Focus on Redmond - Winter 2017

Focus on Redmond - Winter 2017

Volume XXXI No. 4 Winter 2017

Redmond

Businesses & Residents FindWays to Give Back

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Community Members Share Innovative Response to Homelessness with the Mayor

Community Indicators

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not being used and people who are without homes that are ready to take a step out of homelessness without a place to go. We don’t want to see the Eastside turn into Seattle. The things we are currently doing aren’t working and we need to try something different. One home in Redmond is not going to do it. We need to figure out how to make the program have legs and become sustainable. What were you experiencing prior to moving into this Redmond home? George: I lived in my car, was unable to find stable income. What has changed since you have been with the Smith family? George: I have a stable income, a savings, and stable employment. What things have you learned as part of your journey? George: To do better than before. I will not make the same mistakes I did in the past so I won’t end up in this situation again.

Homelessness is a challenge for the entire Puget Sound region and the Redmond community. As such, the City continues to seek innovative

Preparing for WinterWeather

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Focusing on Our Customers

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Mayor John Marchione

strategies that utilize resources available in our community. Recently, the Smith family* expressed an interest in offering space in their home to someone currently living without a home. They worked with Kent Hay, the City’s outreach specialist, to think through potential issues and concerns and then arranged to meet George.* The parties agreed to give it a go, and on September 1, 2017, George moved in. Continue reading to learn more about homesharing and their experience so far. What inspired you to open your home to a community member in need? Smith Family: We saw the need for it and had been part of conversations with the City regarding the need for more housing options. We know a lot of people in the community have homes with multiple rooms that are

What does the future hold? Smith Family: This worked for us, and we would definitely do it again. In the future, for ourselves and others that may be considering becoming a host home, we suggest collaborating with guests. Write a plan of action on how guests can be helped and clearly define barriers and how to break them down. Take time in between hosting new household members to reflect on how you can make the experience better. George: A bright future. A stable income, continued stable employment, and I want to own my own house.

For more information on home sharing, please contact Kent Hay at 425-556-2413 or [email protected].

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

Although community members are helping, human service providers are working hard, and the City continues to invest in solutions to improve homelessness, we still have needs in our community. H O M E L E S S N E S S By the Numbers

C O M M U N I T Y S P O T L I G H T Businesses & Residents Giving Back Wasted food is a growing problem in our community and still an untapped opportunity. While 25% of the food we buy typically never gets eaten, 1 in 5 Washingtonians relies on their local food bank. A localized solution to both of these regional and national issues is on display right here in Redmond. This community effort is a partnership between Hopelink’s Redmond food bank, local businesses and residents. Together, they are making sure that 540 Redmond families have enough to eat each month, while at the same time helping to manage the City’s excess food sustainably. Here’s how it works: each week, several local businesses participate in a program called “grocery rescue” – where excess food that normally is thrown out or composted is transported to where it’s most useful. Donated products include fresh, perishable items such as meat, dairy, produce and bakery goods that may be mildly damaged or close to the “sell-by” dates. The grocery rescue items are picked up at the donating businesses – often by volunteers – and checked for freshness, sorted and stocked on shelves by Hopelink volunteers. The food bank is set up in a grocery store model, allowing clients to shop for what they need most and know their families will eat.

Average # of homeless families at the New Bethlehem Family Shelter each night

200+ PEOPLE

Reported people in East King County without shelter (2017 Point-in- Time Count)

6,000 HRS

389

Homeless students in LWSD schools

Community volunteer hours at Sophia

Homeless individuals in Redmond engaged through the Homeless Outreach Program

284 PEOPLE

10 FAMILIES

Way, a local organization serving homeless women

Redmond and its Partners City of Redmond government has a role in addressing this challenging issue. The City strives for a balanced approach that emphasizes safety and compassion for all. We do this by investing in supportive programs, coordinating a Task Force, regional collaboration, promoting more affordable housing and employing a Homeless Outreach Coordinator. Community Partners provide a range of services to individuals experiencing homelessness here on the Eastside. Agenices include: Catholic Community Services, Congregations for the Homeless, Friends of Youth, Hopelink, LifeWire, The Sophia Way and YWCA. Faith Communities are actively involved in providing services as well: • Redmond United Methodist Church, along with Catholic Community Services, currently host the Eastside emergency winter shelter. • Open Kitchen is a community meal program also hosted by Redmond United Methodist every Wednesday evening. • Overlake Christian Church currently operates safe parking for individuals living in their car or RV. • The Muslim Community Resource Center provides care for people struggling to find a place to live or food to eat. Redmond Library hosts Redmond’s Homeless Outreach Specialist every Monday and Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon as well as the Next Steps Resource Center Mondays and Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m.

Learn more at redmond.gov/homelessness

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Volunteers Sumi Sugimoto, and Darlene and Gary Cleveland receive food at Redmond’s Hopelink headquarters.

Retired physicians Carl and Jeanette Pergam volunteer Monday through Thursday each week to pick-up daily donations from Trader Joe’s that are the equivalent to $1,500 - $2,000 worth of food that would otherwise go to waste.

Sell-by, best-by, use-by: What do food labels really mean? F O O D S A F E T Y

This effort is a local example of a larger movement to help end hunger while also keeping food from going to waste. Some of the Redmond businesses that participate in “grocery rescue” are:

Food product dating demystified:

Date labels are confusing and can lead to needlessly disposing of good food. With the exception of infant formula, product dating is set by manufacturers to indicate the latest date for peak quality, not safety. Even if the date expires, a product should be safe, wholesome and of good quality if stored and handled properly. See the USDA’s Food Product Dating fact sheet at fsis.gov for more information.

Trader Joe’s Fred Meyer Safeway Bella Bottega

Target Hancock’s Bakery The French Bakery Midori Bakery Island Time Eatery

Best before/best by: Manufacturer’s recommended date for optimal flavor/ quality.

QFC PCC Costco

Use by: Last date recommended by manufacturer for peak quality.

Other contributers include local farms and community and resident gardens. Learn more about Hopelink’s Food Assistance program at: Hopelink.org/needhelp/food Learn how to prevent food waste at: savethefood.com

Sell by: Manufacturer’s date to tell stores how long to display item for sale.

Use your senses! Food that has gone bad often develops an off odor, flavor or texture and should not be eaten.

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Community Indicators A N N U A L

H o u s i n g

Number of new permanently affordable homes

25 % INCREASE

New residential units available at or below 80% area median income (AMI), for a total of 465 units citywide in 2016. Percentage of severely cost-burdened households* dropped from 13% in 2015 to 11% in 2016.

*Paying 50% or more of income for housing

T r a n s p o r t a t i o n

Transit ridership continued to rise – there were an additional 700 riders per day in 2016, a 6.6% increase over 2015.

Pedestrian network completion in the City’s pedestrian priority zones (Downtown, Overlake Village, and Marymoor Village) increased 2% in 2016.

2016 saw a decline in per capita traffic-related injuries to 2.1 injuries per 100,000 daytime population – a 12.5% change from 2015.

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S a f e t y

Crime Rate per 1,000 population dropped from 56.7 (2015) to 50 (2016) while the State of Washington rose from 65 to 67.5.

Fraud Crimes (including identity theft) dropped more than 27%, with 101 fewer crimes in this category in 2016 compared to 2015.

C o n s e r v a t i o n

Water consumption (measured in millions of cubic feet per year) decreased from 327 in 2015 to 303 in 2016. Lower Water Consumption

The recycling rate increased to 67% in 2016, continuing to exceed the City’s 2030 objective of 63%. 67 % INCREASED TO

E c o n o m y

Decrease in child poverty rates in the Lake Washington School District* 4.3 % Child Poverty 5.1 % DOWN TO

Population Grew 5 % Jobs Grew 3.2 %

Population and employment growth for the year. By comparison, the planned amount of growth is 5% per year.

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*Estimated by the US Census Bureau. 2015 is the latest year of >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16

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