Our Mission

Support people with disabilities and low incomes to realize their purpose, potential, and strength

Our Organizational Vision

An equitable, inclusive community committed to stability and fulfillment.

Cares of Washington’s History

• Cares of Washington has been providing support for people with low incomes and disabilities for over 40 years. The organization was first established in 1980 in Seattle as the International A of Machinists Center for Administrating Rehabilitation and Employment Services or “IAM CARES”.  The original charter was to return injured Boeing Machinists to work.  When the national IAM CARES organization closed in 2003, the Puget Sound office of IAM CARES reorganized with the new name ‘Cares of Washington’ and officially became an independent 501c3 WA State nonprofit with a broader mission, a more diverse funding platform and with a strong base of employers and job placement resources.  We provide services in Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap Counties today. Currently Cares operates a variety of job placement, career readiness, pre-employment programs serving over 600 people annually.

What Cares of Washington does:

Area Served: King County.

Organizational Impact:

• Individuals served since 2003: 12,000+  
• 7,800+ people, over 65% of all clients had incomes below 30% of the AMI
• Individuals with disabilities: 8,000+ (70% of total impact)
• Individuals without disabilities: 4,000+ (30% of total impact)
• 67% placement rate of all job development clients
• 73% retention rate of all employee clients.  
• 82% of all clients achieved 1 desired outcome, i.e. better paying job, health benefits, degree, etc?

Demographics:

• Cares has worked with over 7,000 women through the last 21 years. This is over 60% of the organization's total  
• There have been 5,000+ men (40%) impacted by the services Cares provides to the community.

The main objective of Cares of Washington services is:

Assisting adults with low incomes and/or disabilities in becoming self-sufficient and reach their career/life goals.

Providing coaching services to people participating in skill building training, college programs.