Happy Gregorian New Year! Happy Lunar New Year too! We love this time of the year because we have so much to be thankful for and proud of as we reflect on 2019 and look forward to the rest of 2020. We’ve about doubled our staff, we kicked off our third cohort of Community Impact Fellows, we launched the two-year pilot of the Green Pathways Fellowship, we have rebranded, and our founding ED, Vu Le, recently stepped down to take a well-deserved break and spend more time with his loved ones (btw you should join us for Vu’s Vegan Roast on Feb. 22!).
We look forward to what 2020 may bring and carrying and building on RVC’s vision!
(Also, make sure to read on to find out about the great work that our partner organizations are doing. And stay up to date by checking out our latest blogs to see the cool stuff that’s been happening at RVC!)
RVC featured in Best Starts for Kids Blog
RVC was recently interviewed and featured in a blog series that focuses on capacity building efforts. Best Starts sat down with our very own April Nishimura, Director of Capacity Building, to share RVC’s unique approach to capacity building and lessons learned from partnerships.
Check out the blog here, along with other blogs from Best Starts’ Capacity Building series!
Join us on Feb. 22 for Vu’s Vegan Roast!
We are excited to send off our founding ED in style on Feb. 22, at Vu’s Vegan Roast. Hope you can join us for the event at the Seattle Aquarium! You can buy tickets here. Also, if you want to get to know RVC, Vu, and the history of our growth, please check out this story that recently ran on South Seattle Emerald!
Also, if are interested, you can sponsor a dessert for our dessert dash! The dessert dash will help in raising money for RVC while patronizing local bakeries in the Seattle area. One dessert sponsorship is $30 dollars (we will put your name on a placard!) and there is no limit to the amount of desserts you can sponsor. For more information or to get started on this process, please reach out to Noelle at [email protected].
And psst! If you are interested in volunteering for our event, we’d love that! Please fill out this form.
RVC Partner Updates
RVC strengthens the power of communities of color in order to create a more equitable society through capacity-building, leadership development, and operations support. We accomplish this through our core programs and services as well as through leading partnerships with community members and organizations of color. These members and organizations provide support services tailored to the strengths and needs of the communities they serve.
Here are this month’s highlights of some of our partners’ amazing work!
Mujer al Volante and Surge receive funding from Group Health Foundation
RVC’s partner organizations Mujer al Volante and Surge Reproductive Justice made it to the final round of the Group Health Foundation Learning Grant Application process and received funding! They’ll be receiving a total of $225,000 in general operations funding, over the course of the next three years. This was an extremely competitive grant and a huge win for both!
According to GroupHealth’s Foundation Learning Grants website, they strive to fund communities across Washington that are doing powerful work to improve health equity. “From community organizing and leadership development, to cultural work, to heal from trauma of racism and colonialism, to public education and policy advocacy, Group Health Foundation is eager to support this work.” Congrats to Mujer al Volante and Surge!
East African Community Services celebrates culture through food and dance
East African Community Services, RVC’s partner organization that is dedicated to improving the wellbeing and quality of life for refugees and their families in King County, recently held their inaugural event, A Taste of East Africa Heritage Festival, to bring East African communities together. The event is designed to celebrate East African culture through food, dance performances, and networking, and looking to build deeper, cross cultural connections in the East African communities of King County.
According to its Facebook post, “Special thanks to incoming King County Councilmember-elect Girmay Zahilay and SeaTac City Councilmember Takele Gobena for honoring us with their presence. We also want to thank our Ethiopian, Eritrean, Oromo, Somali, and West African dancers and poets for lavishing us with their amazing gifts. We give further thanks to our friends and family members for coming out and celebrating the rich tapestry of East African food, culture, and dance.” The event was held on Dec. 20 at New Holly Gathering Hall. More than 160 guests attended the event.
Totem Star caps 2019 with its 6th annual Winter Magic, a music showcase
Totem Star, a partner organization of RVC that supports a diverse community of young recording artists by fostering growth through collaboration, mentorship, and engaging through music as a universal language, recently held their 6th annual Winter Magic event, a young artist music showcase. The event took place on Friday, Dec. 13 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center.
Totem’s Facebook page states, “A huge accomplishment we had made this past month was Winter Magic, our 6th annual young artist music showcase! These young people are a HUGE reason why this show was so successful. From the hosts, the performers, the DJ. The energy of the audience was incredibly supportive and being able to see the magic that happened this evening was beautiful.” Be sure to check out clips from Winter Magic here!
Somali Doulas changes its name
Somali Doulas, a partner organization of RVC that provides high quality doula services, focusing on emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth, recently changed the name of their organization to Global Perinatal Services (GPS).
According to their latest blog, “This change is due to how much our organization has grown, in addition to the overwhelming interest from various underserved communities, including refugees and immigrants, who expressed a dire need for doula services and representation.” They are training and have contracted with 16 new doulas that, when combined, speak 10 different languages. Make sure to read the blog to find out more about their successes in 2019 and an important message about mental illness.
Be a Changemaker
RVC Changemakers are folks who believe that leadership development and capacity building in communities of color should be spearheaded by the individuals working within these communities. By committing to giving $80 or more a month, you will be making a pivotal impact in communities of color in the Greater Seattle area.
Changemakers will get a shoutout in our annual report, be invited to our special events, be invited to further engage in other ways, such as through volunteering, lunch and learns, or maybe even mentoring. Our Changemakers will also just be lavished with so much appreciation for their commitment to social justice at the grassroots level!
Job Opportunities In Our Network
RVC is hiring a Capacity Building Lead and Operations Manager and Grant Strategist.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Puget Sound is hiring for multiple positions.
Bike Works is hiring for multiple positions.
Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence is hiring a Fund Development Manager.
Communities Rise is hiring a Staff Accountant
Families of Color Seattle is hiring an Executive Director.
Literacy Source is hiring for ESOL Instructional Advisor.
Philanthropy Northwest is hiring an Executive Assistant and Board Liaison.
Rainier Beach Action Coalition is hiring for multiple positions.
Solid Ground is hiring for multiple positions.
Stolte Family Foundation is hiring an Education Program Officer.
Tilth Alliance is hiring a Development and Events Coordinator.
United Way of King County is hiring for multiple positions.
Voices of Tomorrow is hiring for multiple positions.
Wasat is hiring an Operations Manager/Assistant to Executive Director.
Washington Bus is hiring for Co-Executive Directors.
Washington State Opportunity Scholarship is hiring a Marketing and Communications Manager.
YWCA Olympia is hiring a Co-Executive Director.
Community Events & Important Dates
Feb. 7: RVC’s Affinity Peer Learning Groups
Feb. 22: Vu’s Vegan Roast
Feb. 25: Navigating Overwhelm in 2020
RVC Stuff To Read
After stepping down, RVC founding ED Vu Le reflects on six years of collaborative leadership and capacity building, written by Eric Card and Stacy Nguyen
Somali Parent Education Board continues its pursuit to close the education gap by roadmapping its growth, written by RVC
WA-BLOC refines supervisor skills to empower organization and its mission, written by RVC
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!f you have job postings or events that you would like mentioned in our newsletter, please email the details to Stacy. We do our best to fit everything in, but we may not always be able to.
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