Come-Unity Solutions Magazine

One year in review, out of immense loss came incredible purpose. Gabriels Challenge is creating something special. Gratitude is the remedy for grief. We are incredibly grateful for KREM 2 News and Tim Pham

Spokane mother turns grief into action after son's fentanyl overdose One year after losing her son to a fentanyl overdose, a Spokane mother is turning grief into action through a resource center aimed at helping young people.

Exciting News!

Our magazine will be back this fall.

JUNETEENTH IN SPOKANE
This week, we honor freedom, celebrate community, and remember those who never got the chance to.

🖤 June 19 – Celebration at Grant Park, 12–4 PM
🗣️ Fireside Chat with Cliff Avril at Gonzaga, 6–8:30 PM
🏆 June 20 – Pillar Awards at The Fox, 6 PM social, 7 PM show

Juneteenth isn’t just Black history. It’s American history. And freedom was never meant to be celebrated apart. So let’s show up — together.

Special thanks for everyone who came out to support the closing celebration of Gabriels Challenge and elected officials who are represented to include representatives of Michael Baumgartner’s office the fifth congressional districts, House of Representatives, the city Council president of Spokane Betsy Wilkerson, municipal court judge Gloria Ochoa Burke. We appreciate all of the people in our community  of all ages, who came out to support the community response against fentanyl.

Tonight is the final Community Mapping Meeting of Gabriel’s 36-Day Challenge.

You don’t always get access like this — leaders from major healthcare plans and provider networks will be in the room, ready to answer your questions and help you understand what’s available for individuals and families seeking real support.

📍 Location: Spokane City Council Chambers
🕠 Doors Open: 5:30 PM
⏰ Meeting Time: 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM sharp
📬 Need help or questions? Email: [email protected]
🏛️ Address: 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd, City Hall Chambers

Show up. Ask the hard questions. Be part of the solution.

Tonight at city Council chamber starting at 5:30 in the city Spokane. Don’t miss it. Our community can make a response against fentanyl, but it starts with education. You must understand the problem to solve it.

Thank you, Yakima Herald and Spokesman Review, for sharing the story of Gabriel’s Challenge.

My prayer is that every city says yes. Because when the COME – UNITY Care Collaborative rises up, healing is no longer just possible—it’s personal.

The City of Medical Lake has already taken the challenge, with full support from their mayor and city council. That’s what it looks like when a city puts people first.

Shut it down.
We’re all on our phones too much—our kids especially. While we scroll, they’re being fed poison. Music that glorifies drug use. Social media trends that encourage danger, violence, even setting laptops on fire. It’s not harmless—it’s heartbreaking. Let’s shut the screens and show up in real life.

Show up.
Be visible. Engage in real life. Walk your block. Say hello. Let people know they’re not invisible. Whether it’s downtown or on your street, presence disrupts isolation. Presence changes atmosphere.

Collaborate
Join a mapping session—or start one. Talk to others. Learn what resources are available in your community and what’s missing. From crisis to recovery and aftercare, we can’t fill the gaps if we don’t name and identify them.
No personal or organization has all the answers alone, but when we come together, we can create a collaborative community response against fentanyl. This would include multiple strategies including those upstream before addiction and obituaries.

Gabriel wrote the COME – UNITY Care Collaborative six months before he died. A 66-page plan. His heart on paper. His last will and testament, really. A timely blueprint for today, born in pain but filled with purpose.

He believed if the community would care, God would do the rest.

Now it’s our turn.

Let’s build what he dreamed—together.

Lots of Executive orders are going out and here’s what it means for students in Washington state and our community. The Washington state superintendent decided to push back and here is what it means.

Federal DEI Funding Cuts: What’s Happening in Schools?

The federal government has started pulling funding from school districts that continue Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Recently, some San Diego schools lost nearly $1 million in federal grants over DEI initiatives.

In Washington State, education leaders are pushing back. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal has told schools not to change their DEI policies despite federal warnings. Washington could face federal funding cuts, but the state may step in to replace lost funds, or even take the issue to court.

This isn’t the first time states and the federal government have clashed over education funding:

✅ Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – The federal government forced states to desegregate schools despite resistance.

✅ No Child Left Behind vs. Utah (2005) – Utah rejected federal testing mandates, risking millions in funding but ultimately negotiated flexibility.

✅ Common Core (2010s) – Some states refused to adopt national standards, losing federal incentives but keeping control of their curriculum.

If federal funding were eliminated from Washington State public schools, the financial impact per student would be...As of the 2021-22 school year, federal contributions accounted for approximately 12.4% of public school funding in the state, equating to about $2,512 per student.  Without this federal support, each student would effectively lose this amount in educational funding.

What happens next? If Washington stands firm on DEI, it may need to cover lost federal dollars or fight back legally. The Federal Supreme courts could play a key role in deciding who has the final say on education policies.