Over the last year, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods has been tasked with creating a new citywide framework for community outreach and engagement with a strong focus on equity and inclusion. Our recently published citywide service plan, Serving Seattle: Get Engaged, is our roadmap to accomplishing this work.

This plan was created in partnership with Cities of Service, a national nonprofit organization, to explain the City’s initiatives for volunteerism and service and to encourage active participation within communities. Ultimately, it will serve as our guide for effectively working with volunteers, expanding citizen engagement, and helping Seattle residents feel like they are partners and collaborators with the City.

Serving Seattle is an essential, living document that establishes the City’s goals and means, will evolve over time with City priorities, and will be key to the successful implementation of our collaborative volunteering initiatives. It demonstrates how our commitment to equity and inclusion will guide our efforts and strategies as we target community needs, set clear outcomes, and identify best practices.