GOT JOBS? Be part of this year’s West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair
Last year, almost two dozen local businesses and organizations were part of the West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair. This year’s event is a month away and organizers asked us to share this invitation for participation:
West Seattle High School Job and Internship Fair – 4/3/24
If you’re looking to hire teens and/or soon-to-be high school graduates, West Seattle High School is hosting the WSHS Job and Internship Fair on April 3rd from 11:30am-2:30pm. Come showcase your opportunities and connect with students!
Fill out this MS Form to attend: forms.office.com/r/vh7TccqWEZ or email Brian Fitzgerald at bjfitzgerald@seattleschools.org with questions or concerns.
Positions offered can include:
Paid
Volunteer
Internships
Permanent
Seasonal
Pre-apprenticeships
Apprenticeships
YOU CAN HELP: Mutual-aid food pantry in West Seattle seeking support
We talk a lot about the major nonprofits helping feed and clothe people in our area, but there are myriad smaller efforts too. One of them is seeking support to keep going – here’s the request we were asked to share with you:
Covid-19 Mutual Aid – Seattle, South King County/Eastside Mutual Aid, and Super Familia have been hosting a mutual-aid food pantry every month for the past 3 years! We are a youth-led, immigrant-led group that supports 150 families each month with fresh produce – from local BIPOC farmers – and hygiene products. We have been distributing food for the past three years, and we are now in need of more support for this project to continue. We are looking for folks who can help us raise funds to buy produce from BIPOC farmers and volunteers who are able to commit to purchasing and dropping off grocery items each month at our location in West Seattle. Please fill out this interest form if you are able to work with us, and we will be in contact. Thank you so much!
COOKIE TIME: Girl Scouts start selling outside West Seattle businesses Friday
Girl Scout Cookie fans, tomorrow (Friday, March 1) is the day – local scouts open “cookie booths” outside local businesses. According to the cookie finder on the Girl Scouts’ website, 12 West Seattle businesses host Scout troops’ cookie booths tomorrow afternoon and/or evening. But before we get to that list, the list of cookies (updated per commenters) is here – 9 flavors this year, including one that is gluten-free (Toffee-tastic), and one that is vegan (Thin Mints); halal and kosher info is here.
Now – here’s where you’ll find our area’s first round of cookie booths tomorrow, according to the Girl Scouts’ website:
Roxbury Safeway 2 pm-8 pm
Junction True Value 3 pm-5 pm
Husky Deli 3 pm-7 pm
Marination Ma Kai 4 pm-6 pm
Menchie’s 4 pm-6 pm
West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor) 4 pm-8 pm
Easy Street Records 4 pm-8 pm
Trader Joe’s 4 pm-8 pm
Junction QFC 4 pm-8 pm
Westwood QFC 4 pm-8 pm
Admiral Safeway 4-8 pm
Junction Safeway 4-8 pm
If you can’t cookie-shop until the weekend, you’ll find additional locations and different hours Saturday and beyond. Cookie-booth season continues through Sunday, March 17; you can also buy online – if you search for cookie sales in your area, the search results will match you with a local troop from which you can buy online, as well as the nearest booths’ locations and times.
GOT FURNITURE? West Seattle High School’s Student Council seeking some
This request was sent by Malia from the West Seattle High School Student Council:
We’re trying to jazz up our student community room and we could really use some help finding furniture and decor due to budgeting.
We’re on the hunt for some furniture donations to make our student community room super cozy and welcoming. We want it to be a place where students can hang out, study, and just enjoy being together!
If anyone out there has some gently used chairs, decorative lights, tables, couches, etc., we’d be so grateful. We’d be happy to swing by and pick up any donations. If you need more info or have any questions, just reach out to me at maliahbarker@icloud.com.
We asked Malia for a few specifics. The community room is about 200 square feet and “what we’re focusing on finding at least is 2 couches and 2 living chairs. Other decor is much appreciated as well!”
‘The medical bills for Steve’s care have started to come in’: Crowdfunding for West Seattle bicyclist’s widow
(‘Ghost bike’ memorial at crash site – WSB photo from December)
Two months ago, 66-year-old Steve Hulsman was riding his bicycle in Arbor Heights when a 53-year-old man driving a car made a left turn and didn’t see him in time to stop. It was less than two hours later, according to the police report, when Mr. Hulsman died at the hospital. Now his widow is dealing with the bills, saying their coverage has been exhausted, and that the driver was uninsured. A friend asked us to write about her crowdfunding page, so we also looked into the status of the case. King County Superior Court and Seattle Municipal Court files don’t show any charges filed, so far, in the incident, though the officer who wrote the initial report noted that the driver “operated his vehicle in a manner that endangered a person.” As was first reported by Seattle Bike Blog, records show the driver had a suspended license and a history of DUIs, but officers said that at this scene there was no indication he was impaired. Meantime, SDOT has told us in past cases that they evaluate sites of traffic deaths for possible modifications; we asked them about this location, and a spokesperson replied, “We conducted review of the site at Marine View Dr SW and 46th Ave SW as part of our fatal-review process. We will carefully assess the findings and engage in discussions to determine the most appropriate next steps for this location.” We’ll continue following up. Meantime, Mr. Hulsman’s widow is also hoping that crowdfunding will help with the costs of a memorial for her husband and for bike safety projects, which were a passion of his. Here’s the link.
FAUNTLEROY YMCA: ‘Exciting news’ promised at Thursday event. Also, more community collaboration needed
“We have some exciting news regarding Fauntleroy to share at our Annual Fund Drive,” says West Seattle/Fauntleroy YMCA (WSB sponsor) branch executive Cleveland King. “The bottom line is we are going nowhere anytime soon. We are committed to the Fauntleroy community and our partnership with the Fauntleroy Church.”
The Annual Fund Drive event is the Y’s annual fundraising kickoff, and it’s happening this Thursday (February 29), 6:30 pm at Fauntleroy Church‘s Fellowship Hall, steps from the Y facility that’s been the source of concern these past few months, ever since word began circulating that its closure was a possibility as the Y dealt with financial challenges. King is set to present an update on Fauntleroy’s status as part of the scheduled program.
But he also tells WSB that so far the community commitment to helping save and improve the location has fallen short of hopes. At last month’s “town hall” meeting about the Fauntleroy situation, the creation of committees, and a request for participation, was announced. The first committee meetings were held recently, “and a total of 6 people showed up,” King says. They “spent a significant amount of time reviewing the Fauntleroy financials and the current state of the Fauntleroy YMCA,” he adds, and notes, “there were some great comments and suggestions from the group that attended. We are hopeful to have more significant input from the community. The groups decided to give others another opportunity to participate before we started the planning phases.” You’re invited to the next meetings, all on (NEW DATE) Tuesday, March 26: Fundraising Committee, 5 pm-6 pm; Planning Committee, 6:15 pm-7:15 pm; Volunteer Committee, 7:30 pm-8:30 pm. (MARCH 25 UPDATE: New times – everyone gather at 6 pm.)
Meantime, if you haven’t RSVP’d yet for this Thursday’s fund-drive-and-more event, this flyer has those details.
TICKETS ON SALE: West Seattle High School’s Big Band Dinner Dance
That’s the West Seattle Big Band, guest-starring again this year at the West Seattle High School music-program-supporting Big Band Dinner Dance, 6-9 pm Friday, March 15, in the WSHS Commons (3000 California SW). Here’s the announcement:
Tickets are now available for our annual community dinner dance! Come and listen to the high school music students perform – not just our jazz band, but the band, orchestra, and choir too! And a wonderful dinner will be prepared by the WSHS Culinary Department. Come and see what our fabulous students are up to!
Featured Performance by the West Seattle Big Band, under the direction of Jim Edwards.
Dinner/Dance tickets are $30 when preordered, or $35 at the door (if available)
Dinner/Dance tickets for students, staff, or seniors are $20
Dance-only tickets are $10.
Go here to find the ticket link.
GIVING: They bake what they donate! Community Loaves breadmakers visit West Seattle Food Bank
(WSB photos)
They came to the West Seattle Food Bank this morning with loaves of bread they’d baked themselves – unique donations for the food bank, which otherwise doesn’t accept homemade food. But this group is a special exception. They’re West Seattleites who are among the nearly 900 home bakers participating in Community Loaves, founded in 2020 by Katherine Kehrli, who joined them for today’s tour of the food bank.
WSFB’s executive director Fran Yeatts gave the visiting bread donors a behind-the-scenes look at food-bank operations. Monday is a prep day inside WSFB, not a distribution day for clients, so the bakers saw a whirlwind of activity – deliveries of “rescued” food donated by grocery stores and pet shops, sorting of a wide variety of donated items, packing of bags that will be taken to clients who can’t make it to the food bank’s 35th/Morgan HQ.
The delivery bags are usually how the Community Loaves bread gets to food bank clients – who otherwise might not get a chance to enjoy fresh whole-grain bread. Kehrli explains that since bread is “shelf-stable,” the bakers are not required to get special licenses to bake and donate their loaves. (7,000 provided to WSFB so far, and it’s just one of dozens with which Community Loaves partners!) She added that today’s visit was meant to help the bakers “understand how meaningful their work is.”
(That’s Community Loaves founder Katherine Kehrli behind the cart, in patterned jacket)
The food bank stats they heard were eye-popping – 1,500 households visiting the food bank each week, more than 400 home deliveries, 430 weekend food packs for students, 200+ people served by mobile food bank visits to locations including the Senior Center of West Seattle. (“We gotta bake more bread, guys!” somebody shouted to the group after hearing all that.) And of course, the food bank’s not just about food – they operate the Clothesline clothing bank and provide emergency rent (etc.) assistance that’s currently at a million-dollar-a-year pace to try to keep people out of homelessness (part of why WSFB especially appreciates monetary donations – they’d love to see you at the April 27 Instruments of Change fundraiser, too). Meantime, Community Loaves would be happy to see more home bakers participate.
If you’re interested, you can go here to sign up for an online information session coming up in early March.
YOU CAN HELP: Here’s what West Seattle’s only emergency shelter needs right now
(WSB photo, December 2023)
The Westside Neighbors Shelter, co-housed with the West Seattle Veteran Center and American Legion Post 160, is preparing to help people during another round of cold weather, and shelter manager Keith Hughes just sent word that they could use some community help:
Another round of overnight mid-30s cold on the way. The needs for the Shelter right now are:
instant oatmeal packets
instant hot chocolate
Top Ramen
Cup of noodles
laundry detergent pods
disposable razors
cotton gloves
winter-weight socks
The shelter is at 3618 SW Alaska and usually open for donation dropoffs 7 am-5 pm daily.
WEST SEATTLE WEEKEND SCENE: Food trucks, beer, costumes @ Special Olympics of Washington’s Polar Plunge fundraiser
(WSB photos)
11:55 AM: Alki’s biggest post-holidays winter event is happening now – the Special Olympics of Washington Polar Plunge. The “plunging” doesn’t actually start until 1 pm, but the accompanying food-trucks-and-beer festival is happening now:
We counted 11 trucks – from west to east, Off the Rez, Thai-U-Up, Tabassum, Kathmandu MoMoCha, Whateke, The Cheese Pit, Sam Choy’s Poké to the Max, SeoulBowl, Theo’s Gyros, Alaska Weathervane Scallops.
Sorry, no lineup for the beer garden, but you can buy tokens for tastings:
And heaters are set up!
This is all scheduled to continue until around 4 pm, near Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki), with a costume contest coming up pre-plunge, shortly after noon.
ADDED 7:06 PM: Thanks to Robert Spears for sending photos from the costume contest and plunging!
COUNTDOWN: Four days until Polar Plunge ‘winter beach party’ at Alki
(WSB file photo, past Special Olympics Polar Plunge)
If the forecast holds, it won’t be very “polar” for Saturday’s Special Olympics Washington-benefiting Polar Plunge at Alki. But it’s good news overall for the “winter beach party” that the event promises to be, with a beer garden, food trucks, and costume contest, before all the “plunging” gets going. The party starts near Alki Bathhouse (60th/Alki) at 10 am Saturday (February 24); the costume contest starts around 12:10 pm, and even if you’re not going in the water (that begins at 1 pm), you have a role to play, since the costume judging will be by audience acclaim. If you do want to go in, there’s still time to register online. P.S. The beer garden also offers a tasting experience – tickets are available in advance online here.
GRATITUDE: They asked, you answered
On Saturday, we previewed Alki UCC‘s monthly donation drive, with an urgent call for warm outerwear, with many chilly nights still ahead before the warm season. Today we received this report from Cinda:
Alki UCC reporting in on how wonderful the response was from the West Seattle community due to your feature of our donation drive on the WS Blog. We received many warm coats, as well as hats, gloves, long underwear, blankets, etc. It was so great to greet everyone as they dropped off yesterday, to experience their positive spirits contributing to a deep need in the wider community. Thank you everyone who took the time out to search your closets and to drop by Alki UCC with your donation. Every single piece will go toward making someone a little warmer this month. We appreciate you so much!
We feature various ways to help – donating items, money, and/or time – almost daily, so if you’re having a drive/campaign/event/etc. in which the community can participate, please let us know by sending info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!
YOU CAN HELP: Got warm outerwear? Donation drive Sunday
On some Sundays, Alki UCC hosts a communitywide donation drive seeking specific items for people in need. Tomorrow’s the next one, with an emphasis on helping people stay warm – winter still has a month to go! Here’s the announcement:
Alki UCC Donation Drive this Sunday, February 18
6115 SW Hinds
11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Front Courtyard
Outerwear is the priority. We have no warm coats for men, need all sizes.
Also welcome: vests, long underwear, heavy hoodies, sweatshirts, gloves, beanies and socks.
Your donations of food, clothing, and outdoor gear are distributed through the Westside Interfaith Network Saturday lunch, hosted in White Center.
Deepest gratitude to our community for your generous support of our neighbors in need.
RETURNING: Date set for 2024 West Seattle 5K. Sponsor search on now!
(2023 photo by David Hutchinson)
Another signature springtime event has confirmed it’s returning this year – the West Seattle 5K run/walk on Alki. And the sponsor search is happening now. Here’s the announcement we received:
West Seattle High School and the PTSA are excited to announce the 2024 West Seattle 5K – Sunday, May 19.
All profits raised from the West Seattle 5K will provide funding for West Seattle High School to provide classroom tools, books, supplies, and much more to its students and teachers. The West Seattle High School PTSA is a 501c3 non-profit whose mission is to encourage its students’ potential.
Thousands of runners and spectators from all corners of Puget Sound and beyond have participated in this 5K over the previous 13+ years. Participants are drawn to the event by the family fun, the gorgeous scenery, a flat course, and all the amenities that Alki Beach has to offer. The West Seattle 5K website (westseattle5K.com) is live.
So is the search for sponsors – the earlier you sign up, the better, so sponsors can be listed on posters, flyers, race T-shirts, etc. If you’re interested, contact Kelley O’Connor or Athena Frederick at sponsorwshs5k@gmail.com or 425-894-8641. (WSB has been a sponsor every year and expect to repeat this year too.)
WEEKEND PREVIEW: New girls’ water-polo team plans ‘Tread-a-thon’
We’ve reported before on the impending launch of a new high-school girls’ water-polo team. The players fought for, and won, permission – but that doesn’t come with funding, since it’s a “club sport.” So they’ve planned a unique fundraiser for tomorrow – outside West Seattle, but you can support online. Also note they’re still recruiting players! Here’s the announcement:
Members of the newly formed girls’ West Seattle Water Polo Team are holding an event to raise funds for startup costs associated with their first season. The Tread-a-thon is this Saturday, February 10, from 3-5 pm at Medgar Evers Pool. Players will tread for 100 minutes without touching the sides or bottom of the pool and without using floatation devices. Sponsors are invited to pledge per minute or a flat amount. Members of the team invite the West Seattle community to help by donating to their cause!
The girls forming this team attended several of [former School Board director] Leslie Harris’s community meetings in an effort to gain permission to field a team in the local high school league. Permission was granted by the league, but no funds are being provided by the school or district for the team. Donations will fund scholarships, pay for pool-rental time, league fees, and equipment.
Girls from any high school are welcome to join the team. Head coach Truly Dorland is ready to quickly bring new players to proficiency. Practices will be 2 mornings per week before school with home games on Friday evening. Season starts February 26th and runs to mid-May.
For more information, email wshswaterpolo@gmail.com.
Donations can be made to WSBooster by putting “Water Polo” in the notes.
CONGRATULATIONS! All-State honors for two Chief Sealth student musicians
We have news of statewide honors for two local students – and an opportunity for you to support them. The announcement is from Denny-Sealth Performing Arts:
Two Chief Sealth International High School students have received top honors by being selected by the Washington Music Educators Association to participate in prestigious WMEA High School All-State performing groups.
Please join us in celebrating senior Tyler Peace Jones (pictured on the right), who has been selected to play viola in the All-State Orchestra, and senior Dylan Sagahon Smith (pictured on the left), who was selected to play guitar in the All-State Jazz Band for the Jazz Choir.
Nearly 1,900 students applied for this opportunity. From those, the finest high school musicians will rehearse and perform in concert under the direction of world-renowned conductors. These WMEA All-State musicians were selected through auditions to participate in this outstanding event, which is sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association.
Many professional musicians credit their All-State experience as crucial in their decision to choose music as a career. Thousands of others whose career paths took them in other directions have great memories of participating in this inspiring and motivating musical experience and claim that it was a life-changing experience for them.
Tyler plans to pursue a career in music as an orchestral conductor. Dylan plans on studying music along with entrepreneurial business and technology. We are so proud of their achievement and can’t wait to see how it launches them forward!
The WMEA High School All-State Honor Ensembles will meet in Yakima, February 15-17, 2024. But registration and the cost of making this trip are not covered by school funds. Help us celebrate Tyler and Dylan by contributing to the Denny Sealth Performing Arts Scholarship Fund to support their participation: PayPal “Denny Sealth Performing Arts” or Venmo @DennySealthPerforming Arts, and indicate “scholarship.”
Support Tyler and Dylan. Support the arts. Be a part of their journey!
YOU CAN HELP: Order from Dream Dinners West Seattle, help students
Dream Dinners West Seattle (longtime WSB sponsor) is not only offering you the chance to enjoy home-cooked meals with much less effort, they’re also offering the chance to help local students. Order three dinners from Dream Dinners West Seattle, use a special code, and Madison Middle School‘s WEB program (explained here) benefits. From the announcement:
Help support Madison’s W.E.B. (where everyone belongs) program! We are teaming up with Dream Dinners West Seattle again this year and they’re donating a portion of their sales to Madison. By helping WEB and a local small business, your money has a DOUBLE positive impact in our community, and you’ll have some quick, easy meals ready. If you’re interested, please put MADWEB in the special instructions when you order and Madison will get a portion of the sales!
P.S. If you are not interested in Dream Dinners at this time, we are asking for donations of $10 (or more) to keep WEB going strong. If you can help, here is the donation link.
Here’s the fundraiser flyer. Place your order before February 24.
THINK SPRING: Become a SUN Guide
(File photo, courtesy Seattle Parks)
Spring is now just six weeks away. If you’re thinking of volunteering during this year’s warm season, here’s an opportunity – the annual call for Seattle Urban Nature Guides, which we were asked to share with you:
Become a Seattle Urban Nature Guide! Seattle Parks and Recreation Environmental Engagement Unit is offering free volunteer guide training. Inspire change through education, enrich the experience of park visitors, teach families and school students in nature, and share with your community. Applications are due March 15th; training begins April 12th.
Apply online at seattle.gov/parks/volunteer/environmental-education-volunteering#SUNG
If you have questions about the program, PKSNatureFieldTrips@seattle.gov is the address.
HELPING: Local advocate invites you to ‘extend your love’ by helping her organize West Seattle blood drive
If you can give blood on February 23, Aliye Menzies would love to have your help organizing a blood drive in West Seattle that day. She needs 35 people to commit to donating in order to book a Bloodworks Northwest mobile donation vehicle for a spot outside Just Another Barbershop, across from Seacrest, at 1617 Harbor Avenue SW, 10 am-4 pm. Aliye advocates giving via her nonprofit Tithing Foundation; we asked her to tell us more about it and why she is organizing a blood drive:
The importance of using people’s 10% is a core foundation on what I stand on for Tithing Foundation. I know it can be difficult to get people to give to their community due to the many other commitments within life. Tithing Foundation helps everyday people in the community use 10% of their time, resources, or finances (or blood) to impact the community. That’s also why I partnered with Just Another Barbershop; as a new business, they expressed the importance of being community pillars and making an impact in people’s lives.
The reason why I chose BloodWorks NW was an easy pick. In the month of love, everyone is focusing on giving to the people they know and love. Well, what about all the lives that are at risk because they are unable to receive enough blood transfusions? Can’t we look at extending our love this month even to people we may not know? Blood is the life source, and if we choose to donate something that comes freely to us, we will save lives.
To help make this happen, you can respond via this online form. If you have a question first, contact Aliye at aliye@tithingfoundation.com.
YOU CAN HELP: West Seattle Co-Op Preschools’ new family event to raise scholarship money
West Seattle Cooperative Preschools are launching a new event this year to raise money for scholarships so more kids can attend preschool: A community “Family Disco Party.”
They’re hoping to host hundreds of kids (and their parents, grandparents, guardians, whoever wants to come along) from 10 am-11 am Sunday, February 11, for an hour of all-ages dancing with DJ Baby Van Beezly (and glow sticks!) at South Seattle College‘s Brockey Center. “Get the wiggles out before the Big Game!” is the invitation. Tickets are $10/person; all proceeds go to the Co-op Preschool Scholarship Fund and community parent-education programming. The campus café will also be open special hours before and after the dance party for breakfast/brunch treats and coffee/beverages. Tickets are on sale now – go here.
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