King County came together for two days of learning, connection, and celebration at the 2025 Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy (VSHSL) Summit and the Community Resources Fair. The events highlighted community, resilience, and leadership that together empower human services across the county.
VSHSL Summit
The summit opened with keynote speakers, including Gloria Hatcher-Mays of Rainier Valley Food Bank, who offered thoughtful perspectives on community partnership, equity-centered service delivery, and the shared responsibility of supporting communities across King County.
Over 250 people attended, ranging from community-based organizations, direct service providers, and general human service professionals. Participants had a chance to participate from a selection of 10 breakout sessions covering culturally grounded practices, data-driven strategies, community healing, fiscal resilience, and systems innovation.
Provider-led breakout sessions included:
- Mother Africa: Empowering Communities
- Northshore Senior Center: Engaging Modern Agers
- Afghan Advantage: Cascade Leadership Innovates Change
- Sexual Violence Law Center: Building a Trauma-Informed Toolkit
- Mary’s Place: Innovations Addressing Family Homelessness
- Chief Seattle Club: Native Homelessness & Healing
- Performance by: Unkitawa Drum Circle
Additional sessions included:
- Performance Measurements & Evaluation with KCVP: How You Can Use Data to Improve Services
- Total Accounting Tax and Payroll, LLC: Fiscal Management Best Practices
- Resource Access Team: The Road Ahead – Expanding Pathways Through Access and Engagement
Sessions presented nonprofits and service providers with tools to strengthen impact and sustainability. From learning how to use data and performance measurements to improving service delivery and adopting fiscal management best practices that ensure transparency and compliance, participants gained actionable insights to operate more effectively.
Community Recognition Awards
This year, for the first time, the summit held Community Recognition Awards, honoring VSHSL-funded partners whose work embodies collaboration, innovation, and impact. Awardees were selected by members of the VSHSL Advisory Board.
2025 Honorees:
- Crisis Connections
- Pacific Associations
- Northwest Justice Project
- Indian American Community Services
- Neighborhood House
- Sound Generations
- Hunger Intervention Program
- Refugee Artisan Initiative
- Khmer Community of South King County
For many, the summit was both inspiring and energizing. In the words of participant Francisco Vivas Jimenez, “This is my second year at the summit, and what I’m taking away is that we are all aligned on the same page about the community’s needs and are working together to create innovative solutions for those gaps.”
First-time attendee Amy Scofield added, “I enjoyed meeting so many people who are passionate about helping others. I especially appreciated brainstorming with like-minded individuals, and I’m excited to take back the tools I learned from networking with others.”
DCHS Community Resource Fair
The following day, the DCHS Community Resources Fair welcomed over 100 attendees and featured more than 50 service providers that shared direct support and up-to-date information on housing, behavioral health, senior services, food access, crisis response, employment, and more.
The Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) Scope Team is hosting a series of Resource Access Fairs across King County. Join us to connect with local organizations and services funded through the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy. Please visit the SCOPE Team’s website for more information.
