Archives for November 2020

A Reflection from Liz Baxter, CEO

Each year we write a piece about gratitude…what we think of when we think of Thanksgiving – not turkeys, busy airports, and large gatherings – but how grateful we are for each other, the people around us, the places we inhabit, and the opportunity to do work that matters to people in the community. We want to leave this world a better place for our children and grandchildren, just as generations before.

A friend recently sent me a post sharing the teaching of Stan Rushworth, who teaches at Cabrillo College in California. Rushworth spoke of the difference between a Western settler mindset (“I have rights”) and an indigenous mindset (“I have obligations”). The Western settler mindset leaves us seeing everything through a lens of how it impacts me, the individual. The indigenous mindset moves us to think about how our actions impact everyone and everything around us. This framing has stayed with me for weeks.

North Sound staff and regional organizations continue to learn from tribal partners. Learning would not be as rich without amazing tribal leaders willing to teach us traditions and beliefs that have existed since time immemorial. This is a special time and place and we are grateful.

Our team is learning the importance of origin stories. Often, we celebrate Thanksgiving without taking the time to learn and understand its origin. Some might ask “why does it matter?” Because without acknowledging the past, we cannot move to a place and time of healing. Learning makes room for that to occur. [For further reading, see the New York Times article, The Thanksgiving Myth Gets a Deeper Look This Year.]

For me personally, I miss my family during this season. But I think of my parents, who didn’t have the tools I have to stay connected when they moved from the Virgin Islands to New York in 1953, then to California in 1965. They were dependent on phone calls that charged by the minute. By a measure of income, we were poor.  With six kids, we could only travel to see family every 3-4 years. Yet we never felt poor, never felt disconnected. Sharing letters, pictures, and phone calls kept us tied together. So, while I miss my family, yet they are still there for me as I am for them.

My eldest son studied in Beijing in the fall of 2001. Calls were by phone and $4.95/minute. It was so hard, yet we stayed connected. When he returned to Beijing the following year, we had the innovation of Skype. I thought it was miraculous. (And for those who know what a tech geek I am, yes, we were definitely early adopters!)

COVID-19 has changed our world. For more than ten years the public health community has said, “We are one flight away from a global pandemic.” And here we are, finding new ways to watch out for each other, recognizing our responsibility (or obligation, as Stan Rushworth might say) to do everything in our power to diminish the spread of this virus.

Is it sometimes a burden? Yes, families being asked to change their behavior and expectations. But for the good of all – that is why we must take these precautions. Wear your mask, wash your hands, use physical distance as a tool, and find ways to be socially connected with those you love and care for. It will help bring the day when we can gather again that much closer.

We look forward to continuing our work with you and finding more ways to recover and thrive together.

Since late summer, North Sound ACH has distributed more than 2 million masks across the region. Our team has received shipments, taken orders, organized deliveries, and distributed PPE.

We can’t MASK our gratitude!

Two million masks take up a lot of room! We are so fortunate to have generous organizations who provided storage space and helped with distribution: First Presbyterian Church of Bellingham, Everett Gospel Mission, North Sound Behavioral Health Administrative Services Organization, Whatcom Family YMCA, and the Port of Skagit in LaConner. Also a big thanks to Greg Aanes Furniture for the use of their pallet jack…we are so grateful!

Some responses from partners:

The Everett Gospel Mission is extremely grateful for these masks! We house 70 men, plus 30 women and children at another location, as well as serve lunch at dinner to about 150 people at the shelter everyday– all have been given masks! On top of that we also provide services for those that are signed up for the Snohomish County’s Housing and Essential Needs Program, for those on a low fixed income or who are disabled. We’ve been able to provide them with almost 800 masks a week!

Also because of your donation we were able to provide 3,000 masks to Esther’s Place in Everett, an organization that provides a safe place and hot meals for women in our community that are currently homeless or on low incomes. And finally, we were also able to provide 30,000 masks to the Eagles Nest sober living house in Marysville, an organization that provides food boxes and clothing to more than 150 families weekly. They have been able to get masks to those that would not be able to afford them for their families without your help. These are only some of the ways in which your generosity is impacting Snohomish county and from the bottom of our hearts we say thank you and God bless you all! ~ Everett Gospel Mission

Thanks to your mask donation, our community outreach team (Nurse Practitioner, RN, Case Manager and SUD specialist) is allowed to return to the streets daily offering services to the homeless population. We have been handing out free cloth masks to anyone in need. As fall progresses, the masks allow us to offer water, snacks, blankets and socks to those in need as well. A big thank you to the North Sound ACH as this helps those who love to work with the public in a hands-on fashion, return to providing such essential services to those most vulnerable within our communities. ~ Consistent Care Services

We are so grateful for this donation of masks. We will be using the cloth masks for our clients, giving each client a mask (or a few). We will be using the KN95 mask for our Mental Health counselors, Substance Use Counselors, and office support staff. With this donation it allows us to be able to give more masks to our clients. Clients are not allowed in the office if they do not have a mask. A lot of our client population is homeless, living in their car, don’t have a washer and dryer, and this helps eliminate that barrier, that they don’t have to worry if they lost, forgot, or their mask is too dirty. Having this donation of masks is a huge help when it comes to having clients in our office. The more people we see through our doors, the more masks we may need. This worry is off our plate now! ~ Seamar Community Health Centers

Targeted Universalism:

Using the framework of Targeted Universalism, North Sound ACH aims to ensure that universal goals – in this case, getting masks out to community – are best achieved when the strategies are tailored to meet specific identified needs. That led us to distribute masks to targeted populations, advocating equity and whole person care.

PPE is still available to organizations in the North Sound. Please click here to submit your request.

Center for American Indian Health presents,
Invited guest speaker Mr. Oren Lyons and Rex Lyons:
Indigenous Lessons for the World

November 23, 2020
9:00 – 10:30 am
REGISTER HERE

We’re excited to share resources throughout the month to honor the indigenous peoples in our region, state, and nation. Stay tuned for videos, articles, and more as we explore these themes:

• Sovereignty
• Resilience through Addiction
• Indigenous Youth
• Thanksgiving history and Land Acknowledgement

Find information on recognition nationally here.

From our CEO, Liz Baxter:
Leaders of the Coast Salish tribes have been instrumental in guiding the launch and growth of North Sound ACH. When our board was elected in 2017, eight seats were designated such that each tribe could appoint someone to join the ACH Board, recognizing the strength, history and wisdom that each tribe brings to advance the health and well-being of people who live in this region. Two years ago North Sound ACH adopted a land acknowledgement statement so we never forget upon whose land we sit. We are honored to join with Children of the Setting Sun Productions in sharing videos and resources throughout the month of November, noted as Native American Heritage Month, which will remain in our repository for others to access. Please join us in gratitude to CSSP for producing these films, and with us as we continue our Tribal and Equity Learning Journey.

From Children of the Setting Sun Productions Founder, Darrell Hillaire:
On behalf of the Children of the Setting Sun Family, we lift up our hands to North Sound ACH for recognizing Native American Heritage Month and for including us in their programming throughout the month of November. Our shared values continue to inspire change leading to equity and creating voices for the next generation. At the end of the day, we hope for unity, equity and peace to be found by all people.  

The history of the nations indigenous to North America and the burgeoning United States is one that is widely unknown. In order to uncover the entangled roots of the colonial settlers and the First Peoples of this land, Children of the Setting Sun convened indigenous knowledge keepers to speak on the subject. 
The stories that emerged reveal indigenous values, beliefs and lifeways as they were pre-contact and as they are today. We begin with Oren Lyons, a faithkeeper for the Onondaga Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy located in modern day upstate New York. 

“Sovereignty”, with Oren Lyons.

We encourage you to take time to view these powerful videos and reflect on what was shared.

Sovereignty with Oren Lyons (Part 1)

Sovereignty with Oren Lyons (Part 2)