February 2023 Newsletter

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View this email in your browser   FOCS Newsletter February 2023 FOCS Office Updates Save the Date! FOCS' 10-Year Anniversary Celebration! Join us in celebrating 10 years of being in community with FOCS families and help us raise funds to continue bringing families of color together! Date: Saturday, June 10, 2023 Time: 11:00 am-1:00 pm Location: Beacon Hill, South Seattle  Contact Sarah Kim Park, FOCS' Development Director, to get more information on becoming a sponsor for this event, or learn more about how you can support community building for families of color!  FOCS is Hiring! Our current Communications Manager (me!) is going on maternity leave and we're looking to hire a Temporary Communications Specialist! The Temporary Communications Specialist maintains the overall brand, strategy, appearance, and communications schedule set by the Communications Manager and Development Director for external communications around FOCS’ mission and programming to the greater FOCS community. Our ideal candidate is passionate about communicating and collaborating with a diverse group of leaders and individuals. They have a strong foundation of racial justice principles and a view on communications and marketing that does not have to “fit in” with the white-dominant world of nonprofits. Apply Here All the things you'll find on the FOCS website! As we continue to grow and share connections with FOCS in the community, we wanted to highlight some important information that you can easily access on our Website:  FOCS Events- FOCS-specific events are always free and invite-only! Get notified by joining our Facebook Community Page or request to be added to our google group listserve FOCS Parent Groups- We offer new parent groups every quarter and keep our schedule up-to-date, check our Parent Group page to see which groups are still open, or fill out the FOCS interest form to let us know which groups you want to see offered the following quarter.  Become a Peer Group Facilitator-  We hire and train from within, former parent group participants are invited to attend quarterly information sessions and learn more about becoming a paid Peer Group Facilitator.  Request a Race Equity workshop- Check out our Systems Change page to learn about the many Workshop Topics we offer and request a workshop for your school, workplace, or community group today! Partner with FOCS to co-host an event- Is your local community organization or group hosting a free or low-cost BIPOC and family-friendly event? Contact us to discuss co-hosting or promoting your event within our network of over 4,000 families! FOCS Resource Page- Are you a FOCS parent interested in finding resources to address Anti-Blackness, learn more about non-binary and Trans parenting, or looking for some new reading material for your socially conscious teen? Check out the FOCS resource page! Become a FOCS Monthly Donor- Click HERE to set up recurring monthly donations to ensure that we can continue to offer free parent groups and programming to families of color in the greater Seattle area! FOCS Programs Updates In-person Parent Groups are coming to South Seattle! We are now offering select FOCS Parent Groups in person within the Seattle area! Join us for an IN-PERSON South Seattle Waddlers group beginning March 21st! Tuesdays 9-11 am March 21 – April 18  Groups will meet in South Seattle. The exact location will be shared during the registration process. Proof of Vaccination is required.  Read more about FOCS COVID policy HERE.  The South Seattle Waddlers group is for parents with children 6 months to 3 years old living in South Seattle. FOCS Peer-led parent support groups help connect families, increase parenting skills, and provide a space to discuss identity and race.   Register Here! Did you know that FOCS offers over 15 different parent groups? Help us ensure that our groups continue to meet the needs of FOCS families by filling out our interest form. Our interest form helps us determine which groups are most needed and helps us stay in contact with families to ensure we meet their needs in the future.  Learn more about the many Parent Groups we offer on the FOCS website focseattle.org   Fill out the FOCS Interest Form FOCS Programs Updates FOCS Family Programming This month we are partnering with Nurturing Roots Farm and inviting all FOCS families to attend this Free Outdoor Arts Workshop and Story Time for early learners and families. Learn more about Nurturing Roots Farm HERE.  Date: Sunday, February 19th Time: 1 pm - 2:30 pm Location: 8218 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA No Registration required We hope to see you there!  Join us for a FREE 2-part Online Series Hosted by and for FOCS Parents! FOCS will discuss promoting better connections and building more supportive and healthy relationships with their LGBTQ+ children.** Part 1: Raising LGBTQ Kids of Color Wed. Feb. 22 12 pm - 1:30 pm We’ll hear from LGBTQ adults of color about their experiences growing up and what would have been supportive to them in their development and lives. Register at: bit.ly/focsfeb23  Pt. 2: Supporting our Gender-Diverse Kids of Color Thu. Mar 16 6:00 pm -7:30p We will discuss raising gender-diverse children of color to create better connections and build healthy relationships between caregivers and children. Register at: bit.ly/focsmar23 **This event is free and open to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) parents and caregivers. If you are not a BIPOC parent or caregiver and want to contribute to support the facilitators and the work of Families of Color Seattle, send a donation to: https://www.focseattle.org/donate  Email us at programs@focseattle.org with any questions Check out our latest YOUTUBE VIDEO where FOCS staff members Hafidha and Abbie talk about 5 Tips for Dressing and Getting Ready for Wet, Fall Weather. Don't forget to invite your FOCS friends to connect with us! Join our Facebook Community Page to see updates, pictures, and get notified of future events! FOCS Member Spotlight   An Interview with FOCS Parent Group Participants, Rocio & Enrico  Listen to Rocio & Enrico as they share their experience participating in a FOCS Parent Group and why FOCS is an important organization.  FOCS Community Program Spotlight Support BLKBRY: the first Black-owned Holistic Wellness Center in South King County This month we want to highlight the fundraising efforts of BLKBRY® an organization that is raising funds to open the first Black-owned Holistic Wellness and Birth Center in South King County! The $4M capital campaign aims to raise funds to provide a home birth experience with birth center amenities, training, and community spaces for independent Black birth workers. Jazmin Williams, a Full Spectrum Doula launched BLKBRY in 2020 to address the deficiencies in Black reproductive, perinatal, and Black infant healthcare. BLKBRY is currently a resource hub in the community for information, food access, personal items, perinatal products, and baby items.  Donate to Support this Campaign HERE Learn more about BLKBRY here: https://blkbry.com/ FOCS Community Program Spotlight Learn about the Kienan Ellis Educational Project (KEEP) KEEP's mission is to provide legal support to families of students in Seattle Public Schools who have been victims of school district policies and actions that deny special needs students access to public education. KEEP provides free legal representation to families whose students have been suspended or expelled from school. This representation is your right to have while navigating the complex process of disciplinary actions. To see if you qualify, fill out this online form or call (206) 929-4711.  Resources & Events for FOCS Community Events  18th Annual Children’s Film Festival Seattle- February 3-12, at Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle, and streaming virtually online. Step into a world of fantasy and fairytale at the 2023 Children’s Film Festival in Seattle! Expect fantastical films, wondrous workshops, and spectacular special events.  2023 Seattle Asian American Film Festival in person February 23-26 and online February 27-March 5. Northwest Film Forum, 1515 12th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122. See the Trailers for Rice Boy Sleeps and A Quiet Night in Monterey Park Y-WE STEM Exploration Day- Saturday, February 11th from 11-4 pm, Downtown Seattle Public Library - 1000 4th Ave, Seattle WA 98104. Y-WE's STEM Exploration Day aims to address the gender gap in STEM by coming together to learn about and explore STEM. We will have a panel of diverse women in STEM as well as interactive hands-on workshops focused on aerospace engineering and prototype creation with Blue Origin, biomedical engineering, AR/VR (augmented and virtual reality), software engineering and more! UW is partnering with us and will have representatives there to offer a workshop and talk to potential future students about their programs. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about different STEM career paths and meet people in the field. Reginald Dwayne Betts: In‑Person & Online, Thursday, February 9, 2023 7:30pm, Town Hall Seattle—The Great Hall. Reginald Dwayne Betts is an award-winning author, poet, lawyer, and outspoken advocate for criminal justice reform, whose work interrogates and challenges our notions of justice. Research Study for Pregnant Individuals (Compensation Included) UW Seattle is conducting research to learn more about the experiences of pregnant individuals and the resources that have helped them navigate through their pregnancy. Interviews are expected to take 45-60 min and all participants will be compensated with a 50-dollar gift card. Information collected from these interviews will not be shared outside of our project team. Fill out the survey HERE.  Resources for Parents Seattle BIPOC Therapists & Mental Health Resources Global Perinatal Services- Birth Doulas services are free to low-income, immigrant, and refugee families living in King County. Services are available in various languages including Somali, Arabic, Hindi, and more. 4 Tomorrow- Latino and Youth-focused organization offering support & coordination to households in King County. Services include Mental Health Services (Coordination, Referrals, Education, Events & Gap Therapy) as well as Life Services (resource navigation, Financial assistance, Goal Planning, Racism, hate and bias reporting, Systems navigation) and Basic Needs Services (housing stability, basic needs, education, public benefits, immigration, healthcare, life obstacles and more).  UTOPIA WA- basic needs, support groups and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ community Y-WE (Young Women Empowered)- Mentorship-based empowerment programs serving diverse young women ages 13-26 Community Resources Alternatives to calling 911 Seattle Green Book- Seattle’s Black business directory. Free and open to Black-owned and co-owned businesses and people holding space for the Black community around the Puget Sound. Northwest Vipassana Center- Free 10-day Meditation Retreats for individuals. Affinity courses including Black Heritage Course, and Bilingual/Thai and Spanish courses.  COVID & Monkeypox Resources Current COVID Guidance in King County Current Information about Monkeypox Resources for Families Impacted by COVID Eviction Assistance  City, County, State & Federal Resources Small Business Support Free Internet Access and Hotspots  Free and low cost internet access for low-income families More Ways to Stay Connected! Become a Monthly Donor! Host a Race Equity Workshop Join the Facebook Community Group Follow us on Facebook! Find us on Instagram! Stay connected on LinkedIn! Learn more on our Website! Copyright © 2022, Families of Color Seattle, All rights reserved. Our email address is: info@focseattle.org  Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.