Between August and October 2024, more than 5,500 individuals participated in the survey, with 55% reporting food insecurity—a significant jump from previous years (49% in 2023 and 45% in 2021).

“More Washingtonians are struggling with food insecurity and concerned about affording food,” said Katie Rains, food policy advisor at WSDA.

More local news: Road Usage Charge faced 98% opposition at first hearing

Here’s how Washingtonians are feeling about grocery prices

Respondents reported spending an average of $263 per person on groceries each month and $79 on food away from home. Many (78%) of participants noticed price increases, with 42% saying they struggle to afford groceries.

Concern over the affordability of red meat (58%), chicken (40%), and fresh fruit (38%) was especially jarring. Rising grocery costs impacted households across income levels, with one-third of those earning $75,000–$150,000 also reporting food insecurity.

Food insecurity is taking a toll on health, with 70% of food-insecure respondents cutting back on both quantity and quality of food. Additionally, 54% of food-insecure individuals reported poor or fair health, compared to just 22% of food-secure respondents.

Risks of food insecurity

Jennifer Otten from UW highlighted the health risks, including chronic diseases and mental health issues like stress and anxiety.

The survey found that 55% of respondents used food assistance programs, with higher usage among those aged 35-44 and households with children. Food banks and SNAP were the most common forms of assistance.

Food insecurity rates were similar in urban (54%) and rural (55%) areas, with counties like Lewis, Franklin, and Pierce showing higher rates.

Crime news: Kitsap deputies search for hit-and-run driver who left scene with damaged Jeep

The Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference attracts top-notch speakers with expertise that includes lessons learned from recent worldwide events like earthquakes, work place violence, current hazards research, contingency planning, school preparedness, technology, media interactions, and public health issues. Speakers and exhibitors provide cutting-edge information on subjects such as business continuity planning, school safety, public health preparedness, homeland security, and public information.

Why You Should Attend

Successful management of emergencies can only be accomplished through effective and pre-established partnerships. This conference offers you the opportunity to develop those relationships; gain the necessary information to develop your response, recovery, and mitigation plans; create your preparedness messaging to those you serve; and gain valuable insight into lessons learned and established best practices. This is the largest and most successful regional emergency management preparedness conference in the Pacific Northwest—attracting attendees from:

• Emergency Management
• Safety Professionals
• Law Enforcement
• Fire Services
• EMS
• Business sector
• Schools
• Universities
• Public Health
• Utilities
• Public Works
• Non-profit Sector
• Economic Development
• Local and Federal Government
• Volunteers
• Hospitals
• and all that are tasked with emergency management planning

For more information, please contact us at  360.867.8806 or info@piepc.org.

PIEPC is an all-volunteer and a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. If you support the conference’s mission of building stronger emergency management partnerships through collaboration, continuous education, and encouragement of those entering the field, be a part of PIEPC. Visit to learn more about how you can offer a tax-deductible donation to the conference, apply to join the conference committee, become a volunteer, and attend the conference in coming years.

My own childhood was about as stable as it gets. Two parents, four children; parents stayed married until Dad passed away in the house they bought in 1948. It began as a four-room cabin surrounded by cornfields in farm country north of New York City. By the time I left, it had eight rooms and was surrounded by subdivisions.

Support Treehouse through Holiday Magic

Dad worked in the advertising business, Mom stayed at home. We had a tennis court in the backyard, and our next door neighbor was a corporate CEO with a big family and a swimming pool that we could use any time.

So a rough neighborhood, it was not.

Our family did have its vices – Dad smoked cigarettes, and there was alcohol, mostly gin and tonics, but as for hard drugs and crime – that was miles away in big bad New York City.

And with so many families leaving the city, our school district was constantly building schools, so almost every school I attended was brand new. Our high school even had a cable TV studio for the morning homeroom show. And guess who ended up doing commentaries until he was told to stick to the script?

More from Dave Ross: Being an entertainer for a 5-year-old grandchild is a tough gig

And when school was out in the summer – the family jumped into a car and drove north on a brand new interstate highway to the Adirondacks where dad had bought a cottage on Lake Placid.

You get the picture? It’s not like we were the Rockefellers, but the only adversity I faced as a child was riding in a car without seat belts, and inhaling fumes from the leaded gas. Also, I was a terrible water skier.

But for me — that’s why Treehouse.

Any success I’ve had is because my family bought me a first-class ticket on a non-stop trip through childhood. And when I hear about so many kids who’ve basically had to hitchhike through life, there’s a little voice that tells me that’s not right.

So, that’s why we signed up for regular monthly donations. And I hope some of you will do the same. Especially if you grew up with a tennis court.

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on ����Xվ Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

����Xվ Newsradio’s 35th Annual Holiday Magic campaign to support foster kids has arrived.

Colleen O’Brien got an inside look at the Treehouse Store.

is a non-profit that works to give opportunities and support to children in the foster care system. The Treehouse Holiday Magic program helps make the holidays brighter for children and youth in foster care and provides support for additional Treehouse programs and services throughout the year.

Treehouse headquarters is located just south of Interstate 90 off Rainier Avenue, and it’s where foster youth can come up to three times a year and get up to 20 items every visit. This program is especially important when a child gets moved to a new foster home and can’t bring their items with them.

Victoria Kutasz is the Program Director for Resources and Operations at Treehouse and spoke to Colleen about how rewarding the experience of supporting youth in foster care is.

“It’s amazing, it’s my favorite part of my job is coming down and seeing families come in and youth getting to pick things out. Do a little fashion show in the dressing rooms, and find things that really make them happy and let them express themselves and it’s just a really magical space,” Kutasz said.

Made even more magical by the fact that in 2016, Nordstrom’s design team came in and revamped the space. You may have heard it called the “warehouse,” but this is just like any other boutique shopping experience and then some – with mountains of toys, books, decor, and more.

The space serves approximately 8,000 youth in foster care in our state at any given time.

“Every year we have tons of folks who are new to our program. This is the first time they are getting a gift or a warm coat from us. And we have families who have been using these services for 20-30 years as they have new kids come into their home,” Kutasz said.

And it’s about more than just getting stuff, Victoria says this is about giving foster kids an experience they might not otherwise get.

“It’s really important to us to be a confidence-building program. To be giving kids things that will be meaningful to them, that is going to make them feel like they fit in with their peers, [so] they’re excited to go back to school in January and talk about the amazing gifts they got for the holidays. We want to make sure this is a program that feels, like I said, like any other shopping experience for our kids. It’s all the things you’d see if you go shopping anywhere else,” Kutasz explained.

It’s in this space – the Treehouse Store – that dreams for these kids come true, and Victoria recalls one of her favorite recent visits, from a 5-year-old foster youth.

“I was here in the store just a couple of weeks ago and I checked in a caregiver and the youth who was in her care. Her fifth birthday was coming up, it was on a Friday, and her birthday was Monday. She picked out her helmet, and she picked out her bike – she got to choose between the pink bike and the purple bike – and was riding it in circles through the front of the store and her face just lit up. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I do this work,” Kutasz said.

Colleen took a thorough walk throughout the store and they might do a better job at carrying items youth love than some of the big box stores today. They have Star Wars lego sets, name-brand clothing, book sets from popular series, bikes, art, crafts, and clothing galore for infants to older teens, and it’s your donations and support that keep the Treehouse Store going.

“We have continued to see our demand for our services across our state go up as we come out of the pandemic, and people are coming out of their shells – coming back into the community,” Kutasz said. “We continue to see requests for items from the store increase every month. So, we’re expecting really high demand and we appreciate all of the support we can get from the community to make sure our families can get what they need.”

Visit to learn more. You can also donate to Treehouse ahead of our Holiday Magic event, the week of December 5.

More stories about holiday magic:

Foster kids get help with navigating the troubling times of high school

Former foster kid works to connect other foster kids with job resources

Holiday Magic makes a difference for children in need

Ross: Donating to Treehouse a great way to spread Holiday Magic

Listen to Seattle’s Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O’Brien weekday mornings from 5 – 9 a.m. on ����Xվ Newsradio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

But educational advocates are trying to turn the tide.

Doug and Laura Adamson said they “didn’t know what they didn’t know” when they became foster parents.  They knew they had love in their hearts, an empty bedroom, and the desire to help children find a stable road to the future.

They were open to helping children of any age, but they found older kids and teenagers were a perfect fit.

“There are an awful lot of foster parents who line right up to help out with the newborns and help out with the younger children, but there’s a significant need for those who are older kids, especially the teenagers,” Doug Adamson said.

More Holiday Magic from Micki Gamez: Former foster kid works to connect other foster kids with job resources

But teenagers come with extra challenges, especially when it comes to school. And that’s where helped the couple understand those challenges and keep their 17-year-old foster child on track.

“They helped us navigate the high school,” Doug Adamson said. “They had a special person who had worked within this existing school system and an educational specialist that spoke the school district’s language.”

A plan was then tailored to keep this child on the path to success.

help the agency provide these educational advocates, who, along with the foster family, keep the children focused on what’s possible and that they can succeed in life.

Laura Adamson said that personal advocacy was essential in their child’s development.

“The educational specialist met with him once a week,” she said. “She was a trusted person, not the caregiver, not the parent, not a teacher. She was someone he really liked, and he could confide in her if he chose to.”

Trusting that educational advocate helped this young man navigate school, both academically and socially, and kept his eyes on the future.

“He was able to apply for their driver’s (education) program, and they helped pay for the car insurance,” Laura Adamson said. “They bought him a cell phone and paid for the cell phone plan, so those were two big expenses.”

More from Heather Bosch: Holiday Magic makes a difference for children in need

Expenses that many foster parents can’t provide but are key to a child about to age out or “launch” into adulthood.

All you need to look for when considering a donation to Treehouse is success, and for Doug Adamson, this is the epitome of success.

“Their knowledge and their expertise and their desire to help this child was fantastic,” he said. “Thanks in part to them, this kid was the first in four generations to graduate from high school.”

That’s what Treehouse and loving foster parents can do, but only with .

Listen to ����Xվ Newsradio on 97.3 FM. Stream it live here.

Brewer said she had fallen behind in school, wasn’t motivated with life and had no direction. Her social worker, referred her to , a Seattle-based nonprofit servicing foster care kids for 35 years.

More winter season charity: Holiday Magic makes a difference for children in need

“I got into the program, and I got a lovely coach who just was amazing,” Brewer said.

With the motivation of that coach, whose name is Kevin Burke, Brewer reached new milestones she’d never attained before.

“I got my GED. In two weeks, got my first full-time job and started working,” Brewer said.

Brewer added Burke was a pillar in her life. He inspired her and motivated her to keep going.

“I went on to (at Treehouse). I was in the Launch Success program until (the age of) 21. I had finished my associates around the same time, and I told my coach at the time, ‘I think I’m going to apply for a job (at Treehouse) as a joke. Maybe I’ll get some good feedback on how to get my career where I want it to be,'” Brewer said. “An hour later, I got a call saying I got the job. And I was like, ‘Well, what now?'”

She described how Treehouse was a safe haven and felt as though the adults were safe, too.

“They believed in me and cared about me and my future, and instilled me with confidence and belief in myself that inspired me to be able to get where I am now,” Brewer said.

Brewer said Treehouse helped with groceries, provided a life coach, offered parenting advice and so much more.

“You know, it’s all-encompassing, and … it’s amazing,” she said.

Brewer praised Treehouse for other work they do, noting the organization supplied various necessary items to help her care for her son.

“I’m so passionate about it. I mean, there’s a Treehouse store, which is a resource that I utilized a lot for my son and myself, but mainly for my son, as I got older. They provided Christmas gifts for my son, they provided everything that they would provide for me for him, diapers, seasonal, appropriate clothing, toys, educational books,” Brewer said. “Like even things for me that benefited him such as help to get my vital documents help with my car insurance so that I know we’re driving safely.”

The one person who made the biggest impact on Brewer’s life is her manager, Jesse.

“I feel like he has just been a shining light that guides me through not only my job, but my education,” Brewer said. “He has this belief in my potential beyond what I even do. And it is just the biggest source of inspiration that I have. He embodies our program, and it extends beyond a workplace as an environment.”

Without community support, Treehouse can’t provide these services that make a difference in foster kids’ lives. Your donation goes a long way.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on or email her here.

It began when Carrie Krueger was having lunch with her ����Xվ 7 colleagues. Krueger had just produced a series of stories on foster care and she noticed the children, placed with families, usually brought very little with them.

More Holiday Magic: Where to find the biggest display of Christmas lights in Washington

“It sort of struck me that the kids didn’t have anything of their own. A lot of them came in with just a paper bag or small backpack, but just really had nothing of their own,” Krueger said.

With the holidays approaching, Krueger and her ����Xվ coworkers wanted to do something to benefit the community.

“We were like, what if we let people buy holiday gifts for foster children. That’s how it started,” she said.

The idea was to have community members gather the gifts that children requested. The kids filled out a form asking for one item they wanted, and one they needed.

“They were handwritten. I’m talking about pre Internet, pre computers,” she said, “so we had these stacks of letters that were in the children’s own handwriting,” she said. “It’s emotional. It’s emotional when you see in a kids own handwriting what they want and what they need.”

And the requests were not extravagant.

“I struck me at the time that the kids were very humble in what they asked for,” Krueger said. “They weren’t putting together giant wish lists but they were often asking for things that were pretty basic, like warm socks.”

Children in foster care often said a jacket of their own was what they needed. What they wanted was usually a bicycle, and the community responded.

“People were walking in and they were dropping things (off) and that beautiful lobby was filled with stuff,” she said noting that one year the KRIO lobby was filled with bicycles.

She says what makes Holiday Magic so successful, is that when we think about children in foster care, we realize they may have left a difficult situation and brought little with them.

“And so I think it just kinds of triggers something in us. A sense of our own good fortune in terms of the lives that we are lucky enough to be in, and a sense of wanting to make it better for others,” Krueger said

Looking back Krueger said that is was the “most meaningful thing for me when I reflect on it is that this really did just start as an idea.”

“It wasn’t sophisticated and we didn’t have big corporate backing or anything like that. We just had an idea about a way to make a difference,” Krueger said.

And it’s made a difference… for 35 years.

Follow Heather Bosch on or email her here.

2025 TEACHER OF THE WEEK

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT WILL NOT INCREASE AN ENTRANT’S CHANCE OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Contest Administrator: ����Xվ AM, 1820 EASTLAKE AVE E, SEATTLE WA 98102

Contest Sponsor: WSECU, PO BOX WSECU, OLYMPIA WA 98507

HOW TO ENTER

These rules govern TEACHER OF THE WEEK (“Contest”), which is being conducted by ����Xվ-AM (“Station”). The Contest begins on February 17th, 2025 and ends on May 31, 2025 (“Contest Dates”). Entrants may enter on-line or via mail in entry only.

To enter the Contest, entrant may enter on-line beginning on February 17th, 2025 at 12:00 AM PST and ending on May 31, 2025 at 11:59PM PDT (“Entry Period”).

i. Beginning February 17th, 2025, and continuing until approximately 11:59 p.m., PDT, May 31, 2025, contestants can mail their entry to “Teacher of the Week” at 1820 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, Washington 98102 or submit the entry on-line through the Site. Submissions must include a short essay (the “Essay”) which should contain maximum 500 words and tell the Station why the nominated teacher has made a difference in their school or community, and why he or she deserves to be the “Teacher of the Week.” Contestants can also enter the Contest by completing the “Teacher of the Week” nomination form at www.mynorthwest.com/teacher, beginning the first date of the entry period. Submissions must be accompanied by the following information:

1. Full Name;
2. Address;
3. Day and evening phone numbers;
4. Date of birth;
5. E-mail address of the person nominating the Teacher;
6. Name of the Teacher being nominated;
7. The nominee’s school;
8. The school’s city and phone number;
9. The nominee’s e-mail address; and
10. Entrant’s relationship to the nominee.

c. Only one (1) entry per person is permitted. There will be up to a total of twenty-four (24) winner(s) selected in the Contest.

d. The Station may discard any entries that it deems suspicious, objectionable or in poor taste, as determined by the Station in its sole discretion.

e. All entries must be received by the end of the Entry Period.

ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS

a. The Sweepstakes is open to all persons who are legal U.S. residents of the state of Washington, eighteen (18) years of age or older, and who reside in one of the jurisdictions that make up the listening area in and around Seattle, Washington. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

b. The following individuals are NOT eligible to enter Station Sweepstakes at any time, even if such individuals meet the age and residency requirements above: (i) any employees (i.e., full-time, part-time and/or temporary employees) of the Station, ����Xվ Corporation, other area radio stations, Sweepstakes Sponsor, of any advertising and promotion agencies, and/or of the respective parent entities, subsidiaries, affiliated companies of each; (ii) any immediate family members of such employees, including, without limitation, current and/or ex-spouses, parents, grandparents, children, grandchildren, siblings, in-laws, and/or steps in any of the foregoing categories; and (iii) any other individual legally residing in the same household (i.e., at the same address) of such employees, including, without limitation, roommates, housemates, significant others, and partners.

c. Unless the Station otherwise specifies, persons who have previously won a prize (cash, services, merchandise) from a Sweepstakes or Station event from any of the Bonneville Seattle Radio Stations are subject to the following restrictions: Persons who have won a sixty (60) days prior to entering the Sweepstakes are not eligible to participate. These restrictions also apply to immediate household members of Sweepstakes or prize winners.

d. To claim a prize, the Winner must provide valid government-issued photo identification and provide their complete address, date of birth, phone number, email address and Social Security Number.

e. Entrants are required to provide truthful information and the Station will reject and delete any Submission that it discovers to be false or fraudulent. The Station will disqualify any Entrant who does not meet the eligibility requirements and will also delete any Submission as required by law.

f. This Sweepstakes is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. By participating in the Sweepstakes and/or acceptance of prize(s), Entrant agrees to comply with these Official Rules and the decisions of the Station, which are final and binding in all respects.

PRIZES

Twenty-four (24) prize(s) will be awarded. Each prize consists of $500 for each selected teacher. The Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) of the prize(s) is $500. The winner(s) will be solely responsible for all taxes and all other fees and expenses not specified herein associated with the receipt and use of the prize(s).

Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and may not be substituted, except by sponsors for reasons of unavailability, in which case, a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded. The Station assumes no responsibility or liability for damages, loss, or injury resulting from acceptance or use of the prize. The Station reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel or suspend the Contest should a virus, bug, computer, or other problem beyond the control of the Station corrupt the administration, security or proper execution of the Contest, or the Internet portion of the Contest. Decisions of the Station/judges are final.

If due to a printing, production or other error, more prizes are claimed than are intended to be awarded for any prize level; the intended prizes will be awarded in a random drawing from among all verified and validated prize claims received for that prize level. In no event will more than the stated number of prizes be awarded.

JUDGING CRITERIA

A judging panel consisting of Bonneville Seattle employees will judge the Essay (“Judges”). The Judges will select twenty-four (24) entries from among all eligible entries based on the following criteria (“Judging Criteria”): (1) an exceptional act of leadership (34%); (2) demonstrating outstanding virtue or selflessness (34%); and (3) inspiring greatness in their school or local community (32%).

TIE BREAKER

In the event of a tie for a prize, the tie breaker will be determined by a random drawing from all tied potential winner(s) by the Contest Sponsor. The Contest Sponsor, at its sole discretion, shall make the final decision to resolve any tie.

WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION

Decisions of the Station management with respect to the Contest are final.

Twenty-four (24) prize winner(s) will be selected as described above.

Odds of winning a prize depend upon the number of entries.

Winners do not need to listen to the Station or be present to win. All winners will be contacted later to arrange for prize pickup. If a winner chooses to have a prize shipped, the Winner will be required to sign a release that the Station and any Released Parties (defined below) are not responsibility if the prize is late, lost, stolen, misdirected, undeliverable, or damaged during shipping. In such cases, there is no purchase necessary to enter or win, except for reasonable postage and handling fees the amount of which shall not exceed $1.50 plus the actual cost of postage to ship the prize.

Potential winner(s) will be notified of winning by email or a phone call. Prize(s) will be awarded only upon confirmation of eligibility and completion of all requisite releases. Upon notification or notification attempt, the potential winner(s) will be required to respond to such notification attempt and must execute and return, along with the guest(s) of the winner(s), an affidavit of acceptance, eligibility, liability, publicity release, and if applicable, Contest Sponsor liability release forms within thirty (30) days of such notification or notification attempt or prize(s) will be forfeited. If a winner has not reached the age of majority in his/her state of residence, the prize(s) will be awarded in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian. If a potential winner(s) is deemed ineligible for any reason, cannot be contacted, fails to sign and return the fully-executed affidavit of eligibility and/or liability/publicity release within the required time period, or if a prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner forfeits the prize(s). The Station or Contest Administrator or Sponsor is not responsible for any changes in an entrant or winner’s email address, phone number, mailing address or other contact information.

CONDITIONS

THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Entrants agree that this Sweepstakes shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of Washington and the forum for any dispute shall be in Seattle, Washington. To the extent permitted by law, the right to litigate, to seek injunctive relief or to make any other recourse to judicial or any other procedure in case of disputes or claims resulting from or in connection with this Sweepstakes are hereby excluded and any Entrant expressly waives any and all such rights. Certain restrictions may apply. Submissions are void if the Submissions are incomplete, inaccessible or blocked, corrupted, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error or obtained through fraud or theft.

By entering and/or acceptance of prize(s), Entrants also agree (i) to be bound by these Official Rules; (ii) that the decisions of the Station and Sweepstakes Sponsor are final and binding with respect to all matters relating to the Sweepstakes; and (iii) if the Entrant wins that Released Parties (defined below) may use the winning photographs and each Winner’s name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Sweepstakes or future promotions without compensation or approval (except where prohibited by law).

The use of any device to automate entry is prohibited. Any use of robotic, repetitive, automatic, programmed or similar entry methods or agents (including, but not limited to, promotion entry services or proxies) will void all entries by that entrant at the Station’s discretion. The Station’s or its Contest Administrator’s computer or telephone system is the official time keeping device for this Contest. In the event of a dispute, online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the Authorized Account Holder. The “Authorized Account Holder” is the natural person who (i) is assigned to an email address by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address, or (ii) is assigned to the mobile telephone number by a telecommunications provider, or other organization that is responsible for assigning such numbers. The Station, in its sole discretion, reserves the right to disqualify any person who it believes is tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest. Failure to comply with the rules of the Contest may result in an entrant’s disqualification and/or forfeiture of any prize or prizes. If the Station makes a good-faith determination that an entrant has cheated or committed fraudulent activity in connection with a Contest, the Station may disqualify that entrant from entering and/or winning this and any or all future Station-administered Contest and seek damages to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The Station reserves the right to modify these rules for clarification or equitable purposes without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Contest, including, without limitation, the substitution of a prize(s) of equivalent value, which will become effective upon announcement. To the extent the Station makes material changes to the terms and conditions of the Contest, any such material changes will be broadcast on the Station and/or posted on its website: www.mynorthwest.com/teacher within twenty-four (24) hours of the change and periodically thereafter. If due to circumstances beyond the control of the Station, any competition or prize-related event or travel is delayed, rescheduled, postponed or cancelled, the Station reserves the right, but does not have the obligation, to cancel, terminate, suspend, or modify the Contest and shall not be required to award a substitute prize(s). If any provision of these Official Rules is irrevocably inconsistent with any provision set forth on the Contest webpage, then the provision of these Official Rules will prevail but solely to the extent of the inconsistency.

Calling the Station regarding the Contest constitutes permission for the Station to tape the caller’s voice and use it on the air. All telephone calls during the Contest may be taped without further permission from the caller. By entering the Contest and/or acceptance of prize(s), all entrants consent to the use of their name, photograph, likeness, biography, voice, video, entry materials, prize information (if any), or any statements made for trade, publicity, advertising, or promotional purposes, in any and all media, now known or hereafter devised, including online announcements, without limitation and without compensation, except where prohibited by law.

Each winner will be required to produce identification satisfactory to the Station. For example, winner(s) will be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and release, including a publicity release, as prepared by the Station prior to receiving their prize. Each winner will solely be responsible for any (federal, state, or local) taxes or fees that result from the receipt and/or use of their prize and may receive an IRS Form 1099-Misc for all prizes won from the Station in any calendar year where the aggregate value of all such prizes is $600 or more. The Contest is void where prohibited by law. Failure to comply with the terms and conditions applicable to Contest entry, including without limitation submitting an incomplete or fraudulent entry, and/or failing to complete the entry process, will result in such Entry being disqualified from such Contest. Any individual(s) that is found to be, or suspected of, tampering with a Contest in any way, including without limitation by making a fraudulent entry, by engaging in any “deal-making” with or between other Contest entrants or third parties, by creating a public hazard, by cheating, by engaging in improper or illegal activity, by causing interference with or the destruction of property and/or utilized public safety resources will be disqualified from participating and/or winning any prize(s), as applicable, and may be banned from any future participation in any Contest as determined by Station at its sole discretion and on a case-by-case basis.

Participation in a Contest and/or acceptance of prize(s) constitutes agreement by entrant and/or winner (and by winner‘s guest(s) if applicable) release, forever discharge, indemnify, and hold harmless Station, its affiliates, parents, assigns, successors, employees, participating Contest Sponsors, agents and all others connected with them and the Contest (the “Released Parties”) from any and all liability, claims, actions, and damages sustained or incurred by participation in the said Contest, and the receipt and use of any prize(s) awarded (if any) through such Contest arising in any manner whatsoever, including but not limited to an act or omission, whether negligent, intentional or otherwise caused by Station, its affiliates, parents, assigns, successors, employees, sponsors, agents and all others connected with them and the Contest.

Except where prohibited, by entering the Contest, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest or any prize(s) awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in Seattle, WA; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event shall such costs include attorneys’ fees; and (3) no punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including, without limitation, lost profits may be awarded (collectively, “Special Damages”), and (4) entrant hereby waives all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have any damages awarded multiplied or increased. Washington law governs the interpretation and construction of these Official Rules and all aspects related thereto.

The Released Parties are not responsible for (i) typographical or other errors in the printing, the offering, or the administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of a prize; (ii) incorrect or inaccurate information, human error, failure, or omission; (iii) unauthorized human intervention; (iv) lost, stolen, mangled, misdirected, illegible, incomplete, or late entries; (v) entries not received due to difficulty accessing the internet, service outage or delays, computer difficulties, telephone service outages, delays, busy signals, poor signals, or signal interference, accidental disconnection, equipment malfunctions, and any other technological failures; or (vi) any cancellations, delays, diversions, or substitutions or omissions by any transportation providers or any other persons or entities providing any services to Entrant(s) and/or Winner(s) (and Winner’s guest(s) if applicable) including any results thereof such as changes in services or location necessitated by same; or (vii) any part of a Sweepstakes that cannot be conducted and/or if a prize, either in whole or in part cannot be awarded due to the closure of any Sweepstakes Sponsor location, if applicable, promoter or performer issues, acts of God, any action, regulation, order or request by any governmental or quasi-governmental entity (whether or not the action, regulations, order or request proves to be invalid), equipment failure, threatened terrorist acts, terrorist acts, air raid, blackout, act of public enemy, earthquake, volcanic eruption, war (declared or undeclared), fire, flood, epidemic, pandemic, disease, national or regional emergency, explosion, unusually severe weather, hurricane, embargo, labor dispute or strike (whether legal or illegal) labor or material shortage, transportation interruption of any kind, work slow-down, civil disturbance, insurrection, riot, or any other cause beyond the Station’s sole control.

Except where prohibited, by entering the Sweepstakes, each Entrant agrees that: (i) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Sweepstakes or any prize(s) awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in Seattle, Washington; (ii) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event shall such costs include attorneys’ fees; and (iii) no punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including, without limitation, lost profits may be awarded (collectively, “Special Damages”); and (iv) Entrant hereby waives all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have any damages awarded multiplied or increased. Washington law governs the interpretation and construction of these Official Rules and all aspects related thereto.

PRIVACY

a. By participating in the Contest, entrant agrees to the Station’s Terms of Use Agreement and to the use of entrant’s personal information as described in the Privacy Policy located at SeattleSports.com and MyNorthwest.com. In the event of conflict between the Station’s Terms of Use Agreement and these Official Rules, the terms of these Official Rules shall apply. Any information that Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram collects through an Submission in the Sweepstakes may be subject to Twitter’s, Facebook’s. or Instagram’s own terms and policies.

WINNERS’ LIST/COPY OF OFFICIAL RULES

a. Any violation of these rules will result in disqualification. Consistent with Section 1(d), only one (1) Submission per Entrant is permitted. Any attempt by any one or more Entrants to obtain more than one (1) Submission by using the same phone number, email address, Twitter account or similar registration method through any means including, without limitation, multiple/different email addresses, Twitter accounts, identities, registrations, logins or other methods will void all entries from that address or account, and such Entrant(s) will be disqualified.

b. Copies of these rules are available at the Station’s website: https://www.mynorthwest.com/teacher, in person at the Station located 1820 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, WA, 98102, during regular business hours 10:00 a.m. (PT) to 4:00 p.m. (PT), Monday through Friday, or by sending a request, along with a self-addressed stamped envelope, to the Station at the same address.

c. For a list of Winners’, mail a request and a self-addressed stamped envelope to 1820 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, WA, 98102, identifying 2025 List for Teacher of the Week Contest. All requests for Winner lists must be mailed and received by the Station no later than December 27, 2025.

Katherine’s and Rita’s Houses are transitional housing programs for homeless, adult women in recovery from substance abuse.

If you’d like to support the houses please head to the where you can get information on volunteering, donations needed, and how to give financial gifts.

The Black Heritage Society is dedicated to preserving the African American history and culture in Washington State. The first meeting was held in 1977 and in 1990 their memorabilia was transferred to the Museum of History. Along with collecting and archiving, this non-profit presents their exhibits at special events and recognizes African-American pioneers annually. They also partner with NW Roots to make Roots Voices, an audio and visual project that records stories of African Americans who were affected by the Great Migration. Learn more .

Over seven million veterans are affected by PTSD each year and thirty percent develop mental problems within three months of being home. Mission Outdoors strives to create hope for veterans by engaging them in their communities and giving them a purpose. They immerse veterans with the outdoors and create events for them to attend. Their mission is to remind veterans they are not alone and give them something to look forward to. Their main events include the Washington Tuna Classic, the Lingcod Derby, Tapps Island golf, and a Charity Gala. Find out more at .

Their history: On June 4, 1928, a group of twenty-five mothers residing in Washington, DC, met to make plans to organize a national organization to be known as American Gold Star Mothers, Inc., a nondenominational, non-profitable and nonpolitical organization. On January 5, 1929, the organization was incorporated under the laws of the District of Columbia. The Charter was kept open for ninety days. At the end of this time they had a membership of sixty-five, which included mothers throughout the United States: North, South, East and West. There were many small groups of Gold Star Mothers functioning under local and state charters. When these groups learned of a national organization with representation in nearly every State in the Union they wished to affiliate with the larger group and many did so. This group was composed of women who had lost a son or daughter in World War I.

Who is a Gold Star Mother? Often the question has been asked, “Who is a Gold Star Mother?” During the early days of World War I, a Blue Star was used to represent each person, man or woman in the Military Service of the United States. As the war progressed and men were killed in combat, others wounded and died of their wounds or disease, there came about the accepted usage of the Gold Star.

This Gold Star was substituted and superimposed upon the blue Star in such a manner as to entirely cover it. The idea of the Gold Star was that the honor and glory accorded the person for his supreme sacrifice in offering for his country, the last full measure of devotion and pride of the family in this sacrifice, rather than the sense of personal loss which would be represented by the mourning symbols.

Learn more about the Washington Chapter of Gold Star Mothers .

They center and support women, girls (cis and trans) and gender expansive folk, both in the content of their programming and in the identities of the mentors who are a part of their community. Participants in their programs receive instrument instruction from local musicians and write, rehearse and perform original songs with the support of mentors.

And they do it all while ROCKING OUT in a supportive, empowering community!

Learn more about Rain City Rock Camp !

Since their establishment in August of 2004, they have placed over 100 service dogs and have established youth programs in a local high school and an alternative school for at-risk youth. They have also started a program for veterans, as well as a prison programs at Cedar Creek Correctional Center in Little Rock, WA; Washington Corrections Center in Shelton, WA; Stafford Creek Correctional Center in Aberdeen, WA; and Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, WA. The dogs live with and are trained by the inmates.

Learn more .

Founded in 1973 after the simple act of a mother publicly supporting her gay son, PFLAG is the nation’s largest family and ally organization.

PFLAG is the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies.

Learn more .

Family-First Approach: The work starts (and continues) with the family, typically Mom and Dad, long before they meet your loved one, who is struggling with addiction.

What is Battlefield Coffee House?

Battlefield Coffee House is their community project and a pathway to make the impact they are here to make, in addiction. All proceeds, sales, donations through the Coffee House keep their doors open and support their Baristas/Team members, who serve in exchange for their treatment and sober living costs.

This space is not just a coffee shop, but a “space for exploration and creation”, a training ground so-to-speak, for the Battlefield Addiction movement to grow and expand.

The organization serves youth in California, Washington D.C. and here in Washington state. The Washington state program is located at the Olympic National Park in Port Angeles. NatureBridge offers school and group environmental science programs, family camps, teacher professional development and more, all with the goal of inspiring others to enjoy and value our natural world.

To learn more about NatureBridge and their great work, please click .

The organization works to empower Pacific Islander youth to advocate for equity in education, engage in learning experiences and become community leaders.

Through their Summer Leadership Academy, high school juniors and seniors engage in curriculum designed to develop their leadership skills, civic engagement and exploration and expression of the cultures of the Pacific Islands. Our Future Matters’ after school club at Cascade Middle School helps with homework, mentoring and building relationships while studying the culture of the Pacific Islands.

Additionally, Our Future Matters assists with the annual UPRISE Educational Summit, which aims to engage high school students, parents, and teachers across South King County and extend their network with the goal of pushing students towards academic success.

To learn even more about Our Future Matters, please click .