| Dear Stewardship Partners Community: I hope this finds you and your family safe and healthy. People are the heart of our work and we care deeply about all of you, especially in these unprecedented times. As our region comes together to face the COVID-19 pandemic, I wanted to let all of you know how Stewardship Partners is responding to these challenges. Like many of you, our team is adjusting to new conditions and thinking both practically and innovatively about how best to continue our work. Our number one priority is the health and wellbeing of our employees. I’m incredibly proud of our team’s flexibility and dedication to this organization and its mission to create people-based solutions that engage Puget Sound communities as caretakers of the land and water that sustain us. Like almost everyone, we are adjusting to virtual meetings with our staff, partners, and board. Three ways we’ve had to change our plans include: |
- One of the more difficult decisions we had to make was to postpone our annual fundraiser, Feast on the Farm, at least until Fall. We know it’s our big event getting everyone together, so we’ll be following up with you about our plans and what we need to bridge the gap created by this postponement.
- We are also moving the 5th annual Green Infrastructure Summit online. We will continue to find innovative ways to move our work forward safely.
- Lastly, in compliance with Governor Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, we are suspending all field work and must furlough our hard-working Snoqualmie Stewardship Restoration Crew for at least the next 12 weeks. Their work is important, and we’ll get back at it when we can.
| Because of good planning and financial support, we will get through this, but we are going through funds we didn’t expect to be tapping into right now. I’m hopeful for our future and will keep you informed on our steps moving forward. We are all in this together and, in the end, I believe we will come out stronger. Our hearts go out to our many partners in the restaurant business, musicians, and elsewhere who are severely impacted. Thank you for your continued support and for being caretakers of yourselves and our community during these difficult times. Please feel free to be in contact with me at any time. With sincere gratitude,   David Burger Executive Director |