I am a single mom raising four bright and beautiful daughters with progressive family values. Many of you have seen them by my side or out in front of me volunteering, marching, and ringing doorbells for an array of community organizations and causes. With a degree in elementary education, I am also a teacher at Bellingham Cooperative School where I’m blessed with the opportunity to support kids and their families alongside my partner, Alicia and her mother, director of BCS, Heidi Alford.

 

My path to civic duty comes from a sense of gratitude and a desire to model personal responsibility and community engagement for my daughters. Mine is a “rags-to-mended-rags,” hard-knock life story - common among single mothers - where I’ve struggled to support my kids financially while also breaking the cycle of generational violence. I continually strive to give my kids and myself the space, time and tools to heal, and become fully empowered human beings. Having received incredible support from my “village” with such organizations as Opportunity Council, Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship (BUF), and DVSAS (providing legal aid to foster the safety of my family following domestic violence and resources to deal with my own childhood sexual assault), my fire has been fueled to give back to my community.

 

I have strategically concentrated my volunteer efforts at BUF in an efficient way to support numerous causes through a ripple effect that will improve our community. By supporting the spiritual home of hundreds of community do-gooders and change-makers, I’m lending strength and support for their work as teachers, doctors, civic leaders, and environmental, political and social justice activists.

 

Through my activism, teaching, and volunteering, I have become known as a dedicated, genuine, insightful, community-minded leader who stands up for equality, sustainability, and a true living democracy. These are important qualities when the City Council faces such diverse and challenging issues like the waterfront, oil trains, parking, bike safety, urban infill, an overpopulated jail, revitalizing Maritime Heritage Park and so many others. I have a radical Washington State idealism paired with a down-home Oklahoma practicality for getting things done. I would be honored to use my strengths to help my neighbors realize an even better Bellingham for all.

Virtually all issues the City Council faces - economic growth, housing, homelessness, safety, clean drinking water, access to public outdoor spaces, etc. - are issues most significantly felt by lower income families. These families (the poverty rate for single-mother families in 2013 was 39.6%) are greatly affected by Council decisions. As a queer mother raising daughters on a limited income, I bring a unique perspective to this job.

People do not flock to Bellingham because it is a “fixer upper” city. The problems facing Bellingham, in great part, stem from our growth spurt. While growth has brought value to Bellingham we need strong stewards to protect us from the negative impacts of expansion. As a mother, volunteer and educator I am compelled to devote myself to work as City Councilwoman to this end. I will bring my strengths, forged from overcoming past obstacles, to push through the diverse challenges of our community, ensuring that Bellingham is the safe, green, livable, vibrant city all our children can and will want to keep calling home.