Essentials First

ALL Essentials First locations will be closed this week on the following days:

Monday 5/25
Wednesday 5/27
Thursday 5/28

Regular hours will resume Friday 5/29.

Another great day of Essentials First staff and volunteers connecting with community members at the Kent Library! 📚

With the recent launch of our Spring 2026 Kent Essential Skills cohort, there are officially sewing programs in session in three cities! We look forward to watching the progress of these dedicated students in Bellevue, Kent, and Redmond over the coming months🧵

Learn more about the Essential Skills program:: essentialsfirst.org/essentialskills

We were grateful to be part of the Welcoming in Action lunch event last Friday, joining civic leaders, advocates, and partners to explore how municipalities can build and institutionalize the infrastructure of welcoming and belonging—ensuring that every resident feels safe, valued, and included.

Thank you to the event sponsors Eastside For All, Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation, and Kirkland, WA - Government

Essentials First Kent staff were excited to connect with neighbors at a recent event organized by the Burkinabe Association of Washington State.

During the event we served 35 community members and had a wonderful experience engaging with many visitors who stopped by our booth, where we distributed flyers and shared information about our programs.

Thank you for having us, and to everyone who stopped by to learn more about Essentials First! 🙏

Essentials First Director of Programs & Operations Marryam Ali had a great time answering your questions and getting to know everyone at the UW School of Social Work Career Fair last week 🎓

It was a beautiful evening at the World Trade Center Seattle Non-Profit Showcase! We’re so grateful to be part of this powerful community of change-makers ✨

🤔DID YOU KNOW you can donate supplies to Essentials First any time? You don't have to host a hygiene drive every time you want to lend a helping hand.

🔗Our Amazon wishlist makes it easy: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11NVAKUD3856R?ref_=wl_share

🔗Or donate funds toward the cost of supplies at essentialsfirst.org/donate

📷Joe from Saint James Cathedral picks up 200 street kits last week.

These will be distributed to unhoused neighbors through one of the Cathedral's community programs which serves ~180 people per night.

Learn more about the network that makes this work possible at essentialsfirst.org/partners

Today is World Hand Hygiene Day, a global reminder that clean hands save lives.

But here’s the reality: for many families in our own community, access to basic hygiene products like soap isn’t guaranteed. When budgets get tight, these essentials are often the first to go.

At Essentials First, we’re working to change that. By providing hygiene supplies to local community members and advocating for systems-level change to support hygiene access, we’re helping ensure that everyone (regardless of income) has what they need to stay healthy, show up with dignity, and thrive.

Hand hygiene shouldn’t be a privilege. It’s a basic human need.

Join us in turning awareness into action at essentialsfirst.org💧

Learn more about the WHO's "SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands" campaign at https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hand-hygiene-day