Spring 2026

Coming from a very large family it has always required a pretty broad ‘tent’ to cover us all. We are different in terms of place of birth, the language spoken at home, political views, religious and spiritual practices, education, gender, sexual orientation, marriage, kids/no kids, and on and on. We are a diverse family by every common definition, different in a hundred different ways, and yet we are connected in ways that cannot be broken. Or at least we always hope that is the case.  

In order to stay connected to each other – in families and communities – it takes more than proximity and friendliness. It takes intention and purposeful engagement with each other, fighting against forces that want to separate us from each other and want us to fear what someone else might take away from us. I realize that connection, community, and belonging are constant messages that North Sound ACH sends to you, but this is our work. 

It would be easier to just pause in our tracks and wait until this crisis (or the next one) passes. But part of our reason for being is to not sit on the sidelines, but to ask ‘how can we be of help?’ to our colleagues and partners and friends. 

North Sound ACH is part of a growing table of organizations committed to Washington being a state where everyone feels that they belong. A few weeks back I was asked what that would look like to me. I said I wanted this state to be a place that my grandson would choose to live over all the other possible places, because he sees an opportunity here that he can’t see anywhere else – to thrive in every sense of the word. It is about more than finding a good paying job; it is about safety, being seen and appreciated, welcome and celebrated – being part of a collective whole. 

Imagine a place where we look out for each other (which means others are looking out for you.) We can be a community, a region, a state that thinks about the impact on those least able to withstand the pressures of 2026, and even while facing substantial changes because of budget pressures, we assure that no one is going to be left standing alone. 

This is no longer aspirational; it is critically necessary. In order for any of us to thrive we must find paths for everyone to thrive.  That is the work ahead of us and none of us can do this alone. 

Thank you for all you do – 

Liz 

PS – If you did not get a chance to see the last blog post, written after the February Convening, you can find it here.