From left to right: Khadijah Abdullah, Aviva Stamp                        From left to right: Robin Ginnis, Scott Hinckley, Alex Gonzales, Andre Cantyfer

From left to right: Lakeya Afolalu, Nadia Despenza, Ilays Aden

Hello Friends! RBAC (pronounced “our back” ) had RB’s back for sure in 2024. While it seemed to fly by right before our eyes, after putting some thought into it, 2024 revealed a challenging yet momentous year. The likelihood that each and every RBAC staff and board member experienced hardship of some kind (passing of a loved one, health issues to overcome, household strife, financial challenges etc.) occurred, yet we endeavored to “be at the post”. We strived hard to make Rainier Beach a place for everyone, a beautiful safe place, a place where the value of growing healthy food for healthy industry and life learning occurred. Take your time and read the articles below. They will surface the indomitable spirit within each of us to build community and move Rainier Beach forward. Two activities I’d like to share that may not have received the fanfare it deserves were the recalibration of how RBAC is governed and the tables RBAC sat at to make sure the voice of our dear neighborhood is represented. With regard to the recalibration of how RBAC is governed, with intention and thoughtfulness we shifted from a Board of Directors model to an Executive Council/Advisory Council model. This expanded the number of people from the Rainier Beach neighborhood involved in the legal and fiduciary governance of the RBAC organization. We are so proud of the twenty seven residents who responded to the call to make sure we spent the $4M secured on behalf of the neighborhood wisely. You will learn to what end by reading the below. As for the tables we sit at and/or lead I have to list them and not abbreviate otherwise it would amount to alphabet soup – Rainier Beach Economic Development Roundtable, Priority Hire Advisory Council, Black Home Initiative, City of Seattle Human Services Department Safety Cohort, Rainier Beach A Beautiful Safe Place For Youth, United Ways Black Community Building Collective, Food Justice Collaborative, Regional Pre-Apprenticeship Collaboration, Rainier Beach Foods of Change Network, Race and Social Equity Taskforce, Rainier Valley Creative District, Rainier Valley Promise Neighborhood Collective. There are more tables needing representation. Hey! I got an idea, join the Advisory Council and help represent RB. Be well!

-Gregory Davis

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