Work Opportunities

06/06/2026

Sharing for our friends at Northwest Yarns & Mercantile, longtime employer partners of Work Opportunities.

For years, they’ve helped create opportunities for people with disabilities in our community. Kira has been building independence there since 2022, and Sunny’s employment there has helped pave the way toward living on her own and pursuing even bigger goals.

Like many small businesses near the border, Northwest Yarns has been feeling the effects of tariffs and reduced Canadian visitor traffic. If you’re looking for a way to support a local business that truly invests in people, we’d love for you to check them out. ❤️

We wanted to share a quick update and another giant thank you for all of the absolutely amazing support you have been showing us over the past month. Between your donations (www.gofundme.com/f/support-northwest-yarns-mercantile), your shopping, and all the sharing you've done on our behalf, you've helped put us in a much stronger position than we were when we first launched this fundraiser.

So many of you have stepped up so far to help, and we are incredibly grateful.

We also want to let you all know how much your shopping has meant to us. Donations have been and continue to be an amazing help, but the continued support of our customers is what allows a small business like ours to keep going for the long haul. Every skein of yarn, every loom, every spinning wheel, every event registration, and every online order helps us continue to be here for you and the rest of our community.

If you've been thinking about making a purchase, stopping by the shop, or recommending us to a fellow maker, we would be so very grateful. Supporting local businesses really does make a difference, and you've reminded us of that every day since we shared our story.

Thank you for helping us keep Northwest Yarns & Mercantile going. We're feeling optimistic that we can make it through, and that's because of all of you.

If you would like to support our GoFundMe or shop with us, please see the links below! And of course, please come and visit us and hang out for a while at our shop in downtown Bellingham, WA. We love you all, thank you!

06/03/2026

The gala may be over… but we know your camera roll is FULL 😄📸

Did you take photos during our 24th Annual Gala Dinner & Auction?

We’d love for you to add them to our shared event album! Guests uploaded photos live throughout the evening, and we would love to keep collecting all the magical moments.

✨ Selfies
✨ Table photos
✨ Stage moments
✨ Jim Dever & Saint Bryan
✨ The magician in action
✨ Celebrations, laughter, community & joy

Upload your favorites and view others here (link in comments also):
--> app.kululu.com/oy7gu4

Thank you for helping us capture the magic of community

05/31/2026

We love the Magic of our Community and we love having Jeff share his Magic at our gala!

05/31/2026

Last night reminded us exactly why community matters.

We’ve heard so much amazing feedback from guests, and one message in particular truly stood out.

We just heard feedback from the event interpreters who were seated with Marissa. Here is what they wanted to share:

“𝙎𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚… 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣.

𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 2 𝙟𝙤𝙗 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙙𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩?!

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙒𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙊𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩.”

Two job offers.
Live at the gala.

That’s what happens when barriers come down, stories are heard, and people are given the opportunity to shine.

Thank you to every donor, sponsor, volunteer, guest, staff member, board member, employer, bidder, and supporter who helped make the magic happen at our 24th Annual Gala Dinner & Auction. You are changing lives in real time. ✨

🎥See the moment that changed everything (link in the first comment too):

http://bit.ly/4nWkppg



Seattle Jaycees Heritage Bank MOUNTAIN PACIFIC BANK McLeod Construction Tulalip Resort Casino JLL Kidder Mathews Tilco-Vanguard Pacific Pile & Marine Wexler Properties Fogo de Chão Brazilian Steakhouse

05/29/2026

Here we are!! 🎉✨

The setup chaos has officially begun at the Lynnwood Event Center and honestly… we’re having a blast. Auction tables are coming together, décor is going up, and this room soon will be filled with an incredible community showing up for inclusive employment and opportunity. 💜

There’s just something exciting about watching months of planning suddenly come to life.

The Magic of Community starts tomorrow! ✨

05/28/2026

⚾️🇨🇦 One of our biggest Live Auction packages just got EVEN bigger…

As if watching the Seattle Mariners take on the Toronto Blue Jays from your hotel room inside the stadium wasn’t already incredible… this unforgettable getaway now includes TWO additional nights in Toronto at the beautiful RIU Hotels and Resorts before your August 30 stadium stay!

Package now includes:
✨ Aug. 28 & 29 —Riu Plaza Toronto stay
⚾️ Aug. 30 — Overnight stay at the iconic Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel overlooking the ballpark while the Mariners play the Blue Jays
💰 $150 dining credit for snacks and beverages in your room during the game

Honestly… this one is going to get competitive 👀

05/26/2026

✨ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫/𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟓 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝟓 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭?

A night where wallets mysteriously open for a great cause. 😉

We’re lucky to once again welcome:

🎩 Jeff Evans
🎤 Jim Dever
☀️ Saint Bryan

to our 24th Annual Gala, Dinner, & Auction: The Magic of Community.

And honestly? The real magic is what happens when a community comes together to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃. ✨

--> workopgala.org

05/23/2026

Not all heroes wear capes.

Some fill up SUVs with wine. 🍷🤣

Huge thanks to Tinte Cellars Winery for donating wine for all of our gala guest tables and helping make the evening extra special for our guests, sponsors, and supporters.

Partnerships like this are about so much more than what’s in the glass. They help create a night where our community comes together to celebrate inclusion, opportunity, and meaningful employment for people with disabilities.

We’re incredibly grateful to have community partners who continue to show up in such generous ways.

Thank you, Tinte Cellars!

05/22/2026

Somewhere in this bin are:

✨ dream vacations
🍷 amazing wine
⚾ unforgettable experiences
🐮 at least one calf cuddle

But every catalog really tells a bigger story.

A story about community.
Opportunity.
Belonging.

And people showing up for one another in a big way.

One week from now, these catalogs will be in the hands of 350 people helping create employment opportunities for adults with disabilities.

That’s the real magic. ✨

—> workopgala.org
24th Annual Gala, Dinner, & Auction: The Magic of Community