The city council approved funding human services organizations with more than $200,000 in both 2019 and 2020.

As part of the budget process, the city council approved the annual allocation of human services funding. This year also marked the first time the city has allocated funding on a two-year basis, to match with the biennial budget. The funding amount has also been increased compared to previous years.

The city has allocated a total of $225,327 for 2019 and a total of $232,287 for 2020. The approved allocation is an increase over the $169,000 that funded human service organizations in 2018.

Human services allocations are awarded to organizations applying to the city for funding. The city’s Human Services Committee and staff review the requests for funding received from local organizations to determine who will be funded and for how much. The organizations awarded funding generally provide services aiding people with food, shelter, clothing, counseling and safety.

Of the applicants, 15 organizations were selected. They are Eastside Baby Corner, Encompass, Friends of Youth, LifeWire, Mamma’s Hands, Mount Si Senior Center, Si View Community Foundation, Snoqualmie Valley Community Network, Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank, Snoqualmie Valley Shelter Services, Sno-Valley Indoor Playground, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, SV Alliance Church for CarePoint Clinic, The Trail Youth, and Two Rivers School.

In a news release on the city website, Mayor Matt Larson said the state Legislature gives a focused mandate to Washington cities to attend to the health, safety and welfare of the citizens.

“Given that Snoqualmie does not have a department of social and health services, we are very pleased to have many strong local partners that can assist the city in more effectively meeting this mandate,” Larson said.