The Royal Danish Consulate provides Danish citizens with assistance in travel and legal matters while visiting the…More United States. Local residents curious about the Scandinavian kingdom can learn more by speaking with welcoming Consul Erik Laursen.</p> <p>According to Laursen, a long tradition of Danish migration to the Pacific Northwest has supported a consul in this area since the 1920s, and an estimated 70,000 Puget Sound residents trace their ancestry back to Denmark.</p> <p>While some consular services are available here, applications for visas and residence and work permits must be processed by the General Consulate in New York.</p>

Mercer Island Youth and Family Services is a unique public/private partnership with the City of Mercer Island to…More provide human services and assistance to residents and families in need. The organization is largely supported by a non-profit foundation and proceeds from sales at the Mercer Island Thrift Shop.</p> <p>Formerly the site of a the Boys Parental boarding school, the MIYFS is based inside the Luther Burbank Building. Many classes and services are provided here or at the Island's public schools. Community-based services include loss and grief counseling, alcohol and drug prevention and youth development. MIYFS also contracts with other providers to help with domestic violence, sexual abuse and other legal aid. Emergency services, such as a food bank and rent assistance, are also available.</p> <p>MIYFS also provides student counseling services inside Mercer Island's public schools.</p>