June 2022 Newsletter

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A MESSAGE FROM FOCS STAFF Dear Community, As a Staff and Board of majority Mothers of Color we are not immune to the constant barrage of news reports that remind us that the threat of white supremacist violence that targets our children, and our communities, lives at our doorstep. We are intimately aware of the power of fear, exhaustion, and grief to overtake us and leave us feeling powerless to change anything. However, we also understand that withdrawing is how this oppressive system thrives. This is why we do the work of creating community. We understand that collectively we are stronger. Collectively, we can heal one another, and collectively we will build a strong foundation of love and caring that will enable us to create a better world for our children.  We grieve with every life senselessly lost to white supremacist violence, but we will not allow this grief to take over our lives and isolate us from our community. Today and every day, we will continue to grieve out loud so that we may encourage the collective grief that will move us toward collective healing and liberation.  We stand in solidarity, grief, and rage, with our families and neighbors, and remain committed to providing opportunities for community to gather, explore and process this world we have inherited, committed to making it better for our children.  With Love and Solidarity,  FOCS Staff Visit FOCS website for resources on how to address violence and racism with your children.  WHAT'S NEW AT FOCS We are happy to announce that Seattle Foundation has awarded FOCS with the Fund for Inclusive Recovery! We are one of twenty-one organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals to receive this grant. The grant will support Community Power and Base Building to create the necessary foundation for meaningful systems and policy change. Congratulations to all our sister organizations awarded! Learn more about them here. The Fund for Inclusive Recovery is an effort led by Seattle Foundation to address historical inequities in philanthropy. Read this Seattle Times story to learn more about the work—and intention—behind the Fund for Inclusive Recovery.  FOCS EVENTS! This year in honor of Pride Month we are collaborating with Taking B(l)ack Pride to create space for QTBIPOC families in the Seattle area. Come visit us Saturday, June 25th at the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheater from 11am-1pm! To learn more about this event or to donate go to: TakingBlackPride.org Join us for Start of Summer Park Day! Our first in-person gathering of the year. Sunday, June 12th from 12-2pm Genesee Park (Shelter)   We hope to see you there!  SUMMER PARENT GROUPS Single Moms of Color Tuesdays, 5:30 - 7:30pm June 28 – Aug 3 South Seattle Waddlers Wednesdays 530 PM - 730 PM June 29- Aug 24 Eastside Waddlers Tuesdays 6-8 PM June 28 - Aug 30 North Seattle Newborns Fridays 9 - 11 AM July 1 - Aug 26 Sign up HERE to attend a Parent Group Today! SEEKING FOCS PARENT EDUCATORS! Do you love making meaningful community connections? Have a gift for creating safer places for families and parents of color to share experiences and be themselves? Come learn more about becoming a FOCS Parent Educator! Join us! Thursday, July 22nd 11am-12pm for a virtual information session This session will give you all the information you need to know before applying to join our amazing trained and paid community of FOCS Parent Educators! Sign up HERE! Please note: our peer-support groups and *affinity groups are facilitated by parents with lived experience. Parent Educators must have participated in a FOCS Parent Group in the past. *Affinity groups include Black Moms, Single Moms of Color, Queer & Trans Families of Color, Native Families and more.  COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR FOCS This Juneteenth we encourage non-Black families to learn more about Black history and the reality that Black and African-American communities continue to face today in the face of violence, racism, and minimization of a struggle that has endured hundreds of years of institutional and systemic oppression. We must do the work to address anti-Blackness within ALL communities.  COVID Information Current COVID Guidance in King County 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 Community Resources Alternatives to calling 911 UTOPIA WA - basic needs, support groups and advocacy for LGBTQIA+ community Support Black businesses with Seattle Green Book Seattle Green Book is 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. Seattle BIPOC Therapist Referral List & Mental Health Resources   June 2022 Community Events & Gatherings Juneteenth Photobooth at WaNaWari- free portraits for Black folks Friday, June 17, 2022, 5:00 PM  8:00 PM Taking Black Pride: Seachella Event uplifting Seattle's Black Trans community. Saturday, June 25th  African American Writers’ Alliance (AAWA)Virtual Writers Read Second Sundays Monthly — 2 p.m. Young Women Empowered Summer Programs Mentorship-based empowerment programs serving diverse young women ages 13-26 On The Block — By Local Artists for Local Artists Second Saturdays, from May to October — 1–9 p.m. 11th Avenue between East Pike and Pine Beacon Arts Street Fairs Second Saturdays, April 9–Sept. 10, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. South Roberto Maestas Festival Street, Seattle, WA 98144  More ways to stay connected to our work Join our Facebook Group Host a Race & Equity Workshop Become a Monthly Donor

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