“Getting this job gives me a sense of purpose and a great deal of confidence,” says Ted. “I feel like I’m contributing to the success of the company and I appreciate that zulily gave me this opportunity to use my degree in computer programming doing something I like to do.”
 
Mondi Fournier, a Northwest Center Employment Consultant who is Ted’s job coach, worked with him extensively to provide constructive interview feedback and helped Ted update his LinkedIn account with his professional zulily photo.
 
“I wouldn’t be here at zulily if it wasn’t for Mondi and Northwest Center assisting me every step of the way,” Ted says. “Mondi was especially considerate about making sure we were looking for the job I wanted and kept focus on finding the job postings that matched the goals we set. I’m truly grateful.”
 
“The job readiness fair at zulily is an excellent way for clients to get a real-world experience of a job interview without the stress of having to impress a potential employer,” says Fournier.  “Another benefit of this fair is the interviewer gives clients valuable feedback about their interview and resume. It helped Ted land the job,” says Fournier.
 
“We first met Ted at our zulily/Northwest Center Job Readiness Fair and while interviewing him, discovered his aptitude for data entry, technology, and computers,” says Stefani Mottola, zulily Product Studio Supervisor. “We were also impressed to hear about the work he put into creating an app.”
 
“While we are proud to be a part of a company that celebrates diversity and inclusion, the decision to hire Ted came easily,” says Klint Andreas, another Product Studio Supervisor. “Simply put, Ted is a great fit for the Data Entry Specialist role and a perfect fit for zulily.”
 
There’s no doubt Ted won’t be the last Northwest Center client to find work thanks to zulily Job Readiness Fairs: Employment Services and zulily are making plans for more events in 2019.
 
Learn how your company can join Northwest Center as a partner in inclusion. Contact Kiwa Nadas: knadas@nwcenter.org.
​

​“It’s like she never left,” Marilyn continues. “She grew up with a couple of teachers there and came home to family.” 
 
In her job as an aide, Emily ensures the kids’ nap mats are clean and then sets them up for the day. She also prepares the motor room and classrooms before school starts for the day.
 
“This is my dream job and I’m just so happy that I’m working here at a place where I literally grew up in,” says Emily. “My coworkers are fun to work with and it’s awesome knowing that I’m making a difference in kids’ lives on a daily basis.”
 
One more dream came true for Emily on her 10-year work anniversary when she met her all-time idol Lauren Potter, an actress with Down syndrome who was the keynote speaker at our Golden Hearts Luncheon in October. Emily’s coworkers arranged a surprise meeting with the two of them.
 
“Oh, my word, I didn’t know what to say when I first met Lauren and told her I was her biggest fan,” says Emily. “We became instant friends and I’m the luckiest girl in the world now!”
 
Emily’s parents are grateful to NWC for giving their daughter an opportunity to meet her idol and for ten years of employment.
 
“I’m glad we followed our gut to keep an open mind about our daughter’s future despite what others said to us,” Marilyn says. “We truly appreciate Northwest Center’s guidance and support and their dedication to inclusion.” 

When you give to The Big Blue Truck™, you’re not only keeping clothing and household goods out of landfills; you’re making employment possible for people of all abilities.

Dani works at Value Village to sort hangers and return clothes from dressing rooms. With the help of an employment coach from Northwest Center, Dani has found success at Value Village. In fact, when you ask her what she likes best about her job, her answer is “Everything!”
​
See Dani in action in this short video—and thank you for making it possible for great employees like Dani to find jobs they love!

Launched in September 2018, IMPACT™ (Inclusion Mentorship Program for increasing Access in Childcare Team) has already made a significant impact on the early learning community in King County. The program, which provides training and support to childcare centers so that they can welcome children with special needs up to age 5, has already added 12 local providers to its roster of partners—including the YMCA of King County. The IMPACTeam™ is currently working with more than 70 individual teaching staff and child care directors. 

​It takes a lot of skill to become an artisan of donuts, and that’s what Anna is beginning to master. As a “donut engineer” at Retro Donuts in Spokane, one of Anna’s many responsibilities is to make sure the sweet treats are filled with delicious creams and jams. It’s a work of art.
 
“I take a regular donut and grind it up a bit and then push the fillings inside,” Anna says. “It’s a lot of fun and so rewarding knowing that someone is going to really enjoy eating it.”

​Joe Fine, creator and owner of Retro Donuts, learned about Anna through Theresa Ray, an employment consultant with Northwest Center Employment Services. Fine immediately saw an excellent role for Anna as a donut engineer, a position she has now held for more than a year.  
 
“Workplace inclusion is vital,” Fine says, “as long as owners and managers support their employees by providing more than just menial tasks for them.”
 
Anna says that working at Retro Donuts lifts her spirits every day. “My coworkers treat me with respect and accept me for who I am,” she says. “It means the world to me!”
 
She also enjoys sharing her poetry with coworkers—she’s been writing poetry since childhood (her first work, “Froggie,” was about a frog her parents spotted when she was young).
 
“I love to read and write poetry almost every day and learned that there’s no right or wrong way to write it,” she says. “I just write a poem how I’m feeling that day and it’s awesome.”
 
“We don’t view Anna as different than anyone else that works here,” Fine says. “We work together as a team and fully understand everyone’s contribution to the team. We have the same expectations of every employee, based on their developing abilities.”
 
They’re expectations that Anna is happy to live up to.
 
 “I’m pretty pooped at the end of the day,” she says. “But I feel great!” 

​​It was a golden day at the 2018 Golden Hearts Luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle, where attendees gave from their hearts and raised more than $130,000 to support Northwest Center’s school-to-employment Transition Services. Now, more students with disabilities will have the support they need to find the perfect job. ​

Lauren Potter, actress from the hit TV show Glee, was the keynote speaker and received a standing ovation after her emotional speech to the crowd.
 
“I was overwhelmed by the support I received from everybody and was honored to take part because inclusion is so important to me,” Potter says. “It’s awesome that Northwest Center is supporting people like me and providing opportunities for people of all abilities.”
 
Emcee Jordan Steele, KING5 meteorologist and anchor, says supporting employment for people with disabilities is key to business success.
 
“I’ve seen firsthand how businesses thrive when they practice inclusion and provide everyone the opportunity to work,” he says. “I’m honored to be involved with Northwest Center and will do everything I can to get the word out about the great work you all do.”   
 
This year’s recipient of the William O. Ellison Award was The Bradley Family Foundation, which supports educating youth and those with special needs. The award is named for the founder of our valued business partner, Value Village™, and honors a community member for philanthropy and inclusion of people with disabilities.

As 2018 is quickly comes to a close and we prepare to welcome 2019, I want to THANK YOU for supporting Northwest Center and for helping make our world a more inclusive one! 
 
This past year, you’ve helped us launch our IMPACT™ (Inclusion Mentorship Program for increasing Access in Childcare Team) and EPIC (Expanding Play, Interaction and Communication) services for children on the Autism spectrum and paved the way for our Employment Services team to expand our employer ecosystem to over 1,000 organizations across the state. We’ve also deepened our partnerships with school districts and are successfully working our way “upstream” and reaching students sooner than their final year in school.
 
You allowed us to serve more kids and adults than ever before, and dramatically increased our impact—but there is much more work to do! In 2019, I’ll update you on several new initiatives already in the works—from IMPACT 2.0, which focuses on partnerships with organizations serving kids in the K-12 age range, to the Science of Inclusion, an effort to define and quantify the value a fully inclusive world will bring to everyone—the world as it should be.
 
We envision a world where individual talent meets unlimited opportunity. I can’t thank you enough for your continued support in bringing us closer to a truly inclusive society.
 
Onward and Upward,
 
Gene

Spread holiday cheer by joining with The Big Blue Truck™ and Northwest Center Kids to purchase clothes, toys and other gifts for families in need. We’re making the holidays brighter for many of our families this year by providing more than 400 gifts. Please visit our registry to make a purchase. 

Drop off your gift to Northwest Center’s West Marginal Way South location or ship to:
​
Kiwa Nadas
Northwest Center
7272 W Marginal Way S
Seattle, WA 98108
Attention: Holiday Drive
 
All items must be delivered to Northwest Center no later than Wednesday, December 12. Thank you!

​We’re pleased to introduce a newly refreshed Northwest Center logo. This change was motivated by the desire to capture the unity of purpose across every division of Northwest Center. A consistent look across our organization, from education and employment services to our family of owned businesses, reflects our commitment to a common mission: creating a world where people with disabilities are included at school, at work, and in the community. Our new logo captures Northwest Center as the forward-thinking, energized, and groundbreaking organization it is. The classic “NW” icon is a brighter blue to convey our energy, while newly added ripples signify the impact we make on the world.

“I’m not a hero and I’m not brave, I just got a chance to do what I love, and I did my best,” says Lauren Potter, best known as cheerleader Becky Jackson on the hit TV show Glee.
 
Career success like Potter’s is what Northwest Center’s 2018 Golden Hearts Luncheon is all about. This year’s event will raise funds for Transition Services, so more students with disabilities can find rewarding employment. As keynote speaker, Potter will share how she achieved her career goals.
 
“I am incredibly honored to speak to the people at Northwest Center,” Potter says. “I think the work being done by Northwest Center supports people to their fullest ability. It lets everybody know that we should be together, not separate. It helps give people a head start in life and makes them stronger. Without places like Northwest Center, inclusion is impossible!”

In the surgical room at Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Services (SCRAPS), everyone works quietly and efficiently. The vet is finishing up a minor surgical procedure on a rescued dog. Mercie, her assistant, monitors the animal’s heart rate and prepares for his transfer back to his crate. When the surgery is complete, Mercie joins another assistant to prep the next animal, carefully inserting a breathing tube and shaving patches of fur.
 
This is Mercie beginning to fulfill her lifelong dream—one that teachers, peers, and even her father once thought was out of reach.

In the back of Makers Mercantile in Kent sits a bakery; a bakery with a spotlessly cleaned kitchen.

“I have worked many places in the industry and no one has been as thorough as Crystal,” said Rumi, head chef at Rylie Cakes.

Crystal has worked at Rylie Cakes for a year.

​A new and innovative radio program airing on Spokane’s KXLY FM/AM is broadcast from Northwest Center’s Employment Services offices in Spokane. Breaking Through is a 30-minute show produced by Don Gillespie, a community employment services manager with more than 30 years of broadcasting experience. Gillespie uses the program to share stories that promote equal opportunities for children and adults with disabilities.

​It was an epic day at the 7th Annual Northwest Center Golf Classic as more than 120 players competed in rounds of championship golf at The Golf Club at Newcastle. Golfers got out their putters on the greens and also their wallets to give green: they raised $85,000 to launch EPIC (Expanding Play, Interaction and Communication), a new Northwest Center Kids initiative that will provide early and ongoing support to families of children with autism.
 
Event host Bill Krueger, former Seattle Mariners ace and Northwest Center’s strategic relationship officer, competed with some of his professional athletic pals including former Seahawks defensive end Alonzo Mitz, former Mariners pitcher Erik Hanson, Charlie Furbush, former Mariner and current MLB player, and former Mariners centerfielder Brian Hunter.

​In three days of competing in the Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle, local soccer squad Team Spirit scored 17 goals and managed to make it into the semifinals, netting a bronze medal.
 
Head coach Mike Quinn, Northwest Center’s VP of business development, gave all the credit to his players, who managed to defeat Hawaii and South Carolina in the early rounds. In the semis, Team Spirit tied the Washington Thunder 1-to-1 in the elimination round to secure the bronze. Washington Thunder went on to win gold and Maine took the silver.

​­Want to make a big difference for people in need this year during the holidays? Join Northwest Center’s 2018 holiday drive. Once again, we’ll fulfill the wish lists of families in need by collecting toys and clothes that The Big Blue Truck™, Northwest Center Kids, and our executive team will distribute for the holidays.

A clothing drive with Northwest Center's Big Blue Truck™ is a fun way for parents, teachers, and kids to clean out closets, recycle used clothing, get a tax deduction, and of course, benefit Northwest Center's services for people of all abilities.
​Get started today! 

​Saturday, August 11, 2018
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Cromwell Park: 18030 Meridian Ave N Shoreline, WA 98133

Join us for a day of inclusive family fun!
 
- Free lunch
- Free painting
- Live music
- Games led by Special Olympics of Washington
- A special visit by a service llama
 
CONTACT INFO: 
Laura Kneedler: lkneedler@nwcenter.org 

​Northwest Center is pleased to welcome Michael Padilla as an intern writer and photographer. Michael has ataxic cerebral palsy, which is a muscle disability. He’s currently a sophomore at Bellevue College and upon graduation, he wants to become a sports reporter.
 
By Michael Padilla
​
The Washington Spirit, coached by Northwest Center’s own VP of business development Mike Quinn, battled South Carolina in an early round soccer match at the Special Olympics USA Games at Seattle University. The Washington Spirit controlled the pace of the game from start to finish and won by a final score of 7 to 1.  

Kam grabs a slice of “watermelon” from the play food on his family’s coffee table. He pretends to eat it, then offers some to Ricky, his dad.
 
It’s more than a happy family moment, says Susannah Major, a Speech Language Pathologist with Northwest Center Kids. “This is huge,” she enthuses. “Pretend play is such a prerequisite for language.”

​Get out your drivers, wedges, and putters: it’s time to secure a hole-in-one at the 7th Annual Northwest Center Golf Classic, July 16 at The Golf Club at Newcastle.
 
This year’s event will raise funds to launch EPIC (Expanding Play, Interaction and Communication), a new Northwest Center Kids program that will support children with autism or social communication delays to be engaged with their parents, peers and the community.

What an impact The Derby had on IMPACT™, a new initiative from Northwest Center Kids. The silent and live auction held in April at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel, with a goal of raising $100,000 to launch the new service, instead raised more than three times that amount with donations totaling $306,000.

Witness sports history at the 50th Annual 2018 Special Olympics USA Games in Seattle: sign up to volunteer with Northwest Center July 1-6.
 
Join us as a volunteer during the soccer competitions, where you can also cheer on a team with a special connection to Northwest Center. The Issaquah Spirit, coached by our VP of Business Development Mike Quinn, is representing the state in soccer as Team Washington.

Donate clothing and household goods to The Big Blue Truck™ or at Value Village™ to keep them out of landfills and to benefit Northwest Center. Here are a few tips to make sure your donation counts.