Eastside Community Development Fund

Building community engagement through outreaching, convening and networking : eastside foundation met with arch staff on 2 occasions, and also a for profit software company twice to explore how their product could streamline access to affordable housing units. We created a plan for this work through learning through research and meeting with arch, city of bellevue staff, and providers. This project would impact families trying to access over 2000 units across east king county. Eastside foundation had 9 meetings with developers (amli, lecacy partners, cairns west) who neighbor the proposed redmond psh building that will be operated by plymouth housing to identify the questions and concerns that need to be addressed to have this project be successful for the whole community. We also met with the redmond police chief and deputy chief, the redmond city planning director, human serivces staff brooke buckingham, and conducted an assessment of 7 plymouth properties by talking to 12 neighbors, staff of 2 buildings, and touring buildings and neighborhoods. We wrote up a report with our findings and shared outcomes with certain stakeholders. We also met with mayor birney, rep. Slatter, and others to listen to their experience and to discuss the role that eastside foundation will have to help support the success of the plymouth housing project in the city. This project will impact 100 residents of plymouth and impact over 1000 residents and business users that are in close vicinity of this project. Eastside foundation reached out to 100 plus congregations across the eastside and also multiple property developers and city and school district staff to identify potential sites that could host a severe weather shelter during times where it is dangerous for people to be outside. We then toured 7 locations, created contacts with these 7 locations, and wrote up a report to be able to use to engage these new sites when severe weather events hit the eastside.

Mental health and addiction support resources: eastside foundation connected with non-profits interested in having a substance use disorder professional degree launched in east king county to garner their continued support for launching this program at lake washington institute of technology. (ikron, hopelink, sophia way, porchlight, mary's place, catholic community services, plymouth housing, friend of youth, and youth eastside services were engaged). In addition, eastside foundation had 4 meetings with representatives of lwtech to explore what would be needed to offer this program. Eastside foundation then crafted a letter of support and had the 9 non-profits sign it for the state approval board. This will impact 20 plus organizations and agencies who serve thousands of people struggling with addiction and mental health. This project will mean that eastside non-profits, and other agencies, will be able to find and hire qualified substance use professionals to better serve the clients at the local nonprofits who are in need of these services. People will be able to achieve and maintain sobriety and stabilize more effectively due to this project.

Education and community resources: eastside foundation had 4 meetings with mike, the founder of the math agency, who operates a math tutoring program at stevenson and lake hills elementary schools. We worked with mike to write a presentation for us to explore raising funds to expand his tutoring program across the eastside. His program data shows that it is very successful. His project helps improve the math and literacy scores of students who struggle with these with the goal of getting caught up to grade level work. We conducted research and wrote up a plan to expand the services he provides. This project would impact 400 students.