May 212 minA LinchpinNatasha Lindsay once worked at a desk authorizing insurance for Swedish Health Services. “I saw how screwed up the system was.” Story...
Apr 13 minTwo Photos: Arthur Bacon“This place is my last adventure.” Arthur Bacon drives to the Gipson Center twice a week to shoot pool and shoot the bull with his...
Jan 72 minFrom South to West“My first day here, I woke up and realized there weren’t any Black people,” laughs Shaquana Dobbins, a Direct Service Professional in VOA...
Aug 24, 20211 minDear 2015 Erin...Even though everything looks fine from the outside, you know you aren’t OK, and it’s OK. It will still be a little while before you...
Aug 24, 20212 minDear Young Nicole...Life is not always full of light. Life can get dark. Life can hold you under the water until you’re ready to give up, until it has taken...
Aug 24, 20214 minDear Cory...The following first appeared in The Everett Herald on 8/7/21. When I look at my messages to doctors between February and May of 2018, I...
Aug 24, 20212 minDear Jess...Dear Jess, I have entered a mystical and wonderful time writing machine in order to reach you exactly 10 years ago. I know things are...
Aug 24, 20212 minDear Sam....Everyone said we had so much ahead of us, that we had so much potential to be anyone we wanted to be. And yet we still felt like we were...
Aug 24, 20211 minDear Kristi....Dear Kristi, I know you are in pain and very scared. I know the excruciating headaches, debilitating vertigo and not knowing when it...
Aug 16, 20212 minDear Jasan...Dear Self, Hey you, I know you are going through a lot right now but I just need you to hear this. From starting off the year totaling...
Aug 15, 20211 minThe Soul TestI am VOA. Have you ever taken a personality test? I took one called a “soul” test one time and found out: I’m a Server, a person who...
Aug 15, 20211 minWindow of OpportunityI am VOA. I had a window when I first started, over in the Broadway building. When I interviewed at VOA, I was so nervous. I had to start...