'Advocate Catherine Carlile, wife of Grammy-winning rock musician Brandi Carlile, was awarded the Martin Luther King Medal of Distinguished Service on Tuesday at the King County Courthouse for her work supporting social justice efforts in Washington and across the globe.  King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer, whose district includes Federal Way, Auburn and Algona, led the annual ceremony, which recognizes residents whose acts of community service honor King’s legacy. Catherine Carlile is the executive director of the Looking Out Foundation, a humanitarian nonprofit that aims to highlight “the impact of music by empowering those without a voice.” She is one of nine people awarded with the 2023 MLK Medal of Distinguished Service. Additional awardees include former state representative and former King County councilmember Louise Miller and Robert De Los Angeles, chairman of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. The remaining six recipients’ names will be announced next week. Catherine Carlile, who attended the event with her wife and their daughters, Evangeline and Elijah, said she often shies away from the limelight but is proud to be the county’s 2023 awardee.  “It’s so humbling,” Catherine Carlile told The Seattle Times. “It’s Pride month, so it means even more that I would be honored in June.”  Brandi Carlile echoed that Catherine Carlile doesn’t like attention, but she said the award is a testament to her wife’s hard work.  “As an artist living in rock ‘n’ roll time zones, she lives a different lifestyle than I do,” Brandi Carlile said. “This is her passion, and this is the direction that her heart takes her in.”  “It’s both funny and just that she should be forced to be proud of herself on Pride month,” she added while laughing alongside her wife after the ceremony.  The Looking Out Foundation has raised more than $6 million for social justice and humanitarian causes locally and across the globe. Some of the foundation’s most recent campaigns include raising $300,000 in one week for Syrian and Turkish earthquake survivors and $500,000 for LGBTQ+ communities as part of Nashville’s Love Rising benefit.  Catherine Carlile, who is originally from the United Kingdom, and Brandi Carlile have been married since 2012 and live in South King County.'

The musician and her wife are honored amongst PEOPLE's 2023 Women Changing the World for their work with their Looking Out Foundation

Brandi Carlile’s Fight for Peace and Love:  Click to watch the Rolling Stone interview with Catherine and Brandi Carlile    

  You might wonder how a critically acclaimed but relatively unknown singer-songwriter recruited Adele, Pearl Jam and Dolly Parton to cover her songs for a benefit album. 

Pearl Jam, Adele, Dolly Parton, Jim James and more have put their stamp on songs from Brandi Carlile's 'The Story' for an all-star charity tribute album. 

Israel-Gaza Attacks: Our Response DONATIONS The escalation of abhorrent violence across Israel and Gaza in recent days has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. After careful vetting, we have selected two organizations that need our support. We will be sending $100,000 to the New Israel Fund and the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA). NEW ISRAEL FUND The US-based New Israel Fund (NIF) supports organizations in Israel advocating for the advancement of democracy, gender equality, anti-racism, religious freedom, human rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and more. They are providing emergency assistance in Israel now through basic care for the most vulnerable groups, combating violent speech and incitement online, preventing inter-communal violence in mixed cities and trauma support. MIDDLE EAST CHILDREN'S ALLIANCE (MECA) MECA, a Palestinian refugee-led nonprofit, supports children and families in Palestine, Iraq, and Lebanon with humanitarian aid like clean water, trauma therapy, food and medical supplies. With a focus on empowering women and helping children and refugees during conflicts, MECA, along with local partners, is in Gaza now providing urgent support. The Looking Out Foundation was founded in 2008 by Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth. Since then, LOF has donated over $6 million to social justice and humanitarian causes across the US and globally. Catherine Carlile is our Executive Director. OTHER RESOURCES Visit linktr.ee/lookingoutfoundation for other ways to support and to learn more. If you are feeling increased anxiety, grief and shock due to the recent devastation, text share to 741741 to connect to a live volunteer crisis counsellor @crisistextline  

  CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW Over the past year alone, the Looking Out Foundation has successfully allocated over $500,000 to disaster relief efforts, providing essential support to victims across various regions. As we continue to expand our efforts, we are launching a dedicated Disaster Relief Fund to better serve communities in crisis.   Why Support the Looking Out Foundation? Proven Impact: Our track record shows a dedicated focus on utilizing funds where they are needed most, with over half a million dollars already facilitating relief and recovery efforts in disaster-stricken areas and many millions more dedicated to national and international humanitarian issues. Efficient Resource Allocation: Our established networks and partnerships allow for swift and efficient resource allocation, ensuring help reaches those in need promptly. Your generous contributions to the Disaster Relief Fund will be channeled to: Emergency Response: Immediate provision of essential goods and services including food, water, and shelter to affected communities as well as recovery efforts. Infrastructure Rebuilding: Facilitating the rebuilding of critical infrastructure such as homes, schools, and healthcare facilities to help communities regain stability post-disaster. Community Empowerment: Supporting educational and skill development initiatives to help individuals rebuild their lives and foster community resilience. Mental Health Support: Providing necessary mental health services to individuals affected by disasters, including aid workers. Your support will enable us to continue our mission of providing timely and essential assistance to disaster victims and ultimately, helping to make music mean more.   CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW

  June marks an extraordinary day in the LOF calendar! It is, of course, Pride Month - a time of celebration, reflection, protest and so much more for LGBTQIA+ communities worldwide. 🏳️‍🌈 Since last year's Pride month, your incredibly generous donations have allowed us to contribute over $700,000 to organizations that focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ causes throughout the country. As we honor love in all its beautiful forms, we remain acutely aware of the ongoing struggles faced by our communities worldwide. Your donations have helped with healthcare, housing, advocacy, legal fees, community development and so much more. At LOF, we strive to create a brighter future for our queer sisters and brothers, and with your support, we are turning that vision into reality! 🌍❤️ But that's not all! June also marks momentous occasion as we celebrate the birthday of our phenomenal founder, Brandi Carlile. Brandi serves as a constant source of inspiration and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Happy birthday, Brandi! You are an absolute treasure to each and every one of us! 🎉 Let’s celebrate Pride and Brandi’s birthday together! In honor of her 42 years, we’re asking you to donate $42, which we will then double and distribute to The Trevor Project. Whatever amount you are able to give, we - and the LGBTQIA+ communities we want to serve - truly appreciate your support! CLICK HERE TO DONATE Together, we are making music mean more 🌈

  We are delighted to announce a very important element to Brandi Carlile's inaugural Mothership weekend: the Action Village is an area we are curating at the heart of the festival that will spotlight LGBTQ+ rights, global maternal health and reproductive rights.  The Action Village will be interactive, informative and fun - and it’s also a place to go to find out how you can help support these issues after the Mothership has departed! We are partnering with five incredible organizations to raise funds for their vital work across Florida state - please give what you can to support them all and click on the graphics to visit their websites to find out more. We'll be sharing more across our social media over the coming weeks - stay tuned! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHO THEY ARE AND DONATE!    

  We wanted to update you on some overwhelming news regarding the Looking Out Foundation’s Turkey & Syria Earthquake Appeal. Click on the video to find out the total amount raised in the last 7 days! This money has already been shared with The White Helmets in Syria and AKUT Search and Rescue in Turkey. We are filled with gratitude that you all came together in such empathy and love for your fellow human beings. We are very proud to be part of this community. Thank you so much for making music mean more. Brandi & Catherine

“This is an emergency within an emergency.” CLICK HERE TO DONATE At the time of writing, more than 11,000  people have died and many thousands are injured across Turkey and Syria, following yesterday's devastating earthquake that struck the heart of the world’s largest refugee population. There are warnings that the number of deaths could exceed 20,000. Freezing temperatures and aftershocks are hampering rescue efforts and countless numbers of people are now homeless, adding to the millions already displaced due to the ongoing Syrian conflict. This is critical. Time is of the essence to find remaining survivors and agencies urgently needing financial support. People are in desperate need of shelter, food and hygiene items. The Looking Out Foundation will match all donations up to $100,000 over the next week and this will be distributed to AKUT Search and Rescue Association and The White Helmets. AKUT is a Turkish Search & Rescue organization that specializes in disaster relief. They have 28 teams and 646 volunteers currently working day and night in the rescue effort. The White Helmets (Syria Civil Defence) are a group of around 3000 volunteers on the ground in north west Syria leading the search and rescue operation. Please donate today - remember, we will double all donations received up to $100,000. Thank you for helping us make music mean more.