Updates on Initiatives:
Healing Connections Center: The Board meets monthly to get up and provide services. New leadership in July. Website coming.
Snow Goose Transit: 500+ Riders in April. Petitioned WSDOT for expansion of biennium budget to account for increased expenses.
Kindergarten Readiness:
Kinder Connect: a new convening of daycare/preschools with Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten teachers and staff. This was a great meeting to collaborate on transitioning children into kindergarten classes.
Ready, Set, Go!: a new YMCA program/summer camp to help prepare children for kindergarten. We gave some seed funding to get this program off the ground. Registration is 75% full.
Arrowhead Outdoor Classroom-naming contest went well. We have picked the name and it will be announced at the Soapbox Derby on June 15th. Press Releases will go out after with more information about the classroom and how the public can access the space. We will also update this site with the name after that date. Construction should be done in July.
Resource Hub: It has been decided to discontinue the Resource Hub. Great idea but it is not being used. We did a big push to the community and the providers over the last couple of months without any increase in use. SCAF has been funding this and will work with the Providence Institute of Health on how to discontinue.
The Coalition Website is now live. This will be used as a messaging space for coalition partners to receive updates and community convening participants to see what is happening. It will be updated regularly with minutes from the many workgroups, initiatives, and steering.
Steering Committee continued reviewing the huge list of identified needs from the community convening in Jan. 2023.
Needs:
Climate change: decided that this is too big of an issue for the coalition and more of a county/city initiative.
Environmental/ecology: the issue was garbage along 532, through Stanwood, and onto Camano. A workgroup invitation was sent to the partners and there was no interest, at this time. This is now a dead need.
Unhoused Resources: see workgroup updates.
Family wage jobs/economic development: too big of an issue for the coalition
Employment opportunities/communication: Island Chamber is working on putting a job board on their website. More to come here and check out their website.
Food Insecurity for Seniors: see workgroup updates
Vulnerable people: Big group of people that needs to be broken down. Older adults senior centers have programs. Community Resource Center has programs to help with basic needs.
Emergency shelters-cold/hot: Lincoln Hill Retirement, Community Resource Center, Libraries, YMCA, and Camano Center all have cooling stations. St. Aiden’s Church provides cold-weather shelter. Coalition partners will support them with this effort.
Mobile Device/Cell phone: many cellular providers have options for low-cost phones and service. Community Resource Center offers an emergency phone service.
Broadband/wifi: libraries and Community Resource Center have programs. School District provides hot spots for students.
Access to transportation: the committee does not feel this is a current issue. See the link for transportation in Snohomish County and Island County. https://www.gosnotrac.org/transportation-services
No Steering meeting in July
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