind St Mary’s Church- 611 20th Ave S, Seattle)
• March 12:30pm
• March will end at 1:30pm followed by a program with elected officials and music at Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center (401 5th Ave 98109)
• Contact: Email maru@washingtoncan.org

Thank you for all you,
The Washington CAN! Team 

***************************************************************** 

¡Marcha y mitin del 1ero de mayo por derechos de los inmigrantes! En el 2006 miles de personas a través de la nación inundaron las calles para protestar políticas  migratorias deshumanas y un apoyo a derechos de los trabajadores e inmigrantes. En Seattle la marcha del 1ero de mayo ha sido históricamente un esfuerzo comunitario con apoyo absoluto de todos los sectores de la comunidad y liderado por la comunidad Latina del área de Puget Sound. 

Hay una necesidad indiscutible de una reforma migratoria para todos en este país. Necesitamos una reforma amplia que refleje nuestros valores Americanos de justicia, igualdad y respeto por la humanidad. Creemos que todas las comunidades pueden unirse y mejorar nuestro país. 

¡Acompáñenos a la Décima Marcha Anual por Derechos de los Inmigrantes e invite a sus amigos y familiares! 

Información del evento: 

• Sábado 1ero de mayo, 2010
• Mitin 12:00pm en el parque Judkins Playfield (detrás de la iglesia St Mary – 611 20th Ave S, Seattle)
• Marcha 12:30pm
• Marcha terminará a la 1:30pm y será seguida por un programa con oradores políticos y música en el Memorial Stadium en el Seattle Center (401 5th Ave 98109)
• Reservaciones: mande un correo electrónico a maru@washingtoncan.org  

Gracias por su apoyo, 

La Red Activa – Washington CAN!

Solid Ground volunteer recognized by United Way

Solid Ground Advisory Council member, advocacy volunteer, bike rebuilder (more on that in a future blog post), SG blogger, and all around good guy Peter Zimmerman was featured in this post on the United Way King County Blog as part of their National Volunteer Week activities.

Congrats, Peter!

Captain Z in Olytown

A life-changing experience

Maria Marshall has had a life-changing experience through her national service year with the Washington Reading Corps. Here’s what she has to say:

Are we seriously talking about cutting GAU again?

We all hope that if we face a job loss or become disabled, we will have the support we need and the opportunity for a good quality of life. Strong public systems like General Assistance for the Unemployable (GAU), which is in the process of being renamed the Disability Lifeline, ensure all people can meet their basic needs when times are tough, as well as lay the foundation for economic recovery.

GAU/Disability Lifeline is more than just a social service program for people unable to work due to physical and mental disability. It is the assurance that, if something terrible happens that inhibits your ability to work, you will have some support. The $339 monthly cash grant and medical coverage that this program provides is often the difference between housing and homelessness, between a meal and going hungry. Currently, 21,000 people rely on GAU/Disability Lifeline to pay rent, cover critical medications, and pay for basic needs. Despite all of this, both the Governor and the Senate have proposed to drastically cut this much-needed program.

In their proposals, both the Governor and the Senate limit the amount of time a person can receive GAU, and the Senate reduces the already small monthly grant to a $50 stipend. This is outrageous. Now is not the time to make such drastic reductions to this crucial program. With less than one week left in the legislative session and legislators debating their budget proposals as I type, we must act NOW! We must urge our legislators to raise more revenue to protect GAU and the other critical programs that help people meet their basic needs.

At Poverty Action, we combed through the budget proposals so you wouldn’t have to. Check out our analysis of all three budget proposals.

Email your lawmakers or call them toll-free at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to raise more revenue to protect the Disability Lifeline, formerly GAU, and other crucial programs. If you or someone close to you would be personally affected by the elimination of GAU or any other crucial program, please include that in your message.

Thanks for taking action to provide economic security for people with disabilities!

In hard times Americans need to tap into their social responsibility

The economic downturn has made the middle class less generous toward the poor and the people of color who make up the majority of poor people in America, according to an article in today’s Seattle Times (reprinted from the Philadephia Inquirer).

The story quotes South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer as saying that when the government helps the poor, it’s like people feeding stray animals that continually “breed.”

And it recounts Colorado state legislator Spencer Swalm saying that poor people in single-family homes are “dysfunctional.”

People are insecure about the future and therefore they hang on to external differences to justify decisions that are not conducive to ending poverty in America. It’s not surprising then, we find ourselves asking the question: “Am I being treated fairly by my neighbor next door?”  Discrimination is on the rise in America and we ought to be aware of this trend and make others aware of it so we can understand why it’s happening. This is nothing more than a survival mechanism present in our society for decades, and it’s not going to go away without all of us getting involved.

As a society we have a social responsibility to the poor, not only because they have limiting factors that are beyond their control, but also because the alternative would result in more crime and misery for families around the country.

Washington can’t afford another all-cuts budget

Our communities thrive when all people can meet their basic needs and have opportunities to prosper. Our state has invested in our shared future by providing health care for kids, ensuring support for seniors and disabled adults, and increasing access to education. Last year, facing a $9 billion budget deficit, the legislature made devastating cuts to the public systems that help people meet their basic needs and provide for the health of our communities. These cuts caused 40,000 people to lose their health care, thousands of people with disabilities to lose their only source of income, and halved funding for affordable housing.

Citizens rally for revenue, thanks to Fuse WA for the photo.

We can’t afford another all-cuts budget. It is time for our state to raise revenue. This Presidents’ Day,  February 15, an estimated 6,000 people rallied at the Capitol to call on our lawmakers to raise revenue to protect these investments and prevent another round of painful budget cuts. Newspapers, TV and radio across the state covered the rally that Poverty Action activist, Solid Ground staff, and Long Term Care Ombudsman Rose Floyd (wow – what a rockstar!) described as “diverse in every way possible, spirited, and optimistic.” She added that “it was a joy to be there. I think it was encouraging to those lawmakers who want to lead on increased revenue.”

These numbers are more evidence that Washingtonians overwhelmingly want a responsible state budget that protects our economic future by closing tax loopholes and raising new revenue. Demonstrators showed their strong opposition to more devastating cuts to health care, education, seniors and the environment.

We can’t let up now! Your state lawmakers need to hear from you TODAY. Send them an email and urge them to raise revenue to protect the public systems that help families meet their basic needs and have opportunities to prosper.

Honor the Presidents by getting involved!

What better way to celebrate President’s Day than with meaningful civic engagement?!

Rally to protect our economic future, THIS MONDAY FEBRUARY 15th.

Our communities thrive when all people can meet their basic needs and have opportunities to prosper. During the worst economic crisis in modern history, our state should continue to provide resources for Washington families as they struggle to weather the recession.

Last year, the Washington State legislature passed a devastating all-cuts budget that left 40,000 new people without healthcare, cut services for seniors and people with disabilities, and caused tuition hikes to our state’s community colleges and universities.

We can’t afford another all-cuts budget. Your lawmakers must hear from you! They need to hear that YOU want them to explore revenue options to help us create jobs and opportunities, protect our most vulnerable and build a secure economic future for our state.

Join Poverty Action and Solid Ground for a rally at NOON in Olympia on Monday, February 15. We must protect our economic future!