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November 2025

November 27, 2025 by Liz Baxter Leave a Comment

The fourth quarter of each year has followed a similar pattern for me: cooler days with shorter windows of sunlight; watching the garden change color and enter hibernation, flu season, budget preparation for the coming year, and staff annual reviews.

This quarter brought all of those things, plus more: impending changes in eligibility and documentation for services such as Medicaid and SNAP; a government shutdown that left families in limbo about benefits they were eligible for; and open enrollment for health insurance with uncertainty about premium assistance; and growing skepticism about the validity of long-trusted vaccine research.

Many community members are confused by conflicting news updates, feeling isolated and wondering who can help them navigate through what they are hearing in the media and government officials. We know that our team, along with your teams, can be of great help – but the challenge can be connecting community members to you, and resources, at the right time.

That’s where the North Sound Community Hub can be a resource. Anyone can refer to the Community Hub, which is set up to help community members navigate resources when they need them; check out a short video here. North Sound ACH, and the eight ACHs across the state, are supporting community-based workers (CBWs) to assist with this work locally. Clinical and community providers can make referrals, and community members can refer themselves using an online referral form. There is a toll free number, and you can reach us directly. Check out this map of the organizations who we partnered with that have CBW’s ready to help!

A big part of this fourth quarter is planning for the January Convening. We’re asking that you hold these dates for now – January 28-29! We will solidify the calendar hold in the coming two weeks and send a ‘Save the Date’ notice out.

This year’s focus is Food Security – a huge topic that hit us all after the passage of H.R.1 and the government shutdown. The Convening will emphasize the action part of the Collaborative Action Network. Our Resource Library already has links to where community members can turn when they need food but, what was made clear to us is, a food bank, food pantries, community food programs, mutual aid groups, etc. can vary across communities. Knowing what is available every day, once a week, periodically, or seasonally will help us paint a clearer picture of what is available when, and help us steer individuals and families to the right resources.

Over the past two months, I’ve learned a lot from food banks about what it takes to maintain access to food, especially culturally appropriate food. We hope that you’ll consider joining us to create a regional map of available resources and mark where the gaps are so that we can better meet the needs of folks across the North Sound region.

As we complete the budget that will serve us in 2026, North Sound ACH is planning to expand targeted investments in food security. The past year has amplified its importance, and the fragility of the food security network we have today.

Let us work together to make sure that community members are fed.

Thinking of nourishment of a different kind, this year marked the second gathering of Netse Mot, an in-person event at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. As Children of the Setting Sun stated in its recent update:

“At Children of the Setting Sun, our hearts are still full after a beautiful evening on Tuesday. We were delighted to host nearly 2,500 friends and relatives from Coast Salish territories and across Indian Country. Together, we fulfilled the purpose of Netse Mot – uniting as one heart and one mind. The night featured a powerful blend of comedy, storytelling, music, dance, film, ceremony, and recognition. Whether you were unable to attend, or you were, but you want to re-live the evening, you can watch the full show on the Children of the Setting Sun YouTube channel. ”

There are times when our hearts are heavy and need nourishment, and Netse Mot was such a time for us. We are always grateful to learn, laugh and cry together with our CSSP colleagues.

Finally, reminiscing on Jane Goodall’s passing in October and revisiting her interviews about working in nature reminds us that we are not separate from the world around us: “I truly believe that only when head and heart work in harmony can we attain our true human potential.”

We hope you can join us in January for the Convening. We have a lot of work to do, and you astound us with your passion and commitment to helping the people of this region!

Thanks for all you do –

Last Week of October

October 30, 2025 by Liz Baxter Leave a Comment

At this year’s Washington State Public Health Association conference, I had the honor of being on a panel with two incredibly brave and gracious human beings – Genaro Sanchez, with O.U.R. Journey, and Joseph Hunter, who works with a partner ACH, Thriving Together North Central Washington, where they shared their stories about what reentry and healing look like, and how often we put community members in one single box, and never let them emerge and grow. A farmworker is one box, but we don’t often think of them as leaders, business owners, and influencers. For Genaro and Joseph, they shared their lived experience in the systems of incarceration and addiction AND showed their journey of healing. Their ‘lived experience’ spans much further than one box – both are organizational leaders, mentors, trainers, board members, students, parents, and so much more. Sharing space with them provided me hope and sustenance which allowed me to prepare for the next day and the day after that. Feeling so much gratitude.

As we head deep into the fall, many in the community are awaiting the next announcement about cutbacks, shutdowns, reduced benefits, and additional requirements for limited services. North Sound ACH is meeting with leaders across the region who work in spaces around food, especially after recent announcements that SNAP benefits will not be paid in November. We are preparing scenarios for our board’s budget decisions, trying to find ways that we can leverage any discretionary funds that we hold – asking where can we best be of help? In thinking of a possible January Convening, one possibility is to have it be focused around the question we pose often – who is looking for help, and who can step in and be of help? Because at the end of the day, it is most often communities that step in to help others in the community.

Human beings hold many truths at one time, and it can be incredibly exhausting. For example, I want my family to be happy and healthy, and I am angry for what the future might hold for them. I want to enjoy the change of seasons, and I am so concerned about those who are in unstable housing, and how budget changes will only increase their vulnerability. I have hope for our future, not because of who might be elected, but because of you and the work you do, even when your own positions might be threatened with reductions and cutbacks. We see you and hear your voices.

As you look to each other – whether in your own organizations or out in the community – know that many people are hurting, some which is visible, but often it is invisible. We/they bring brave faces and smiles forward. Humans have the capacity to hold multiple contradictions in place, and then sometimes one of those contradictions can topple us. Coming from a large family, it could be the birth of a new grandchild on the same day that another family member attempts suicide; another gets married while a cousin overdoses. Both of my parents passed on birthdays of a grandchild, and those young people talk about how the core memory of their birthdays changed.

We hold a lot, and I ask that as we head into shorter daylight hours and a typically stressful time of year, that we give grace for the burdens we each carry. Be kind, be curious, be courageous, and most of all be present if someone needs us. In April of 2023, there was a New York Times article that stayed with me. It offered a question you could ask if a friend, colleague, or family member was struggling or upset – “do you want to be helped, heard, hugged?” Compassion comes in many forms, and we will need compassion as we fight the tangible and necessary fights to help communities get the food, health care, housing, and other supports that we desperately need.

Congressman John Lewis is on my mind as well, encouraging us to engage in “good trouble, necessary trouble” to fight for justice, challenge injustice, and stay rooted in nonviolence and peaceful resistance. It is going to take us all to make this a reality, even – or maybe especially – when it is hard.

Thanks for all you do –

Fall 2025

September 30, 2025 by Liz Baxter Leave a Comment

It could be a reflection of my long life, but time seems to be moving faster these days and this past month was no exception. We’ve held a multi-site Film Festival, attended many partner events and galas, welcomed new staff to bolster the Community Hub team, and more!

Getting to hear you all describe your work is inspiring. One example – the Community Boating Center ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating their solar panel installation. It was a beautiful evening, and the message I carried for a long time: “It isn’t about boats; it’s about the people.” From adaptive equipment that helps wheelchair users get into the water to the first crew going out that was all folks who are blind, they also partner with Lummi and Nooksack Tribes, local schools, and organizations serving communities that don’t have easy access to the waterways that surround us – with an intentional focus on youth of color. It was a reminder of what community truly means. (Seeing a former North Sound ACH colleague, Rocio Castillo-Foell in her role at PSE leading efforts around community engagement was an added bonus!)

*^{Photos courtesy of Liz Baxter / North Sound ACH}*

Another memorable invitation came from Rosalinda Guillen to visit the women-owned, women-run co-op farm in Everson. Seeing the amazing operation, and hearing their dream to build a community center and a home for the live-in manager at the farm was incredible! The signage “Otro Mundo es Posible” (Another World Is Possible) – speaks to me in my heart.

We also celebrated Children of the Setting Sun’s 10 year anniversary – another milestone as they plan and build their amazing cultural and community space in downtown Bellingham. Several of us got to do some painting of a mural in the alley. It is a special feeling to have your handprints on what is being built.

And there is so much more that you all are doing!

The inaugural North Sound Voices Film Festival was also pretty amazing. We were way out over our skis as they say when we decided to give this a go 😊, but were fortunate to have a dedicated team and partners who helped shepherd the process. Seeing the final screenings, then getting to hang out with the filmmakers and artists who shared their stories was true building community and relationships. Those eight films may seem unique, telling stories of people of color, immigrants, farm owners and a black trans experience but they are intended to highlight that this is what our community looks like if we really look closely enough.

I was asked many times “what comes next?” and to be honest a lot of that depends on y’all. With a growing Network, we have at least 250 stories that could be lifted up. We cannot say we work on behalf of the community unless we can actually see everyone in the community.

Lastly, one evening I had the joy of listening to live music. As the musicians (Itamar Erez and Hamin Honari) were returning from an intermission Hamin said “I hear and forget. I see and remember. I do and I understand.” In my humble opinion, live music touches our bodies in ways that recorded music is limited in doing. When the world feels chaotic around me, I need things and events that reach past my brain and communicate with my soul, my inner being. I hope you get those opportunities too. We are living through experiences that are actively trying to divide us, to make us stand to the left or to the right. Our team stands with you because we are aligned on values. Moving forward, we’ll need each other in ways we can only just imagine. Take advantage of every opportunity to turn toward each other.

August Note from CEO

August 27, 2025 by Liz Baxter Leave a Comment

I wish that you all could have joined us at Tulalip for the August Convening. I know that is a ‘big’ wish because of family and work priorities, but being in space with others committed to positive change across the region is nourishment for the soul. We are so grateful to those of you who were able to join, and we missed all of you who couldn’t be there (although we would need a room that holds 400 if you all showed up at the same time!). We still felt your presence and your impact.

As many of you shared last week, we are living in times of intense fear, stress, and shrinking resources. The more that fear surrounds us, the more humans want to separate and isolate – at a time when we need each other even more. The Convenings give us a chance to be with others who want to connect, collaborate, and bridge instead of breaking.

In addition to highlighting the work of some partners, we began discussions about a potential community ‘space.’ We’re very loosely referring to it as a community campus, but we still have a lot to explore before describing it in shorthand. Participants lifted up values and ideas that could guide a design process, including how this space could serve us collectively across the region and network – and there will be further opportunities for you to lean in and guide the process.

Before he left, Darrell Hillaire (Children of the Setting Sun) said “this feels like movement building.” We were in a room where folks had divergent opinions and ideologies, yet showing how we are stronger together than we are apart. Thanks to Spring Cheng, we were able to not only move, but allow our emotions to burst forth with strength, not weakness. Our voices were shifting the energy in the room from helplessness to power.

I had a few takeaways – plus the dozens of ideas that y’all shared with me 😊 – and thought I would share a couple of them here:

Shout out to Faith Brown, with the Center for Independence, who challenged us to keep expanding our concepts of inclusion and accessibility. We were grateful, not only for the reminder, but the offer to help. That is what building a network can look like.
I got to share a table with a young staff person (Noah) from O.U.R. Journey. When we were doing the breakouts Noah shared ideas about how we can optimize outside space (space for picnics, basketball courts, gardens) that would draw young people, and suggest we have a garage that could be used for young people with car trouble to come and learn how to work on their own vehicles from others interested in teaching them.
Spending time with folks who were at their first convening, wondering what they had walked into, and talking with others who were at our very first convening back in 2018. Both perspectives brought insights about how we can offer space for partnership while the world around us continues to change. I will sometimes say to our team that the Network is not like a Costco membership. With every partner who joins the landscape changes. And it isn’t about us (the ACH) as much as it is about you, and what you all can do together that you cannot do alone.

We will be pulling together a planning group to continue the discussions about what a collective space could look like and encompass. For those of you in the room, Milenko asked participants in the room to think big. For those who weren’t able to join, we’ll be sending you some questions in the coming months so that you can add your thinking into the mix. More to come!

Thank you for all you do. Thank you for offering help to the community, to us and to each other. Thank you for showing up, even when there are dozens of other things demanding your time and attention – critical and important things. And in the face of adversity coming from so many directions, thank you for taking the time to turn to each other and remember that we are not alone on this journey.

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