UPCOMING COMMUNITY MEETING Community members are invited to join the Seattle Police Department and Seattle Department of Neighbors for the next Our City, Our Safety meeting of 2026. April 146:30-8:00 pmEast: Miller Community Center These meetings are an opportunity to share your thoughts and concerns about crime and safety in… [ Keep reading ]
In 2012, Quynh Pham joined the very first cohort of the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ People’s Academy for Community Engagement (PACE), a program designed to help community members understand how city government works and how to navigate it to create change. More than a decade later, she returns to the… [ Keep reading ]
Kolbi Monasmith joined the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods as the new Indigenous Advisory Council Liaison in January 2026. She is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, though she grew up in the Seattle area. Kolbi attended Seattle Central College and the University of Washington studying Political Science, Human… [ Keep reading ]
The start of a new year serves as both a time of reflection and an opportunity to set goals and plan for the future. As we look back on the past three years at Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON), one word rises above all others: connection. Our staff has served… [ Keep reading ]
In 2025, the grip of food insecurity tightened across the region as many residents lost access to healthy, nutritious food. Federal funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, climate change, and the rising costs of groceries have increased hunger across the nation, but programs like the P-Patch Giving Gardens… [ Keep reading ]
On January 1, 2026, Mayor-elect Katie Wilson will assume the duty of leading our city and serving the people of Seattle. As we prepare for this shift in leadership, we want to give the community an opportunity to learn more about our soon-to-be Mayor and her vision for the future… [ Keep reading ]
This story originally appeared as an opinion piece in the Seattle Times. by Jenifer Chao, Director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Almost every day, another headline reminds us that immigration is under attack. Across the country, fear is being weaponized. Immigrants and refugees are portrayed as problems to solve instead… [ Keep reading ]
Community members and City family climbed the stairs at City Hall to witness a vote on the confirmation of Jenifer Chao as the Director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON). They filed into Seattle City Council chambers for the Dec. 8 meeting of the Neighborhoods, Education, Civil Rights & Culture… [ Keep reading ]
Through the Race and Social Justice Initiative, the City of Seattle is consistently working to address and eliminate institutional racism. Part of the City’s focus on social justice includes ensuring outreach and engagement efforts are equitable and reach all communities. Through our Strategic Partnerships program, the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods… [ Keep reading ]
Today, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that he will appoint Jenifer Chao to serve as the next Director of the Department of Neighborhoods (DON). Chao, a community engagement leader, currently serves as the Deputy Director of Strategy and Administration in the City of Seattle’s Finance and Administrative Services. Working with… [ Keep reading ]
