Stand Up Federal Way non-connected
political action committee (PAC)
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New legislative records, candidate information, and community data are added regularly as research is completed.
Our story.
Stand Up Federal Way began with a simple question:
What can ordinary residents do to make a difference?
In early 2021, many of us found ourselves having the same conversations—with our neighbors, on Facebook, and during City Council meetings. We were seeing more shoplifting, theft from homes and businesses, illegal dumping, discarded needles, trespassing, expanding encampments, and other public safety concerns. We worried about the impact these issues were having on neighborhoods, businesses, parks, schools, and the overall quality of life in Federal Way.
Rather than simply talking about the problems, we decided to become part of the solution.
Our first priority was restoring areas that had already been cleared. Many of the encampments we cleaned had been vacated following law enforcement action, leaving behind large amounts of garbage, used needles, abandoned shopping carts, bicycles, propane tanks, and other debris. Volunteers spent hundreds of hours cleaning parks, neighborhoods, private property, trails, and wetlands throughout Federal Way.
As we explored additional encampments, we occasionally encountered people who were still living there. Instead of simply cleaning up and leaving, we stopped to listen. We talked with people about their experiences and offered information about shelters, treatment programs, and recovery resources.
One issue quickly became apparent. Shopping carts from local businesses routinely ended up in encampments, creating a burden for businesses, property owners, and taxpayers. We worked with local leaders to advocate for a shopping cart ordinance that would help businesses recover stolen carts and reduce their accumulation throughout the community.
Our cleanup efforts also exposed another growing concern. Volunteers regularly collected discarded syringes from parks, neighborhoods, private property, trails, and wetlands. We became concerned about the risks these posed to children, families, pets, maintenance workers, and the environment. Based on what we were seeing firsthand, we advocated for policies that emphasized recovery, treatment, and safe disposal while reducing hazardous waste in public spaces.
Our conversations in the encampments changed our perspective.
We learned that many of the people we met had come to Federal Way from other cities and counties, and some from elsewhere in Washington. Every person's story was different, but addiction was a common challenge among many of those we spoke with. We regularly offered information about treatment programs, shelters, and recovery resources. While some people accepted help, many were not interested in the services available at that time. Those experiences reinforced our belief that lasting solutions require more than offering services alone—they also require effective recovery options, accountability, and addressing the underlying causes of chronic addiction.
During this time, we met David Zumwalt, a recovered addict who has dedicated his life to helping others find recovery. David helped us better understand the physical and psychological grip addiction has on people and the difficult path toward lasting recovery. His perspective reinforced our belief that meaningful recovery often requires accountability, treatment, and long-term support.
In the spring of 2021, Stand Up Federal Way was officially founded.
As our work expanded, some of our members served on committees and workgroups with the City of Federal Way and King County. These opportunities allowed us to share what we were seeing firsthand while working alongside public officials, service providers, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.
We also developed a strategy to help property owners address recurring encampments. We encouraged property owners to establish trespass agreements with the Federal Way Police Department, cleaned properties free of charge, monitored them for repeat trespassing, and continued offering recovery resources to anyone ready to seek treatment.
Then we encountered something we had not expected.
Several property owners told us they had already heard of Stand Up Federal Way—but they had also been advised not to work with us.
Until then, we had intentionally stayed out of politics. Our goal had simply been to solve problems in our community. That experience convinced us that many of the issues we were seeing were also influenced by public policy. We realized that lasting change would require engagement not only through volunteer service but also through civic participation and public policy.
As our work continued, our concerns expanded.
We became increasingly concerned about youth violence, repeated shootings in our community, and serious incidents affecting neighborhoods, schools, and families. We watched juvenile justice policies change, including expanded diversion programs and plans to close the county's juvenile detention facility. We support helping young people succeed, but we also believe communities deserve transparency, accountability, measurable outcomes, and opportunities to evaluate whether programs are achieving their intended goals.
We also became concerned about what we were seeing in our schools. Reports of violence became more common, fentanyl was being used in school bathrooms, firearms were periodically recovered on school campuses, and gang-related activity affected students and families.
As we looked more closely at public safety information, we realized understanding these issues was more complicated than we expected. Different agencies collected and reported information differently, making it difficult for residents to see the complete picture.
When our firsthand experiences were questioned or dismissed, we decided to let the data speak for itself. We began gathering public records, police reports, court records, legislation, audits, budgets, and agency reports to better understand what was happening and share that information with the community. Our goal was never to win an argument—it was to replace speculation with facts, encourage informed discussion, and help residents evaluate the information for themselves.
Although our members come from many different backgrounds, there is a common thread that connects us.
Some members are in recovery. Others have lost family members or close friends to addiction. Some continue supporting loved ones who are still struggling. Others have lived or owned businesses in neighborhoods where they experienced the impacts of concentrated encampments, public drug use, property crime, or chronic disorder. Many bring professional experience in education, healthcare, public safety, business, government, engineering, finance, data analysis, or community service. Each member contributes unique skills, experiences, and perspectives.
We do not all agree on every issue, nor do we all belong to the same political party. What unites us is our commitment to the Stand Up Federal Way policy priorities and our shared goal of making Federal Way a safer, healthier, and more prosperous community.
Today, Stand Up Federal Way continues to bring residents together, analyze public records and data, educate the community, collaborate with public agencies, advocate for practical policy solutions, and volunteer throughout our city. We believe lasting change happens when informed citizens roll up their sleeves, work together, and remain committed to strengthening the community they call home.
What can ordinary residents do to make a difference?
In early 2021, many of us found ourselves having the same conversations—with our neighbors, on Facebook, and during City Council meetings. We were seeing more shoplifting, theft from homes and businesses, illegal dumping, discarded needles, trespassing, expanding encampments, and other public safety concerns. We worried about the impact these issues were having on neighborhoods, businesses, parks, schools, and the overall quality of life in Federal Way.
Rather than simply talking about the problems, we decided to become part of the solution.
Our first priority was restoring areas that had already been cleared. Many of the encampments we cleaned had been vacated following law enforcement action, leaving behind large amounts of garbage, used needles, abandoned shopping carts, bicycles, propane tanks, and other debris. Volunteers spent hundreds of hours cleaning parks, neighborhoods, private property, trails, and wetlands throughout Federal Way.
As we explored additional encampments, we occasionally encountered people who were still living there. Instead of simply cleaning up and leaving, we stopped to listen. We talked with people about their experiences and offered information about shelters, treatment programs, and recovery resources.
One issue quickly became apparent. Shopping carts from local businesses routinely ended up in encampments, creating a burden for businesses, property owners, and taxpayers. We worked with local leaders to advocate for a shopping cart ordinance that would help businesses recover stolen carts and reduce their accumulation throughout the community.
Our cleanup efforts also exposed another growing concern. Volunteers regularly collected discarded syringes from parks, neighborhoods, private property, trails, and wetlands. We became concerned about the risks these posed to children, families, pets, maintenance workers, and the environment. Based on what we were seeing firsthand, we advocated for policies that emphasized recovery, treatment, and safe disposal while reducing hazardous waste in public spaces.
Our conversations in the encampments changed our perspective.
We learned that many of the people we met had come to Federal Way from other cities and counties, and some from elsewhere in Washington. Every person's story was different, but addiction was a common challenge among many of those we spoke with. We regularly offered information about treatment programs, shelters, and recovery resources. While some people accepted help, many were not interested in the services available at that time. Those experiences reinforced our belief that lasting solutions require more than offering services alone—they also require effective recovery options, accountability, and addressing the underlying causes of chronic addiction.
During this time, we met David Zumwalt, a recovered addict who has dedicated his life to helping others find recovery. David helped us better understand the physical and psychological grip addiction has on people and the difficult path toward lasting recovery. His perspective reinforced our belief that meaningful recovery often requires accountability, treatment, and long-term support.
In the spring of 2021, Stand Up Federal Way was officially founded.
As our work expanded, some of our members served on committees and workgroups with the City of Federal Way and King County. These opportunities allowed us to share what we were seeing firsthand while working alongside public officials, service providers, law enforcement, and community stakeholders.
We also developed a strategy to help property owners address recurring encampments. We encouraged property owners to establish trespass agreements with the Federal Way Police Department, cleaned properties free of charge, monitored them for repeat trespassing, and continued offering recovery resources to anyone ready to seek treatment.
Then we encountered something we had not expected.
Several property owners told us they had already heard of Stand Up Federal Way—but they had also been advised not to work with us.
Until then, we had intentionally stayed out of politics. Our goal had simply been to solve problems in our community. That experience convinced us that many of the issues we were seeing were also influenced by public policy. We realized that lasting change would require engagement not only through volunteer service but also through civic participation and public policy.
As our work continued, our concerns expanded.
We became increasingly concerned about youth violence, repeated shootings in our community, and serious incidents affecting neighborhoods, schools, and families. We watched juvenile justice policies change, including expanded diversion programs and plans to close the county's juvenile detention facility. We support helping young people succeed, but we also believe communities deserve transparency, accountability, measurable outcomes, and opportunities to evaluate whether programs are achieving their intended goals.
We also became concerned about what we were seeing in our schools. Reports of violence became more common, fentanyl was being used in school bathrooms, firearms were periodically recovered on school campuses, and gang-related activity affected students and families.
As we looked more closely at public safety information, we realized understanding these issues was more complicated than we expected. Different agencies collected and reported information differently, making it difficult for residents to see the complete picture.
When our firsthand experiences were questioned or dismissed, we decided to let the data speak for itself. We began gathering public records, police reports, court records, legislation, audits, budgets, and agency reports to better understand what was happening and share that information with the community. Our goal was never to win an argument—it was to replace speculation with facts, encourage informed discussion, and help residents evaluate the information for themselves.
Although our members come from many different backgrounds, there is a common thread that connects us.
Some members are in recovery. Others have lost family members or close friends to addiction. Some continue supporting loved ones who are still struggling. Others have lived or owned businesses in neighborhoods where they experienced the impacts of concentrated encampments, public drug use, property crime, or chronic disorder. Many bring professional experience in education, healthcare, public safety, business, government, engineering, finance, data analysis, or community service. Each member contributes unique skills, experiences, and perspectives.
We do not all agree on every issue, nor do we all belong to the same political party. What unites us is our commitment to the Stand Up Federal Way policy priorities and our shared goal of making Federal Way a safer, healthier, and more prosperous community.
Today, Stand Up Federal Way continues to bring residents together, analyze public records and data, educate the community, collaborate with public agencies, advocate for practical policy solutions, and volunteer throughout our city. We believe lasting change happens when informed citizens roll up their sleeves, work together, and remain committed to strengthening the community they call home.
