PorchLight’s mission began over 30 years ago through the dedicated support of Eastside faith partners and the Rotating Shelter Program. To continue this vital service, Porchlight is seeking a host church for August and October 2026. If you’re interested in hosting or would like more information, please contact Troy Chistensen at troyc@porchlightcares.org or 253.576.3720.

Announcements from the July meeting

Hero House Bellevue is having a block party on August 1, 12- 4 pm, 12838 SE 40^th Place, Bellevue. There will be great food, fun games, resources, and community. They are inviting all friends and neighbors and anyone who would like to find out more about psychosocial rehabilitation for people who live with mental illness. Contact info@bellevueclubhouse.org for more information.

Plymouth Housing is excited to announce that their Kirkland Building, Sheila Stanton Place, is now open. They have welcomed four Kirkland residents to their new homes; the number will soon be 102. There are opportunities to volunteer and donate food. To volunteer, contact Ciarra Madden (cmadden@plymouthhousing.org) to connect you to people on the site. Sheila Stanton Place is part of the King County Health through Housing Initiative.

Hopelink Neighborhood Fair. Hopelink is proud to welcome the community back to Hopelink’s Redmond Center for our fourth annual Hopelink Neighborhood Fair! Please join us Friday, July 24, 2026, from 11:00am – 3:00pm. This free event brings together family and friends of all ages to enjoy delicious local food, kid-friendly summertime activities and live music and dance performances. Staff from Hopelink’s programs will be on hand to share about our work and answer questions. We are thrilled that other area community organizations such as Move Redmond, KidVantage and more will be joining us as well to share about their programs and community resources. More information can be found here: https://www.hopelink.org/events/hopelink-neighborhood-fair/

Camp United We Stand continues to seek volunteer Board members from the Eastside. Contact Ray Thomas if you are interested (rayt2015@gmail.com). The CUWS Needs List appears here.

Day of Solidarity at the Northwest Detention Center. Quakers from the Northwest are partnering with La Resistencia in a solidarity event at the ICE Northwest Detention Center. Please join us to support the detainees and their families. The event will take place on Saturday, July 25, 1-3 pm, in front of the detention center at 1623 East J Street in Tacoma. Bring your own chair and water, plus hat, sunscreen, and snacks if needed, and a flower to add to the memorial and leave in the fence to show families that we care. RSPV to quakers.nwdc@npym.org.

Renters Rights. Kraig Peck of the Transit Riders Union urged those present to contact the Mayor and City Council of Redmond with support for the Renters Rights bill. Information on the bill is available at this link. The coalition supporting the bill offers this letter, which can be sent to the City Council and Mayor:  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/pass-the-redmond-renters-bill-of-rights.

DISCLAIMER: Any statements or recommendations made by presenters or in announcements at EISCC meetings are those of the individual or the organization they represent and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council.

Announcements from the June meeting

• Amanda Lopez-Castanon described Hopelink’s End Summer Hunger Program.
  • The Hopelink markets now include special areas with kid-friendly meals that kids can make for themselves, in line with LWSD nutrition guidance.
  • Their budget this year was slashed this year and they especially need donations. These can be in kind or cash and can include basic needs like soap and shampoo. Market donation hours are listed on the website.
  • More people are coming into the markets than in the past, so more volunteers are needed. Contact volunteer@hopelink.org.
• The Circleis hoping to fund scholarships for summer camps for children left behind when parents are detained by ICE. If you can help, including with art supplies for their children’s summer program, contact Alicia Spinner, alicia@thecircle-wa.org.
• Camp United We Stand is building a new portable shower and you can donate materials to help. All labor will be done by camp residents; they already have the plans. The current shower is heavy and hard to move, and the platform is unstable and dangerous. And because the camp is only permitted to stay in one place for a few months at a time, moving costs are one of their largest expenses. They need a Shower Stall, Utility Sink, Ceiling Vent, Exterior Door, and waterproof building materials like Plastic Panels and Marine Grade Plywood. The complete needs list is on their website at https://CampUnitedWeStand.org/our-needs-list. Please contact the Camp with questions and to let them know what you can donate. http://CampUnitedWeStand.org/contact-us
• The Tabernacle Choir is singing at the Hollywood Bowl on June 26.
• Jack Roos, Newport Presbyterian Church, called attention to Bridge Disability Industries, which recycles durable medical equipment. See newportpres.org for details.
• North Pacific Yearly Meeting (Quakers) is co-organizing a Day of Solidarity at the Northwest Detention Center with La Resistencia. Everyone is welcome on July 25, 1-3 pm, at 1623 East J Street, Tacoma.
• Bon Appetit is offering breakfasts and lunches (Monday through Friday) at two locations. Nourishing Networks is coordinating pickup and delivery of rescue food from these events.

Earlier Announcements of current opportunities (please mention that you heard about this opportunity through EISCC)

The EISCC Severe Weather Shelter Project is looking for faith communities to do pilots this summer and join in a proposal for funding that will be submitted in the fall. Contact Elizabeth Maupin (eli410mauping@gmail.org), David Bowling (david@eastside-foundation.org), or Susan Cozzens (scozzens@live.com) if you are interested in more information.

East King Rise is a coalition of community organizations helping our immigrant neighbors. 

• The immigrant support organizations that are part of the coalition all need financial donations to be able to help families plan for emergencies and address family needs: Eastside for All, The Circle (Issaquah), Africans on the Eastside, and 4Tomorrow (Redmond). 
• The coalition needs non-immigrant volunteers for its four programs: WAISN Rapid Response, NDLON Adopt a Day Labor Corner, WA Whistles, and WA Neighborhood Defense. There is room for everyone to help, depending on ability, interest, and risk tolerance. Contact eastkingrapidresponse@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer.  
• A packet of support materials is available here. 
• The hotline for reporting ICE activities is 425-361-0808.

The Old Friends Club, which offers dementia day care and respite for caregivers, is looking for affiliate partners to offer the OFC program in their own space. Old Friends Club provides a startup grant, a toolkit, ongoing training, access to resources, and networking and sharing. Download an OFC Affiliate Informational Packet here. Please mention that you heard about the program through EISCC. See the slides with more detail here. 

Little Free Pantries are an excellent path for addressing current food needs. 

• Skill Sharing
  • Essentials First has started an Essential Skills program. Sewing instructors and supplies are welcome. Volunteer at essentialsfirst.org.
  • Mama’s Hands is looking for volunteers for after-school tutoring. Contact Star Lalario at star@mammashands.org or 206-719-0335.
  • The Jewish Coalition for Immigrant Justice needs volunteers for immigrant accompaniment. The Jewish Coalition can be reached through the WAISN Hotline (1-844-724-3737) or through Andrea Soroko Naar (andrea@jewishcoalition.org).

DISCLAIMER: Any statements or recommendations made by presenters or in announcements at EISCC meetings are those of the individual or the organization they represent and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council.

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MISSION STATEMENT

Members of Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council (“EISCC”) believe we are guided by the moving of God’s spirit in our community to work together in a spirit of caring and celebration. We honor and respect each other’s religious heritages, welcome and pray for each other, and share information about pressing community needs.

EISCC members represent many Eastside faith communities and meet monthly on the second Tuesdays, lunch available from 11:45, meeting starts at noon, at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church, 4228 Factoria Blvd SE, Bellevue WA 98006 (directions).  We are currently meeting in person and via Zoom (see the link in the area to the left). 

We provide a forum to educate, advocate, initiate, coordinate, and support through task forces and other means, to work for the common good, and to address human needs and improve the quality of life of the citizens living in the eastside communities of Bellevue, Kirkland, Issaquah, Renton, and Redmond.

Linda Hillesheim, EISCC board member, represents the Eastside faith community on the board of Eastside Human Services Forum.

EISCC sponsors one sub-agency, Congregations for Kids, which provides school supplies for children in Bellevue schools.  Three prior EISCC sub-agencies now operate independently: Porchlight (formerly Congregations for the Homeless), and The Sophia Way support homeless men and women on the Eastside.  Former sub-agency Backpack Meals for Kids, now absorbed into Backpack Brigade, provided supplemental nutrition for Bellevue school children.

EISCC is an IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt entity, EIN 94-3036001.