West Seattle, Washington
21 Thursday
Thanks to the reader who just sent word of this – the American Red Cross has a pop-up blood drive at Bethany Community Church in Highland Park this afternoon/evening, 1-6:30 pm. Appointments required (type 98106 in the search box on that page); when we checked, openings were listed between 1:30 and 4:30 pm. The church is at 8600 9th SW; \\
Help keep others warm for the rest of this winter! Here’s an invitation from Alki Beach Pride:
Do you have gently used teen/adult clothes & coats looking for a new home?
Alki Beach Pride is hosting a Coat & Clothing drive to help a cause that is close to our hearts, We would love the help of our community in donating at one of our many drop off locations.
Huge shout out to the businesses supporting us this year for our first ever coat drive 🌈☺️ We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you
• Admiral Theatre
• Arthur’s
• Berkshire Hathaway, Ramone Myers
• Harry’s Beach House
• The Lumber Yard Bar
• Tibbetts United Methodist Church
• Youngstown Coffee& thank YOU for looking through your closet for a cause – West Seattle is the Best Seattle
The drive continues until January 27th.
(WSB photos unless otherwise credited)
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
“We’re an environmental organization, not an emergency organization.”
Despite that observation, Duwamish River Community Coalition executive director Paulina López and staffers from her organization have been on the ground – and, at first, in the water – in the South Park flood zone, continuously, since the river overflowed its banks December 27th.
(Reader photo, December 27th)
We talked with her at the Resource Center, the nerve center of recovery efforts in north South Park at midday Wednesday, where South Chicago Street [map] is lined with trailers and tents – temporary office space, hygiene facilities – and storage pods for residents who had to get belongings out of flooded homes.
We went to South Park to find out more about what sort of help is most needed now, and will be needed in the future.
Our first stop was the Duwamish River Community Hub, in the heart of “downtown” South Park at 14th Avenue South/South Cloverdale, the former pizza joint converted into a community space by the Port of Seattle. Right now it’s serving as a dropoff and storage spot for donations, as well as a place flood victims can go get some of those donated items, like food staples. But food is no longer on the “most needed” list as of today’s update.
Back at the Resource Center, both López and DRCC’s Robin Schwartz told us that some of the larger items will be needed later, when families are either able to move back into their homes or into someplace new. Even finding places for flood victims to stay is a challenge – the city has arranged for lodging through at least January 11th, but these are families who in many cases have jobs and students and who want to stay in or near the South Park area.
DRCC is working to transition some of this assistance over to other community/social-service organizations whose missions better synergize with it – such as Villa Comunitaria and Khmer Community of Seattle King County. What DRCC wants to prioritize for its part, López says, is health and safety. They have been pushing for Public Health – Seattle & King County to come out and survey the homes that flooded to assess whether they’re safe enough to be reoccupied. And she has her eye on the big long-term “systemic” needs of which this situation has been a painful reminder.
Even balancing the recovery work with ongoing life in the neighborhood is a challenge. While we were speaking with López, someone from a nearby business came over to say cars – ostensibly belonging to people involved with the recovery work – were blocking their gate, and she had to go try to spread the word about that. We continued the conversation with Schwartz, who not only is a DRCC staffer, but also a resident of one of the flooded neighborhoods, though she said her home only took in inches of water, compared to others whose basements were swamped by feet of it.
As the recovery operation continues, there’s a looming concern about the next “king tides,” less than three weeks away – the basic prediction is slightly higher than December 27th, but the river may stay within its banks in the absence of atmospheric conditions such as those that intensified last week’s tides, Still, the city – and the residents and businesses – have to be ready. (We’re following up with Seattle Public Utilities to find out about their plans.)
For now, here are ways you can help:
-The aforementioned “current needs” list, updated again today, is here
–DRCC’s crowdfunding page THURSDAY NIGHT UPDATE: Financial donations are now directed to three community organizations – the two mentioned above and Cultivate South Park – find direct links on this page
-Two families have GoFundMe pages that were posted in this WSB comment thread
And if you’re offering help, patience is a plus too. Community organizations can get overwhelmed in situations like this, especially in the early going, but the needs will stretch on for weeks and even months, so if you reach out with an offer – maybe you have an appliance you could donate to someone who lost theirs in basement flooding – understand that you may not hear back immediately.
(Photo sent last Tuesday by Devlin Carey)
The cleanup continues in South Park, where dozens of homes and businesses were flooded by last week’s weather-enhanced king tide. The Duwamish River Community Coalition is coordinating support for the flood victims and – in addition to the fundraising we’ve mentioned before – has developed a list of what’s needed. You can see the list here; the requested items include specific clothing, houseware, and cleanup items, as well as bottles of water and bags of rice. That document also includes specifics on who to contact and where to go if you can help. They’ve also been accepting volunteer help – watch here for shifts to sign up for.
When Christmas brought an end to subfreezing weather, Keith Hughes finally got a break from round-the-clock operation of West Seattle’s only emergency shelter/warming center. Temperatures are expected to drop again next week, so he’s announced the shelter will reopen Monday at the West Seattle Veteran Center:
We will be back open on Monday morning, Jan 2, 2023 from 7:30 am till 11:00 am, and again at 5:00 pm for a hot meal and overnight every night that the overnight temperature is forecasted to be in the 30s. During the last Cold Weather Emergency, from November 3 thru December 25, we averaged 20 people per night, both men and women, as the only Shelter in the West Seattle/White Center area.
With that, the “Keep the Heat On at the Warming Center” crowdfunding campaign to help cover the costs will continue. Keith explains:
It takes a lot of help and support to feed, clothe, and house a group this size as a private, all-volunteer, non-profit organization. “Keep the Heat On” literally means being able to pay the gas bill, electric bill, water and sewer bill, insurance, and building maintenance (like cleaning supplies). We can’t do it without your help. Thank you to all who can join us in supporting our local Homeless community.
If you know someone who needs a place to go inside and be warm, the address is 3618 SW Alaska.
(Reader photo, South Park on Tuesday)
Our neighbors in South Park are cleaning up flooded homes and businesses along the Duwamish River after Tuesday’s weather-enhanced king tide. Commenters have been discussing how to help and we’re surfacing it here so you can help too. While the city is providing some help, community-based assistance is being coordinated by the Duwamish River Community Coalition, and they have two requests: Money to directly support flood-affected families (you can donate here). DRCC says that so far it’s placed 10 families in hotels and is working with others on specific needs. They’re also asking for volunteer help, too – watch for a link on the DRCC website.
(Photo by Chris Frankovich)
With the overnight low in the teens and today’s high not expected to get out of the 20s, bundling up in winter clothing can be a matter of life or death for people who don’t have consistent access to someplace warm. Dave Newman Insurance Agency (WSB sponsor) has been collecting warm-clothing donations – especially coats – throughout the holiday season and has just extended the drive, with this message:
Thank you, West Seattle!
The annual clothing drive is in full swing. It’s been a tough year for donations for the Clothesline and they can use all the help they can get.
There is still plenty of time to donate. Bring your warm coats to 3435 California Ave SW. We’ll continue the clothing drive through the month of January.
Happy Holidays,
Dave Newman Insurance Agency
The office is open 9 am-5 pm most weekdays. The Clothesline is the clothing bank operated by the West Seattle Food Bank
Every holiday season, The Christmas People prepare and serve meals to people in need. To make those meals just a bit sweeter and more festive, they send out a call for people to bake and donate homemade cookies. As mentioned here and in our Holiday Guide, the dropoff spot for your home-baked-cookie contributions this year is West Seattle Coworking‘s south location, 9030 35th SW. But Ross from WSC tells us there’s a change in the dropoff dates from what we were originally given, so we wanted to let you know: Now it’s Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (December 22-24), 9 am-3 pm. Again, homemade cookies only, not store-bought. The Christmas People thank you! (Image from Pixabay)
Some parts of the city don’t have sidewalks – and some parts have sidewalks that are unusable because they’ve been covered in overgrowth. That’s the situation in west Gatewood, near Westside Unitarian, where volunteers calling themselves the Seattle Street Fixers are working right now.
You’re welcome to help – they started at 44th/Othello [map]. You can see some of the other places they’ve cleared by scrolling through here.
All season long, we’ve kept a running list of holiday donation drives in our WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide. This week we got word of one more hosted by a local business – PNTA, which is headquartered at 2424 SW Andover (the business park by Nucor), is collecting items for the nearby nonprofit Transitional Resources. Unlike many donation drives, this one continues into January, so there’s still time to help. Here’s the announcement we received:
You can help make the holidays brighter for those in need. PNTA is hosting a “Winter Essentials Drive” for Transitional Resources, running from December through January.
Transitional Resources supports adults living with serious mental illness by providing them with behavioral health treatment and supportive housing. The needs for their services are critical during the winter, and TR is in need of warm winter accessories and hygiene items to give to their clients to use during this time of year and beyond.
These items will go directly to those living in supportive housing in our community (*New items only):
Hygiene products: toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, bar soap, hand soap, shampoo, hand lotion, and other items.
Warm socks
Gloves
Other warm itemsFor questions about items needed, please email kristenj@transitionalresources.org
Location Drop Off:
PNTA, 2414 SW Andover=
Mon-Fri 9 am-6 pmIf PNTA is closed, here are other options to help support TR: transitionalresources.org/get-involved
Last week, we told you about our area’s newest Parent Teacher Organization, Friends of West Seattle Elementary. Today, they’re announcing the launch of their first-ever fundraising campaign, and explaining why they’re turning to the peninsula-wide community for help:
The newly established Parent Teacher Organization at West Seattle Elementary (WSE), Friends of West Seattle Elementary (FOWSE), is excited to announce the launch of its inaugural fundraiser! The group of parents, staff and teachers aim to raise $50,000 by March 1st, 2023, to support WSE students in their academic success.
WSE is a community school in the truest sense. Over 80% of our students live in low-income housing within a half-mile of the school and over 83% qualify to receive free or reduced cost lunch. Many of our families are former refugees and have experienced generational trauma and hardships that have created barriers to equitable access to services, including education, yet academic success is highly valued. Access to educational enrichments have proven to be difficult to attain for families of poverty due to parents working atypical hours, language barriers and the lack of understanding of the American educational systems.
To reach our lofty goal in under three months, we are turning to community members and business owners for support. Donations are tax-deductible and will be used to:
(1) Fund additional teachers for future school years – to keep class sizes small when district budget cuts occur. For example, this school year, WSE has some classrooms with over 26 students due to fewer teachers being allocated by the district as a result of district-wide enrollment declines.
(2) Host engagement activities – to enable the PTO to create shared, meaningful experiences, like pizza parties, spirit days, and staff appreciation events for students, staff and their families that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
(3) Provide classroom supplies and cover field trip costs – to support, encourage and equip teachers on the front-lines delivering an invaluable education to underserved populations.
Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation to support West Seattle Elementary students and staff. Any contribution helps ensure students, regardless of race, background, socioeconomic status, receive the best education possible.
You can make a donation online via this link.
Contact friendsofwse@gmail.com with any questions or concerns.
As noted in our daily highlight list, you have extra reasons to go to The Junction during Farmers’ Market hours today:
The West Seattle Food Bank, West Seattle Junction Association, and Kiwanis Club of West Seattle are teaming up to accept coat (and other warm clothing) donations, with free cocoa, at the south end of the market (California/Alaska). A very young donor visited while we were there:
Also at the booth, you can buy Hometown Holidays mugs and $2/foot holiday garland, both benefiting WSJA (which is a nonprofit too):
Across the Walk-All-Ways intersection, just outside the market at KeyBank Plaza, you’ll find the Pathfinder K-8 PTSA selling handmade garlands and other “door decor”:
This is the second of three consecutive Sundays they’re in The Junction to sell the fundraising wreaths/decor, which benefit outdoor education for Pathfinder students. You can also order online!
All of the above is happening until 2 pm today.
Today’s the last day to bid on that Noble Fir we told you about back on Monday – a West Seattle family is offering it to the top bidder to raise money for the Medic One Foundation, in memory of a family member and friend both lost in crashes last year. Two updates from the original call for bids – the tree is removable at 7′ than 8′ so you don’t have to have a mega-high ceiling, and they have the equipment to remove it, so it’s not a “bring your own saw” situation. Email your proposed bid amount to KimberlyMickelson@icloud.com by midnight tonight; they’ll notify the top bidder Sunday morning, with the tree available the same day. (Full details are here!)
(WSB photo, early cookie dropoffs last year)
Many ways you can help this holiday season – see the ongoing list in our West Seattle Holiday Guide – but only one like this: The Christmas People are again requesting home-baked cookies for the holiday meals they’ll be serving to people in need in King County. It’s their 24th year and they’re hoping for 7,000 cookies – home-baked, NOT purchased. Two dropoff spots, one in West Seattle, the other not far:
Drop cookies off at West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Avenue SW, [update] Thursday, December 22nd through Saturday, December 24th, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM.
Cookies may also be dropped off at our headquarters, Artisan Community Kitchen, 10836 E. Marginal Way South, Thursday, December 22 thru Sunday, December 25th, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM.
Questions? Contact Fred Hutchinson, 206-719-4979, or Ruth Bishop, 509-961-7736.
That Noble Fir growing outside a West Seattle home is destined to be someone’s Christmas tree, in a unique memorial and auction announced by a local family, From Kim Mickelson:
The Chris & Kim Mickelson family on 51st Pl SW in West Seattle is offering an 8-foot Noble Fir to the highest proposed donation to Medic One, in memory of Steven A. Olson, our brother, and our friend, retired City of Kirkland Fire Captain Keith Adams, both lost tragically in separate auto accidents in 2021.
HOW TO BID: The proposed donation amount should be emailed to KimberlyMickelson@icloud.com no later than Saturday, December 10, 2022 at midnight. The winning family will need to cut the tree down. It will be fresh! The top donation will be notified by 10 am on Sunday, December 11, 2022 and you’re welcome to come that day to cut and pick it up. I ask that the winner then either show the donation receipt or pay us and we will process the donation on your behalf.
The Mickelson,Olson and Adams families appreciate and thank you in advance for your support in this endeavor! Gone but not Forgotten.
The Mickelsons will plant a new Noble Fir in its place.
If you’re going to The Junction tomorrow for the Farmers’ Market and/or other shopping – look for the return of some of West Seattle’s most popular handmade decorations! If you haven’t already seen it in our Holiday Guide, here’s the announcement:
Pathfinder K-8 PTSA is holding our 27th annual wreath fundraiser to benefit outdoor education at Pathfinder K-8 School. After a 2-year hiatus we’re so excited to announce we’re back selling Door Decor – wreaths and other holiday swag – at The Junction (next to Wells Fargo) during Farmers Market days December 4th, 11th, and 18th. Everything is 100% unique and made from foraged materials from our yards and tree lots (thank you, Trees by the Sea on Alki!). This year’s selection will be some of our best! For more info: pathfinderk8ptsa.org
Have a hot lead on fallen branches or other supplies we can use in our creations? Email kathleen.hynes@me.com and bae.jungun@gmail.com
Thank you for supporting the kids at Pathfinder School!
11:50 AM: The snow couldn’t keep Dominic and Atticus from their annual drive-up/ride-up food drive in the lot behind Hope Lutheran (off SW Oregon just east of California). So they’re waiting for you until 3 pm, collecting coats as well as nonperishable food. You can safely pull into a covered space so they can unload what you brought, so don’t worry about the snow/slush. (Do remember that California is now closed, south of Oregon to north of Edmunds, in preparation for tonight’s festival, so approach the lot entrance from Oregon – it’s on the westbound side.)
ADDED WEDNESDAY: The West Seattle Food Bank reports the brothers collected 530 pounds of food and $145 in cash donations.
“I have people here … They need to be treated with dignity.”
And that’s why Keith Hughes keeps opening the doors of the West Seattle Veteran Center to people who need someplace to go during cold-weather emergencies.
Some have asked what kind of help he could use right now. Warm-clothing items like hats and gloves. Volunteer help, too. And also – understanding.
If you know of someone who needs shelter – or have hats/gloves to donate – the center is at 3618 SW Alaska.
(2020 photo from first year of the drop-off drive)
This Saturday (December 3rd( is one of the busiest days of the holiday season – so much happening – but if you can take a few minutes to stop by this student-organized drop-off food/coat drive, it would make a big difference toward keeping people from going hungry. Here’s the organizers’ announcement:
3rd Annual Drive-Through Holiday Food Drive!
My name is Atticus and I am a sophomore at Raisbeck Aviation High School. My brother Dominic, who is an 8th grader at Hope Lutheran, and I are once again doing a food drive to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank during the holiday season.
Just drive up and pop your trunk! Monetary donations are also appreciated.
We are also collecting new or gently used coats of all sizes which will be placed by WIN (Westside Interfaith Network) at their welcome table, every Saturday in White Center.
Thank you once again for helping us support the members of our community during these times!
They’ll be in the lower Hope Lutheran lot, off SW Oregon east of California, 10 am-3 pm Saturday.
Before we get back to snow coverage – a message about holiday giving. You have ample opportunities throughout the season (we have a list of donation drives in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide), but today in particular has become known as Giving Tuesday. Your favorite local nonprofits appreciate community support. Among them, Mode Music and Performing Arts, on a mission to make arts education more accessible to more students. Here’s what they asked us to share with you:
In honor of the global generosity movement Giving Tuesday, and in support of your local West Seattle nonprofit arts education organization, Mode Music and Performing Arts (MMPA) is encouraging folks to sign up for our monthly giving options.
Mode Music and Performing Arts was created as a nonprofit to make arts education more accessible for Seattle’s students.
MMPA’s ability to offer scholarships through a pay-what-you-can model is entirely because of people like you – people who care about kids having access to arts education in school AND out of school. This year, we’ve served 351 students in all of our programs, and we’ve offered over 100 partial and full scholarships! Your gifts help make this possible.
All donations to MMPA support our multiple arts education programs — learn more about them at modemusicandperformingarts.org or donate using the link below!
modemusicandperformingarts.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
Listen to our parents and students speak about our MMPA programming.
MMPA is the nonprofit sibling of Mode Music Studios (WSB sponsor). Both are based in North Delridge.
Even before we get to Giving Tuesday, the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA is hoping you can help them make this a Giving Week. Here’s their announcement:
Calling all Chief Sealth families, alums & supporters! Monday, November 28 starts a Week of Giving for Sealth. Please give what you can & spread the word!
As you know, our schools are funded for just the basics of operations, but it’s not the basics that bring many students or staff to the building each day. It’s a robust library collection, access to music, enriching afterschool programs, supplies and meal support for families, and strong offerings for all athletes that are vital to the overall success of our school & its community.
Give your tax deductible donation here: chiefsealthptsa.schoolauction.net/funddrive2022/g
That link also has details on the programs
Last holiday season, See’s Candies had a pop-up shop in West Seattle. That’s gone but if you’re interested in See’s for someone on your gift list – and/or yourself – here’s a student fundraiser:
Want to help support a great group of kids? The Chief Sealth International High School Mock Trial team is selling See’s Candies for their winter fundraiser.
You can order through this form and pick up at Chief Sealth or pay a small ($5) fee for contactless delivery within West Seattle: tinyurl.com/csmtsees
If you’re out of town or prefer to have your order shipped directly you can order here: tinyurl.com/csmtcandy22
Orders are due 11/30, and will be available for delivery and/or pickup by 12/10.
If chocolate isn’t your thing but you’d like to make a direct donation, you can do so here: tinyurl.com/csmtdonate
Thank you for supporting a great group of students!
Questions? Contact Rebecca Neil at RLNeil@seattleschools.org
If you want to preview what they’re selling – it’s all listed on this flyer.
It’s a one-of-a-kind West Seattle holiday event – and it’s now just one week away. Starting next Friday, Winter Wander invites you to roam the peninsula in a holiday scavenger hunt, with prizes. Organizer Alice Kuder explains:
Winter Wander is a free, 10-day outdoor adventure designed to bring friends and families together for holiday fun!
Dates/Times: Begins Friday, December 2, 2022 at 5 PM; ends Sunday, December 11, 7 PM
Location: It starts at your front door and takes you wandering through five different West Seattle neighborhoods
Rules/Instruction sheet available for download now here
Clue sheet and map available for download starting at 4 PM December 2 here
Open to West Seattle residents of all ages, as well as their friends and families.
Team registration is now open via email to wswinterwander@gmail.com. Every registered, participating team will receive a $10 gift card from a local business.
$100 gift card for the first team to correctly solve and submit solutions to all 25 clues.
Swag Bag filled with goodies from various West Seattle businesses will be awarded to one team by random drawing.
Donations to West Seattle Food Bank and Toys for Tots deposited in donation barrels at Jefferson Square lobby will earn extra drawing tickets.
If you have a question before signing up, email Alice at wswinterwander@gmail.com. This is the third year she’s organized Winter Wander – here’s the wrapup on how last year went.
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