Make a gift in support of programs for people like Spenser, who loves going to work at The Garage cafe five days a week.
Thank you to all of our donors for supporting Spenser's efforts to find and keep employment in the community!
Current Articles (choose link to jump to full text)
Message From CEO, Tom Everill
Northwest Center Kids: Giving Children the 'Right Start'!
Northwest Center Works Spotlight: Margaret
Partner Spotlight: UPS
Giving Back: Wells Fargo
New Volunteer Services Program!
Not all Clothing Bins are Created Equal
Donor Profile — Great at Tax Time
Local Papers Feature Northwest Center Columns
Northwest Center is in the News!
We start the New Year a strong organization poised to do great things! Our Northwest Center Works division is placing record numbers of clients in community employment. Our Northwest Center Kids division is serving more children than at any time in our 46 year history. And the outstanding quality of our program was affirmed again recently when Northwest Center Kids was honored by Child Care Resources for its commitment to inclusion.
Our businesses have never employed more people with developmental conditions, nor have they ever been more integrated and inclusive. Add to this the successful launch of the new Northwest Center Foundation and an unprecedented level of engagement and support from the community, and we are on the verge of something very important – to be a highly successful model of inclusion, a significant force for change that will make our community a better place for people of all abilities. The commitment, skill, and hard work of the entire Northwest Center community make this possible – thank you so very much!!
Northwest Center and Jane Dobrovolny (VP, Children and Family Services) were recently honored at the Child Care Resources Benefit Luncheon Awards Ceremony and presented with the 2011 Start Right Award! This prestigious award is bestowed each year by Child Care Resources (childcare.org) to childcare providers in King County who demonstrate a commitment to providing the highest quality services. The bestowal this year came in the form of a unique piece of local art created by Seattle artist, Mari Jalbing. The hand-painted, child-sized rocking chair (pictured above) has the award plaque attached to the back of the headrest - a very beautiful (and useful) accolade! 
As the name implies, getting the Right Start is critical to setting a foundation for success in school and work. At least 125,000 children in King County spend time in child care every week*, but much of that care is not as good as it should be. Surveys by state education officials show that 55 percent of children entering Washington’s kindergarten classes are not completely ready to enter school. Among low-income children, the percentage is even higher. Not only are too many youngsters unprepared for school, but thousands of families in King County struggle to find affordable, quality child care.
Our NAEYC** accredited program, Northwest Center Kids, believes that all children are entitled to high quality childcare in a nurturing environment. Play, independent thinking, problem solving and self-initiated experiences are keys to healthy development; honoring diversity of all kinds— including natural abilities, race, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or age of children and their families. Northwest Center Kids serves children of all abilities and is culturally sensitive to all families, respecting their values and sharing the diverse population we serve.
Northwest Center is committed to creating inclusive programs that service the unmet need for affordable childcare in King County. Our programs for children include: Early Learning & Childcare, Early Intervention and our new Teen Program. Learn more about our network of services and locations: www.nwcenterkids.org
* www.childcare.org/default.asp ** The National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org
One thing you should know about Margaret is that she LOVES working at Northwest Center businesses.
A long time member of the family, Margaret has worked in a variety of positions; most recently she was offered a position at our custom magnet manufacturing business, Electronetics, where she pre-assembles the components used to produce Electrical Transformers and Inductors.
She came to Electronetics with a wealth of knowledge and experience gained from her years of employment at Northwest Center’s owned and operated businesses. Margaret’s dedication and attention to detail are huge assets to her employers. As she begins this new venture, she will be gaining even more valuable skills and work experience along the way. Developing new skills, refining old ones, and providing employment readiness are key goals for Northwest Center’s employment programs.
Margaret likes to travel, go shopping and treat her friends; she frequently uses the money she earns to go out and have fun. Employment within the community does more than provide self-confidence and provide a necessary service. It allows people to fully participate in society. By paying taxes, supporting the economy and socializing, citizens like Margaret can fully engage their potential and actively make a contribution to society. For so long, people with developmental conditions have been viewed through the eyes of myth and prejudice as a drain on ‘the system’. Now, with support from organizations like Northwest Center, people of all abilities are being allowed to make a truly important contribution to the communities in which they live.
We are so pleased andgrateful to have established a new partnership with UPS!
In coordination withour new Volunteer Services Program, UPS and its employees have really stepped up, contributing many hours to support Northwest Center.
UPS employees volunteered their time supporting our Golden Hearts Luncheon — both during and after the event. Most recently, a corp of UPS employees came to our offices to prepare, stuff and mail newsletters and annual reports.
UPS believes deeply in having its employees give back to the community through volunteerism.
We are so grateful to UPS and its employees for their generosity.
This year, Northwest Center was highlighted in Wells Fargo’s Community Support Campaign which raised $7,000 for Northwest Center programs! Their team members are leaders; they give their time to teach money management skills, build homes, mentor youth, fundraise and serve on nonprofit boards. They learn first-hand what local issues and projects need our support, and then bring the right resources together so Wells Fargo can help. Wells Fargo is proud of it’s rich tradition of investing in our communities, last year team members contributed more than $55 million to thousands of worthy organizations.
In addition, Wells Fargo provided a grant in the amount of $1,500 to Northwest Center Works, for job development! We are most grateful to Wells Fargo for their generous support to our programs for children, teens and adults with disabilities.
Northwest Center Works is a unique source for meeting your staffing needs and is a connection to a virtually untapped and dedicated group of workers. We provide over 40,000 hours of job coaching and placement to over 150 adults in King County each year. www.nwcworks.org
Our volunteer and intern programs are off to an excellent start! We have successfully placed two interns, Kim Hoang and Andrea Kennedy.
We also have a new intern who will be starting in January supporting our Employment Consultants.
We are currently working on filling 3 open intern positions at our South Park location.
We have a project at the Queen Anne child facility for MLK Day of Service, sponsored by United Way of King County, on 1/19, open for 10 volunteers.
UPS has been a fantastic addition to our network of companies that regularly offer volunteerism to our various projects. We are very excited and grateful for all of these helping hands! For any questions or comments on these programs, please email
Stephanie Thompson: (206) 378- 6365
Northwest Center relies on donations of clothing and household items to sustain our valued programs and our mission!
With the increased number of FOR-PROFIT clothing recycling bins (USAgain, Retex) popping up in the community, it’s more important now than ever to make sure your intended tax deductible donations really go to a registered non-profit. When you donate this year, make sure to look for The Big Blue Truck™, our Big Blue Bins™ or stop by your local Value Village Community Donation Station.
Revenue generated from your generous donations is used to support Northwest Center’s mission to serve infants, children and adults with disabilities.
If anyone with a business in a high traffic location would be willing to lend us a small amount of space for one of our Clothing Donation Bins, please contact us at: dsmall@nwcenter.org or (206) 691-2588. It’s an easy way to invest in your community at no cost to your business. By hosting a clothing donation bin you will help us generate sustainable revenue for our future programs.
Learn more: bigbluetruck.org
Local Papers Feature Northwest Center Columns
Northwest Center’s newspaper columns continue to appear in the Marysville Globe and Arlington Times, building awareness of people with disabilities and the issues they face.
Read the most recent columns: Without Filters, Power and Love and Nothing Special. View the complete archive HERE.
Donor Profile — Great at Tax Time
Did you know when you sign up for Northwest Center’s My Donor Profile, you can save valuable time at tax season? By scheduling your pickups online, you’ll be able to view your donation history and get your tax receipts—all in one convenient place.
Why not clean out your closets and donate your reusable clothing and household items? Visit our website to schedule a pickup and set up your donor profile today! We appreciate you helping us Go Green by scheduling your donation pickups online.
Northwest Center is in the News!
Northwest Center regularly pops up in local news stories, and we keep a list of online links right here on our website. To see articles where we've been mentioned, just head to our publications page! And if you know of any we haven’t listed, let us know!