COO in the 2019 Best Starts for Kids Annual Report!

WCCDA 2019 Annual Report.jpg

Communities of Opportunity is one of the four major focus areas of the Best Starts for Kids initiative, supporting community-led efforts to build safe, healthy, thriving places for children, youth and families across King County.

Check out the virtual report featuring COO’s Partner Spotlight on the White Center Community Development Association and the White Center community HUB as well as COO portion of the full-length report at the links below:

  1. Communities Building Impact - Best Starts for Kids 2019 Annual Report (virtual)

  2. Communities Building Impact - Best Starts for Kids 2019 Full Length Annual Report: Communities Matter

In 2019 COO community partners accomplished a great deal, including:

  • The first-ever community needs assessment of the Snoqualmie Valley was completed by a partnership between several nonprofits providing access to region-specific data. The Supportive Community for All coalition is using these data to develop new infrastructure and programs to connect residents across an expansive rural and urban area to networked social and health services and foster collaboration among providers.

  • Church Council of Greater Seattle led the process of gathering input from residents in South King County to identify policy solutions to address affordable housing challenges. This effort led to passage of affordable housing policies in Burien, including Rental Licensing and Inspection and Just Cause Eviction, and the creation of a housing ombudsperson.

  • The Food Innovation Network (FIN) increased opportunities for women, immigrants and refugee food entrepreneurs to launch businesses through the FIN incubator program. In addition to providing one-on-one training and technical assistance, FIN connects small businesses with catering orders and features businesses in the Taste Around the Globe booth at farmers markets.

  • A Beautiful Safe Place for Youth’s Corner Greeters and neighborhood intervention program held 24 youth-led events and surveyed 271 community members for their views on public safety. A community- and youth-led approach coordinated by Rainier Beach Action Coalition and partners, this program addresses issues of community safety and building stronger and more connected neighborhoods.

We are incredibly proud to support the work of our community partners and the collective momentum for greater racial equity and health, housing, social and economic opportunities across King County. To read the full 2019 COO Report, click here.

Blog, ImpactWhitney Johnsonbest starts for kids, communities matter, annual report