The Rotary Club of West Seattle‘s weekly Tuesday lunch meeting at Salty’s on Alki drew about double the usual crowd as Rotarians celebrated the “Partners for Work” service program, which helps developmentally disabled people prepare for and secure employment. It’s not just a West Seattle Rotary program – it’s implemented throughout their regional District (5030), so those who were on hand included visitors from all around King County. And county government was represented too; as seen in our video clip (along with remarks from areawide Rotary leaders), County Executive Dow Constantine – a longtime WS Rotary member – received an award for his support of similar employment programs. A bit of the current political climate sparked in his brief speech; you’ll hear him criticize proposed state cuts that would mean less support for people with developmental disabilities. So far, the Rotary program has created 13 jobs – in a group that they say has up to 80 percent unemployment – but even more important, it was noted, “We have educated hundreds about the dignity of work.” They have set a goal of creating 20 jobs districtwide per year. You can find out more about Partners for Work here.