Announcements from the April 2026 meeting
Food deliveries. Nourishing Networks Bellevue is collaborating with the Groceries for Families program of Jubilee Reach and with Bon Appetit Catering for food to be delivered from one location to another. Contact Tammy Waddell (tammy@nourishingnetworks.org) or Patti Pendgraf (patti.pendgraf@usw.salvationarmy.org) to volunteer, or join the Nourishing Networks Bellevue monthly meeting at Hero House, 12838 SE 40th Pl, Bellevue, WA 98006, on the first Wednesday of every month from 3 to 4:30 pm.
Camp United We Stand is looking for board members, volunteers, and donations. They are seeking to expand on the Eastside. Contact Ray Thomas (rayt2015@gmail.com) to offer help.
The King County Continuum of Care, the coordinating body for shelter services in King County, is having a convening July 14, 2026. Proposals for presentations are welcome; the submission deadline is May 8. The CoC Board is also looking for new members; applications are due by May 4. More information is available from coc.questions@kchra.org.
The Circle is 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.
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.
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.
Events
The Safe Haven Solidarity Mutual Aid Concert will be held on Saturday, April 18, from 2 to 5:30 pm at the Together Center, 16305 NE 87th Street, in Redmond. This is a fundraiser for the community organizations that are working the frontlines, by and for immigrant communities: Eastside for All, The Circle, and Africans on the Eastside. Featured performers are Semilla Folklorica, R3, theprinceon, Angelisoul, KTNA, Favvvasol, Ruby, and Murk33.
Eastside Friends Meeting invites you to join them for the live broadcast of the 21st Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Ceremony, “We are the Day After” — From Loss to Hope. Monday, April 20, 10:15 – 11:45 am, Eastside Friends Meeting, 4160 158th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA 98006. For more than two decades, this ceremony, organized by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle – Families Forum, has brought together bereaved Israeli and Palestinian families who have lost loved ones in the conflict. Their testimonies remind us that grief is not confined to one side but is lived across deeply different realities – and that acknowledging one another’s pain and humanity is a necessary step toward a different future. Eastside Friends Meeting is gathering to share the grief of these families and to pray with them for peace. Join us in person or register here to join us online.
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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.
From past meetings:
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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. Please mention that you heard about the opportunity through EISCC.
A packet of support materials is available here. The hotline for reporting ICE activities is 425-361-0808.
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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.
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Announcements (please mention that you heard about this opportunity through EISCC)
- Volunteer opportunities
- Little Free Pantries are an excellent path for addressing current food needs. The Little Free Pantry at Unity of Bellevue needs donations.
- 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).
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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.