Fr. Geoff Ethelston receives Human Services Award
From the North Urban Human Services Alliance web page:
North Urban Human Service Alliance (NUHSA) presented the first annual Human Services Award to Pastor Geoff Ethelston from Kenmore’s Church of the Redeemer on March 12 at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Shoreline. The award is a recognition program for individuals advocating for human services.
For many years, Ethelston was actively involved in the Religious Leaders Task Force, the King County Alliance for Human Services and Eastside Forum, the United Way North Community Council and an active board member on the North Urban Human Services Alliance.
A constant source of information and creative ideas, Ethelston often served as a much-needed liaison between these advocacy groups and attended meetings with a regularity seen in few. He provided a voice for low-income people to local and state lawmakers, helping to secure additional funding and support for human service programs across North King County. At the end of 2008, he retired from many of these boards and coalitions for personal reasons.
“I am honored to have been selected as the first recipient of this service award as well as humbled,” Ethelston said. “My reward is really to know that NUHSA has achieved authority and maturity to be accepted as the voice of human service needs in north king County and to be a catalyst for getting help where it is needed.”
The new award recognizes an individual who is instrumental in creating positive change; identifies and meets unmet needs in the community; supports human services by devoting resources (financial or otherwise) to the development, continuation or advancement of human services work; creates a better community and improves the quality of life for the citizens of North King County; and fosters public awareness to the importance of human services.
NUHSA is composed of representatives of non-profit service providers, the faith community, county and local governments and the United Way, who seek to build the community’s capacity to respond to human service needs in north King County. NUHSA’s mission is to build the community’s capacity to respond to human service needs in North King County, encompassing the cities of Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, Kenmore, Bothell and Woodinville.