This year, King County voters have the choice to renew and expand the county’s Veterans, Seniors and Human Services Levy, which has provided vital support to King County residents since it was first approved 12 years ago. If passed, the expanded levy would raise $350 million over six years to build on successful programs for veterans, support vulnerable individuals and their families and provide services for seniors and their caregivers, at a cost of $3.75 a month for the typical King County homeowner.

The King County Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy needs to be renewed now. It was first approved in 2005 and renewed in 2011 at 5 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value. But our present economy makes a doubling of this meager funding to 10 cents per $1,000 cost-effective and reasonable. This enhanced funding will increase money for senior services throughout King County, such as Vashon Senior Center.

This fund has enjoyed a great success recently. According to King County, 35,000 people have been served every year since 2012. More than 650 affordable housing units were built with funding from this current levy, and 15,000 hours of counseling was provided to vets and their families. In 2016, 128 vets received training and job placement, increasing their household incomes by an average of $27,963 annually. The levy fund saved $7 million by stabilizing an average of 780 clients per year. This reduced their emergency medical and criminal justice involvement and avoided costly crisis services. Three thousand veterans and those in vulnerable populations were identified and connected to housing, health care and employment resources by levy-funded outreach programs.

On Vashon, Nancy Vanderpool, who works tirelessly on behalf of the island’s homeless population through The Interfaith Council to Prevent Homelessness, said the organization finds it helpful to partner with veterans and social services when working on housing, services and advocacy for seniors and veterans.

“Housing has become scarce and expensive on Vashon Island so it takes many to solve and keep housing,” she said.

Our culture is highly competitive and individualistic, and the fortunate people who can deal with trauma and negative situations thrive. Yet, there are those folks who, for a variety of reasons, are not very good at managing well-ordered lives. They trip over the trauma induced by the bad politics we call war. In the Hollywood version of violence, little is made of its often accompanying trauma, but PTSD conditions are very real results of sudden violence, as well as sexual assault. Mental disorders can totally or partially obscure good judgment. People with these conditions often find themselves in a shadow-land reality. Yet, if we are a society that can be graded on our humanness, it will be by the way we extend help and dignity to these people who are in less fortunate circumstances.

And, yes, there are seniors. Our Vashon Senior Center provides added social life for many seniors on Vashon. A chance to add insight to a free-wheeling conversation or enjoy a comfortable meeting space or programs, coffee, tea or lunch brings real joy to many. The Vashon Senior Center could also use the help of VSHL program funding, particularly since United Way of King County withdrew funding for senior centers throughout the county.

Besides offering educational and social activities, Vashon Senior Center coordinates services for elders at home. For those in need, Neighbor-to-Neighbor volunteers might help with household chores, grocery shopping or transportation, and Bluebird drivers can provide door-to-door transportation to off-island medical appointments. Meals-on-Wheels works out of the center, delivering frozen meals to our island neighbors. These programs are designed to help people maintain their independence and age comfortably at home, which most people say they prefer to do.

As a person who has felt the drag of all three of the social dilemmas that this levy addresses, I urge you to prop up your compassion for others and make our community better by voting for the King County Veterans, Seniors and Human Services levy — listed as King County Proposition 1. Do not confuse it with the local fire department Prop. 1. With this levy, you get a lot for your 10 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value.

— John Dunn is a Vietnam veteran and a Vashon Senior Center board member.