Rep. Smith Tours Mapu Maia Clinic After Submitting Community Project Funding Request for UTOPIA Washington
May 25, 2022
SEATTLE, WA – Today Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) toured UTOPIA Washington’s Mapu Maia Clinic in Kent, Washington after he submitted a Community Project Funding request on their behalf. The $500,000 request was submitted to the House Committee on Appropriations for consideration in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill to help UTOPIA expand the Mapu Maia Clinic.
“Today, I had the opportunity to see firsthand the critically important work being done at the Mapu Maia Clinic to expand access to health care services in Kent, especially for LBGTQIA+ community members. UTOPIA’s culturally relevant prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery support, and transgender and gender-diverse health care services are making a real difference in addressing the lack of health care services available to many people Washington’s Ninth District,” said Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.). “UTOPIA is dedicated to serving members of the Pacific Islander and broader LGBTQIA+ community who face significant health disparities and cultural barriers to accessing quality health care. The funding I requested will build on this crucial work and expand the reach of the clinic’s services. I am proud to support UTOPIA through the FY23 appropriations process and I look forward to our work together as their impact continues to grow in Washington State.”
“We are thankful to Congressman Adam Smith and his hard-working team for recognizing and uplifting the work that UTOPIA Washington is doing with our Mapu Maia Clinic,” said Taffy Johnson, UTOPIA WA Executive Director. “With this support and allyship, our clinic can and will help to address the lack of awareness and education around transgender and gender-diverse health care needs and provide healthcare resources and services to our broader LGBTQIA+ community members.”
Find more information about the FY23 Community Project Funding requests, including project descriptions, here.