Nadine, an asylum seeker originally from Chad, found our Connection Desk in 2018. Over the years, our team has assisted Nadine with job searches, and also helped her connect with resources for food, transportation, cash benefits, health care, and subsidies for childcare for her four-year-old daughter.

Last year, Nadine was laid off due to the pandemic, and she accessed unemployment benefits for several months. She returned to work part-time only to have her hours gradually reduced, and her difficult financial situation led to her being at risk of eviction from her home. 

Rebecca, our Connection Desk program coordinator, assisted Nadine in securing $800 in direct financial aid. Rebecca also helped her connect with King County’s Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Program, and Nadine received $3,975 to pay past-due rent. In the fall, Rebecca connected Nadine with $400 in Safeway grocery vouchers. Between these three supports, Nadine was able to save up enough money to move with her daughter from her unstable, shared living situation into a new two-bedroom apartment in SeaTac.

Nadine’s story illustrates a few of the many ways that we’ve supported our community during the COVID-19 crisis. The data also tell a story. In 2020, Global to Local:

• connected 842 community members with vital services, such as food, unemployment benefits, and baby supplies
• provided 8,700+ no-cost meals to isolated older adults and families
• connected 360+ households with Safeway grocery vouchers and Spice Bridge gift cards to buy culturally relevant foods
• distributed 4,200 masks to 6+ cultural communities
• assisted 185 community members with applications for an eviction prevention program
• distributed $25,000 in direct financial aid to 30 families
• connected 14 families with zero-interest loans
• stabilized and incubated 13 women-owned food businesses

Read our new report, which includes more stories and data showing how we worked within communities in SeaTac, Tukwila, and surrounding neighborhoods to limit COVID-19’s spread and harm.

A.J. McClure will step into the Executive Director role at Global to Local (G2L) on Dec. 1. Over the past three years, first as G2L’s Director of Programs and now as G2L’s Deputy Director, A.J. has overseen our local efforts to serve our most vulnerable communities through our Community Health Worker and Connection Desk programs. He manages the SeaTac-Tukwila Community Coalition, which addresses health and social inequities by expanding food security, increasing community leadership opportunities, and reducing barriers to high-wage employment. As Co-Chair of the Food Innovation Network Steering Committee, A.J. provides strategic leadership for the program, which launched the Spice Bridge food hall and commercial kitchen last month.

Having worked in South King County for over 10 years and calling it home for over 12 years, A.J. brings a personal connection to the work. As a son of Filipino immigrants, he remembers his dad being told an apartment was available over the phone, but then showing up in person only to be told it was taken. He also remembers his mom telling him about the 12-hour days she and her brothers worked in the cannery to help their mom care for their family of five. A.J. understands that many people in the communities G2L serves share similar experiences, and this fuels his commitment to work tirelessly in pursuit of health and racial equity.

G2L was established in 2010 to explore how the application of global health strategies could reduce health disparities and improve health in the U.S. Our founders focused the organization’s efforts in South King County, and from the outset, implemented a key global health strategy—listening to communities about their needs and co-designing solutions together. Using this approach, G2L has developed a variety of successful programs that have increased opportunities for South King County communities to thrive.

Since G2L was founded, its primary focus has evolved from implementation of global health strategies to meeting those needs identified by the community regardless of the source of the ideas. G2L’s board modified our mission statement earlier this year to reflect this evolution. Our current leader, Dr. Jonathan Sugarman, helped lead the process and, recognizing the importance of organizational leadership being vested with representatives of G2L’s community, last February he informed the board of his decision to step down by the end of the year.

G2L Board Chair Lisa Cohen made the announcement in an email to our subscribers, writing:

I want to take this opportunity to thank Jonathan for his selfless leadership during the past two years. We hired him to conduct an unflinching analysis of G2L’s best course moving forward. He has always put the organization and the staff first. He has earned our respect and admiration. Jonathan will remain at Global to Local as a Senior Advisor until February 2021 to complete some specific projects.

In addition to our South King County work, Global to Local is nationally recognized as a leader in identifying successful health interventions from around the world, and adapting these solutions for U.S. communities. We will be exploring continuation of this element of our work with the Washington Global Health Alliance, one of Global to Local’s founding organizations.

In this tumultuous time when so much seems uncertain, I am grateful so many people are undaunted by the challenges we face. A.J., Jonathan, the Global to Local team and board, and our valued partners spend each day dedicated to this critical work. Because of their commitment, I am optimistic about the future for Global to Local—and our community.

Stay connected with G2L

Sign up for our email newsletter to receive updates on Global to Local’s work.

Our Food Innovation Network’s (FIN) much-anticipated food hall, Spice Bridge, will open on Sept. 8! The home of our Food Business Incubator, Spice Bridge is a space for women of color and immigrants to launch and build thriving businesses.

We’ll initially offer takeout and outdoor dining, and we look forward to making the space a true community hub with indoor dining and art performances when it is safe to do so.

In addition to helping to create economic security for business owners and their families, Spice Bridge will help build food security in our community. The space will support FIN’s Tukwila Village Farmers Market, which makes fresh, local produce affordable and accessible for community members. Spice Bridge will also be utilized for FIN’s community meals program, which has provided more than 7,600 no-cost meals for seniors and families in need. We are also working on a meal voucher program as a way to ensure affordable access at Spice Bridge. 

Location and Hours

Spice Bridge is located in Tukwila Village at 14200 Tukwila International Blvd. Suite 141, Tukwila, WA 98168.

• Tuesday-Saturday: 11am-8pm
• Sunday: 8am-3pm
• Monday: Closed

Food Stall Vendors 

During our first month, four businesses will offer delicious foods and beverages: 

• Moyo Kitchen will serve Somali-Kenyan-Tanzanian fusion food inspired by Zanzibar, the world’s spice capital.
• Afella Jollof Catering will cook up Gambian/Senegalese cuisine.
• Seatango will craft artisan savory and sweet pastries from Argentina.
• Taste of Congo will offer authentic Congolese cuisine.

On Oct. 1, four more businesses will join the rotation:

• Wengay’s Kitchen will be the area’s go-to source for authentic Filipino food. 
• Jazze’s will offer Afghani food made from organic, locally-grown ingredients.
• Theary Cambodian Foods will serve authentic Cambodian/Khmer cuisine.
• WUHA will offer “fast” Eritrean/Ethiopian food options, serving both authentic foods and American foods cooked with Eritrean spices as a gateway to more traditional dishes.

Please sign up for FIN’s newsletter and follow Spice Bridge on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest news!

Global to Local’s community-focused work is more important than ever as South King County communities navigate the COVID-19 crisis. The communities we serve, including immigrants, refugees, and families with low incomes, are especially vulnerable as they face multiple barriers to health care and other essential needs, as well as up-to-date information. We’re working to meet community needs, and collaborating with partners to boost our impact.

Distributing emergency meals

Our Food Innovation Network (FIN) program is working with partners to deliver 500 tasty, healthy meals each week to isolated older adults and families who need them.

South King County entrepreneurs who participate in FIN’s Food Business Incubator are donating their time, skills, and many ingredients, and additional FIN volunteers have stepped up to pack and deliver meals. The meals are distributed by Somali Youth & Family Club, Congolese Integration Network, Somali Health Board, Catholic Community Services, and the City of SeaTac. Tilth Alliance, Project Feast, Macrina Bakery, Storehouse, and Des Moines Area Food Bank are supplying food, and community members have contributed more than $2,000 to help purchase ingredients and containers.

You can find more details on FIN’s website, and watch this short video from our first day of providing emergency meals:

Supporting community members by phone

Our Community Health Workers (CHWs) are providing over-the-phone case management to address the social health and clinical needs of East African and Spanish-speaking community members. Through Global to Local’s longstanding partnership with the SeaTac HealthPoint clinic, CHWs have established relationships with dozens of chronically ill patients, helping them overcome social and linguistic barriers to health care. CHWs are now providing additional support to these patients, checking in with them regularly to share resources for housing, food access, employment, and financial health. CHWs are also reaching out to Latina and Somali community members who have participated in Global to Local’s physical activity and nutrition programs. 

Through our Connection Desk’s over-the-phone services, CHWs and other Global to Local staff and interns are supporting community members with health insurance enrollment and connection to basic services, as well as resource referrals in a variety of languages. South King County residents can call or text (206) 707-6626 to request help in their language. 

Exploring virtual programming

While we’ve suspended in-person activities to help stop the spread of COVID-19, we’re looking into ways we can use digital tools to offer online programming to support community health. We are researching innovative ways to bring programming and health resources to our clients in accessible and culturally appropriate ways. For example, we recently launched a Spanish-language Facebook page where CHWs are sharing information with Spanish-speaking community members, and the page may become a platform for video programming.

We are gathering information from program participants to determine what programming would be most useful as we all face the current health, economic, and social challenges together.

Global to Local continues to monitor and comply with local, state and federal health guidelines, and our priority will continue to be the safety and well-being of our program participants and our communities.

In response to the COVID-19 emergency, Washington state opened up a special enrollment period for health insurance through May 8. Our Connection Desk is offering over-the-phone help enrolling in health insurance. We’re also connecting community members with other vital resources.

If you’d like help, please send a text message or leave a voicemail at (206) 707-6626. In your message, include:

• your name,
• your number,
• what you need help with,
• what language you need if you don’t speak English.

We will call you back as soon as possible.

Please note that we are not currently offering in-person services. We will update our Facebook page and website when in-person services resume.

Links to information about COVID-19

Wessen Kifetew, who joined Global to Local’s board of directors in the fall, has more than 15 years of experience in global health and community service. 

“Maternal and child health, women’s health, and equity in access to health care are my passions,” Wessen said. “These are big issues in global health, and also here in the Seattle area.” 

Originally from Ethiopia, Wessen earned a Master’s degree in Global Health from the University of Emory, Atlanta, and a Graduate Certificate in Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership from University of North Carolina, Gillings School of Public Health. Her academic research focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS stigma on prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and she went on to work in global health operations management with U.S. government and international organizations. 

When Wessen moved to the Northwest more than a decade ago, she set out to understand health disparities and social justice as influential factors on policy, decision making, and on health outcomes of vulnerable populations and communities in greater Seattle.  

“I started volunteering, doing a lot of pro bono consulting work, and actively trying to get a good handle on what equity means, and why do we have these persisting health issues within communities,” Wessen said. In addition to providing pro bono consulting services to a variety of community-based organizations, Wessen is a member of the Washington State Coalition African Leaders (WASCAL), and also serves on the board of African American Reach & Teach Health, an organization responding to HIV/AIDS and other major health issues affecting African Americans and people of African descent. 

Wessen sees joining Global to Local’s board as an opportunity to support implementation of a strategy that has always interested her—adapting global health learnings to improve health in U.S. communities. More importantly, Wessen sees her role as a board member to bring the voices of the broader global community to the table. 

“Working in global health, I’ve always thought, Why can’t we bring the experiences and the best practices to address some of the local health issues?” Wessen said. “There are opportunities for the public health community here to adapt best practices to address inequities in health and healthcare access, education, and in other sectors based on race and place. And I think Global to Local is in a position to play a big role in addressing these issues across diverse communities.” 

Wessen looks forward to supporting Global to Local’s growth beyond SeaTac and Tukwila.  

“I think we can help to address inequities and disparities in not just greater Seattle, but also in the broader international communities, similar communities who could benefit from the practices that we bring in,” she said. 

Global to Local welcomed Charis Hnin to our board of directors this fall. A Tukwila resident since 2013, Charis brings a community perspective, and a background in activism and community planning.  

For years, Charis has volunteered as a convener, facilitating conversations between policymakers and community members who speak limited English—often in her living room.  

“I encourage people in the community to be involved in local politics. I focus on local politics because a lot of our day-to-day life is affected by it,” Charis said. 

Charis’s passion for boosting civic engagement is driven in part by her experience living under an oppressive regime. 

“Coming from Burma, which had the longest military dictatorship, it’s important to me to exercise the democratic process,” she said. 

Charis’s professional career has been equally focused on building powerful communities. She has held front line and leadership positions in refugee resettlement, community development, housing, consumer protection, human services, educational leadership, and workforce education. In her current community planning work as the principal and chief strategist at Talitha Consults, Charis pays close attention to the interconnections between people, place, and power. She will bring the same lens to her board position at Global to Local. 

“My vision is that Global to Local will continue to be people-centered, with an inclusive definition of who the ‘people’ are, and also participate in the placemaking of our community, because these buildings will outlive us all and continue to shape many generations to come,” she said.  

Global to Local’s office and the Connection Desk will close later this month as our staff celebrates winter holidays.

Our office will close from Wednesday, Dec. 25 through Wednesday, Jan. 1. We will re-open on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Our Connection Desk at HealthPoint SeaTac will be open with limited hours from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 23. It will be closed from Tuesday, Dec. 24 through Friday, Jan. 3, and resume normal hours on Monday, Jan. 6.

We wish you a happy and healthy winter holiday season!

Global to Local (G2L) is partnering with the SeaTac HealthPoint clinic to address the social health and clinical needs of East African and Spanish-speaking patients. G2L aims to strengthen and demonstrate the effectiveness of using Community Health Workers, in collaboration with a health provider, as a means of addressing the social determinants of health. With generous support from Pacific Hospital Preservation & Development Authority, we employ two CHWs who are supporting patients from the Latina and Somali communities.

Our CHWs are able to identify social and linguistic barriers that prevent patients from getting the necessary care they need. We assist with services such as appointments, insurance and referral coordination, addressing gaps to health and advocating on behalf of patients. The CHWs have the same lived experiences of the patients we serve, and they are able to identify and create rapport with patients.

At the end of the project, we hope to share our model as an effective intervention in addressing health disparities of under-resourced communities.