We are getting ready to rock it out (yet again) on Saturday the 27th from (roughly) noon to (roughly) 6pm for our 2nd Annual Up In Smoke BBQ extravaganza! This is a party we throw that is a celebration of street life and a chance for all neighbors of downtown Olympia and beyond to meet each other, eat great food, and bear witness to some of the finest community magic our great city has to offer. Come by whenever! It's super casual, family friendly and NOT TO BE MISSED!

Thanks to VOCAL Washington, and two of our awesome support staff Jiva and Jenny Lee for putting together an exciting event next Wednesday for National Overdose Awareness Day. Issues of overdose and increased awareness around opioid use particularly, have been significant topics in the media nationwide. The latest data from Univ. of Washington says there's an average of 600 deaths per year in our state. Thurston County has an overdose rate which has increased by more than 30% in the last decade and will continue to do so if we do not begin to look at policies that will truly address the realities of drug use in our communities. This is an issue that the Interfaith Works Shelter and many of our partners have been very concerned about for a long time. This issue is not new for our community but what is new is the sea change of innovative ideas to combat the negative effects of drug use. We hope that our community will choose to grow, learn and get creative to ensure that our families and loved ones can live long, safe lives. Thank you to Interfaith Works of Thurston County for officially endorsing this event! We are excited to have Olympia City Council Member Clark Gilman as a guest speaker among others! Starts at 11am at the Artesian Well downtown. See you there!