Groundswell Gala - Solid Ground

Thanks to all who made our annual Gala a such a success – and a super fun time. Let’s keep the momentum going!

Catch a glimpse of the groundswell!

On May 15, the Solid Ground community came together in a groundswell of love, community, and a shared commitment to lift up and cherish our neighbors. Check out some scenes from this year’s event, a joyful night of live music, food, dancing, storytelling, and generosity.

Gala Photo Gallery

Justin’s Journey to Housing Stability

In this powerful video, Justin Garrett shares how he’s overcoming unimaginable loss to rebuild his life with his children. He’s now giving back to his community to help others with similar struggles. “There’s change out there,” he says, “and there’s hope.”

Gala Participants

Carla Costa-Perales is Executive Vice President and Chief Impact Officer at BECU, the nation’s fourth-largest credit union. With 20+ years of leadership experience, she oversees communications, social impact, government relations, and equity initiatives. Carla previously held senior roles at Kaiser Permanente Washington, PATH, and the International Rescue Committee, and she founded Highway Twenty. She also teaches at the University of Washington and has served in advisory roles with global and regional organizations.

Sasha Summer Cousineau is a fundraising auctioneer, emcee, and event planning consultant based in Seattle, WA. Sasha lives her “Occupassion” every time she gets to serve local nonprofits and educational institutions. It’s her joy to be the storyteller for her clients’ missions, values, and impacts. Sasha is thrilled to serve as your fundraising host this evening and thanks you for your generous support of Solid Ground.

Justin Garrett is a devoted father of two, Jayme, 5, and Crimson, 3. He overcame addiction and homelessness to reunite his family and now works to empower others by sharing his story with his church and recovery communities. When not chasing Crimson around their Yesler Terrace apartment, his passions include making art, hiking, and collecting rocks from around the Pacific Northwest.

Shalimar Gonzales has served as Chief Executive Officer of Solid Ground since January 2021, bringing with her a down-to-earth charisma grounded in rigorous leadership development.

She leads Solid Ground with a clear philosophy: placing community at the absolute center of everything the organization does – and bringing fierce ambition, compassion, and determination to the enduring work of dismantling the root causes of poverty.

Before stepping into the CEO role, Shalimar spent over 17 years building her career within the YMCA system working at national, local, and international levels.

She currently serves on boards fighting poverty across our state, including the Washington State Community Action Partnership and Community Roots Housing.

Amanuel Woldemedhen is a sophomore at the University of Washington, pursuing a double major in Finance and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Real Estate. A resident of Solid Ground’s Sand Point Housing, Amanuel is passionate about building a future in business. Outside of school, he enjoys watching football and working out, going on road trips with friends, and exploring the Pacific Northwest.

Musicians

Goody Bagg, founded in 2004 by four young Seattle musicians, combines jazz, blues, R&B, funk, rock, hip hop, and reggae to shape their unique sound, which includes both original music and popular covers.

The band has been recognized with both the King County Executive’s Award for Excellence in Hip Hop and the New England Urban Music Award for best jazz single (for “Little Giants”), demonstrating their unique ability to resonate with audiences of all kinds.