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Mount Baker School District Health Equity Zone
# YOUR IDEAS * YOUR COMMUNITY **BIG THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN THE HEALTH EQUITY ZONE AND THEY’RE POWERED BY YOU.** Over the summer, neighbors from across the Mt. Baker region came together in workshops to talk about **what matters most** for our community’s future. These gatherings weren’t just meetings. They were spaces for real conversation about our challenges, our hopes, and the changes we want to see faced.
**_“When neighbors come together to dream, plan, and act, we change what’s possible.”_**
**What We’re Hearing - Top Themes from the Community**
Community Themes
* Access & Equity for health, resources, and opportunities * Better transportation for all ages and abilities * Clear communication and resource coordination * Youth engagement and intergenerational connections * Environmental health and community clean-up efforts * Partnerships and collaborations that strengthen what’s already working * Social support and community care so no one is left behind
**Looking Back Public Comment Workshop**
On August 6th, more than 60 community members came together for a Public Comment Workshop focused on blighted properties; abandoned, neglected, or cluttered spaces that impact the safety and well-being of our neighborhoods. Together, we: * Shared experiences and concerns about how blighted properties affect quality of life * Discussed practical solutions, from clean-up events to better communication with property owners * Highlighted the importance of working together across agencies, neighbors, and local leadership Facebook: Mount Baker Health Equity Zone Instagram: mountbaker.healthequityzone Email: hezinfo360@gmail.com
**Ideas Taking Shape**
From these conversations, neighbors suggested actionable steps: * Launch regular community clean-up days * Establish a local hub for health, wellness, and activities * Offer grant writing support and report back to the community on progress * Develop a resource list for the Mt. Baker District
**BE PART OF WHAT’S NEXT**
Attend our Next Public Comment Party: Your chance to join the conversation and help decide what’s next. **Date:** October 14 , 2025 **Time & Location:** Check our Facebook & Instagram for updates! Snacks provided. All ages welcome. Bring your ideas, your experiences, and your vision for a stronger Whatcom County.
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# How HEZ Funding Works
We’ve heard a lot of questions about how Health Equity Zone (HEZ) funding works, so here’s some clarity. The purpose of the current HEZ grant isn’t to fund projects directly—it’s to bring community members together, create space for honest conversations, and make sure everyone is supported for the time and expertise they contribute. This stage is about building the foundation so that when your community’s priorities are clear, HEZ can help find the outside funding to make them real. That means HEZ dollars are at work in many behind-the-scenes ways: * Compensating community members for their time and expertise through stipends and $25 gift cards—because what you know about your own community has real value. * Supporting trusted messengers, neighbors who are paid to share information, build connections, and invite new voices into the room. * Covering costs for things like meals, snacks, toys, childcare at events, and our signature “everything but the kitchen sink” bags, so you feel welcome and included. * Paying the people working behind the scenes to organize, coordinate, and keep this process moving forward. HEZ has also sponsored community celebrations and events such as library summer concerts, the Classified Employee Recognition with MB School District, Kendall’s Book Up Summer, Holiday Heroes at MBHS, and even snacks for families at JH and HS conferences. If you’ve joined in one of these spaces, you’ve already seen HEZ funding at work. **What’s Next** In October we are moving into the next stage: piloting a community-driven process where residents can submit their own proposals for solutions and priorities. This will include opportunities to learn how to turn an idea into a proposal, spaces to ask questions, and a chance for the community to rank what matters most. Once that first round of ideas is gathered, HEZ will begin looking for outside funding for the projects the community lifts up as the highest priority. In other words: these early dollars are here to invest in people, process, and trust—so that when projects are funded, they’re the ones this community has chosen.