West Seattle, Washington
06 Saturday
(WSB photos)
Every holiday season, you can find ways to ensure your dollars are spent for more than just giving a gift – they can also do a good deed. That’s what’s happening until 1 pm at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Ethical Fair Trade Sale. Some of what’s on sale inside OLG’s Walmesley Center on the northeast corner of 35th and Myrtle are items created overseas. Some are items benefiting causes close to home, like cards for Noel House, a women’s shelter.
And OLG students are selling baked goods to benefit WestSide Baby.
Another OLG student, 8th-grader Mark, is answering questions near the door, as an “ambassador” for the sale:
OLG has another big holiday event coming up – the annual “Light Up the Night” grounds-lighting and caroling celebration is set for Friday night, December 1st, 7 pm. (That event, like today’s sale and dozens of other seasonal events and FYIs, is in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide.)
The Gatewood Elementary playfield project has hit a milestone – and one student has a fundraiser Sunday to help cover the rest of the gap. First:
(Photo: William Wright Photographer)
From Linnea Westerlind:
Thanks to generous donations from our school families and West Seattle community, we have raised $40,517.45 for a new Gatewood Elementary playfield! Principal Kyna Hogg announced the total to our kids at an assembly this morning. To celebrate this fundraising effort the kids got to wear pajamas and have an all-school dance party today.
We are so grateful to the support of community and want to say thank you! We are within reach of our goal to raise $50,000 to complete the full playfield project. We are continuing to take donations via our online site: gatewoodplayfield.org and by donations of checks or cash to the Gatewood Elementary School office. We can’t wait to see our 400 elementary and preschool kids enjoying an amazing new outdoor play space soon!
One of them will be Gwen, whose mom Elissa e-mailed to tell us about her planned fundraising sale this Sunday:
Our daughter Gwen is in the 2nd grade at Gatewood. Her favorite thing right now is collecting little Japanese puzzle erasers; she has dozens of them. She also is really passionate about donating her money to help Gatewood build a new playground and soccer field. So she came up with the awesome idea to sell brand-new erasers, in the package, to help raise money for the playground.
We squared things away with Wildwood Market to give Gwen a venue for selling the erasers. She’ll be at the store on Sunday, Nov 19, from 1 pm to 4 pm, or until she’s out of erasers. If she sells all the erasers we bought for the sale, she can make a huge contribution to the playground fund. Even better, her handsome dad works for a company that doubles charitable contributions, so your eraser money will go twice as far.
Erasers will be $2 each or 3 for $5, and they’re brand new, unopened, official and genuine, direct from the US Iwako distributor (the real deal). Get there early for the best selection, we have a mix of little animals and little rubber desserts. 100% of the eraser money will go straight to Gatewood on Monday morning, and Dad’s company will follow up with a matching grant.
Wildwood is at 9214 45th SW.
Late add to the list of what’s up today/tonight due to a mail mixup – Take the family to see “Moana” at West Seattle High School. It’s free to get in – and then you can buy treats to support the school’s ASB! 7 pm; bring your own chairs/blankets/etc.; the movie will be shown in the Commons, so enter from the parking lot. WSHS is at 3000 California SW.
(WSB reader photo by Candace from Christmas Ship’s past visit)
As we continue assembling this year’s WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – we’ve received this announcement of a brand-new West Seattle holiday event, a fun(draiser) for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society. Reservations required, and the announcement explains how:
If you have ever wanted to watch and listen to the Argosy Christmas Ship Cruise in comfort and hang out with some super-awesome people, please join with us for “Seasonal Sounds On The Sound” at Harbor Park Condominium complex, 1727 Harbor Avenue SW, on Saturday, December 9th, 2017!
This 21-and-older event is from 3 pm – 6:30 pm and includes live holiday music on site, beverages, and food, along with a FRONT ROW seat for the Argosy Christmas Ship stop along Harbor Avenue!
This hosted holiday fundraiser benefits the SW Seattle Historical Society.
You may know about the Log House Museum on Alki Beach, but there are many other things that our local historical society does to promote the heritage and history of this area. (Most recently, think “We ❤ The Junction” campaign which successfully landmarked both the Campbell and Hamm buildings at the Alaska Junction, “Words, Writers & West Seattle” on the first Friday of each month at Barnes & Noble, ongoing school assembly programs, and more.)
A suggested donation of $50 per person is appreciated and will be a wonderful opportunity for you & a date to ring in the holiday spirit and still leave time to enjoy other holiday activities that day!
Details below – and remember… all proceeds benefit the SWSHS! Space is limited so RSVP by emailing director@loghousemuseum.info right away!
While “Seasonal Sounds on the Sound”is a special one-time only event, December 9th is one of two days this season with Christmas Ship stops off the West Seattle shore – three stops that night, one stop on December 14th, all listed on our calendar and on the official Christmas Ship website.
An addition to this year’s calendar of fundraising run/walks in West Seattle – the first-ever Amazon Turkey Trot is happening in Lincoln Park next Saturday, November 18th, 7:30 am. (It was moved from the originally planned South Lake Union location “due to heavy construction,” according to the event poster.)
It’s a fundraiser for Northwest Harvest, which works with food banks and other parters to fight hunger. Organizers stress that the Turkey Trot is a casual 5K, no timing chips, though they promise a clock at the finish line. There’ll be a “kids’ dash” for 10 and under, too.
Everyone’s welcome to participate, even if you aren’t connected to Amazon – scroll down this page to register.
P.S. We are also including this to the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide, covering the season through New Year’s Day and launching shortly – if you have anything for the guide, please send us the info soon as you can – editor@westseattleblog.com – thank you!
Thanks to Linnea Westerlind for the photo of Gatewood Elementary students and mascot today outside West Seattle Thriftway (WSB sponsor), where she reports they had a “fun, soggy time” talking to people about the Gatewood Playfield Project (featured here earlier this week). Less than a week into the campaign, they are about a quarter of the way toward their goal of $50,000 to replace the rutted playfield so the students – and neighbors, outside school hours – have someplace decent to play. This new video shows you what it’s all about:
The video was put together, with dozens participating in a shoot during yesterday’s day off from school, by alumni dad and local videographer Barry J. White, who donated his time. Want to help? Here’s how.
(Rendering of design for new playfield)
As previewed in our coverage of last month’s Morgan Community Association meeting, the Gatewood Elementary PTA is raising money to fix the school’s playfield, and the campaign has officially begun. Here’s the announcement:
The campaign runs through November 17 and aims to raise $50,000 from donations from parents, neighbors, local businesses and community members.
THE PRESENT: The Gatewood Elementary playfield is in terrible condition with poor drainage that is prone to flooding and uneven ground that is no longer usable for sports or activities. Kids are choosing to play sports on the asphalt instead of the playfield.
THE FUTURE: Plans for the new Gatewood playfield include:
High-quality grass playing field and new irrigation
New track for running/walking/biking
Nature-inspired play spaces with logs, boulders and native plants
New wheelchair-accessible play area with a unique “Gatewood Gator” sculpture
Trees to provide much-needed shadeWHO BENEFITS: More than 400 Gatewood elementary and Cottage preschool students use the playfield every school day. Cottage’s summer program serves more than 50 kids. The new playfield and track will also be a fantastic new amenity for our West Seattle neighbors to use during non-school hours.
FUNDING: The Gatewood Elementary PTA has been awarded a $100,000 matching grant from the city of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods. We need to raise an additional $50,000 to complete the project.
CONSTRUCTION: The PTA plans to complete construction on the new playfield this school year. The project is out for contractor bidding right now. The last day to submit a sealed bid is Monday, Dec. 4, at 11 a.m. Details available on request.
You can donate online at gatewoodplayfield.org. The PTA also welcomes business sponsorships – you can e-mail gatewoodplayfield@gmail.com for details, or if you have questions. The PTA notes that it “is a 501c3 nonprofit and donations are tax-deductible to the extent determined by law.”
(Photos courtesy Urban Homestead Foundation)
“We need a hero to save this land and legacy before it’s lost forever.”
That’s what it’s come down to for the West Seattle volunteers who founded the Urban Homestead Foundation, as they now have less than 8 weeks left to finish raising the money needed for a rare remaining open-space site in West Seattle, right across the street from the area’s most-populous elementary school.
The grass-roots group won a $281,000 matching grant from the King County Conservation Futures Fund, as reported here last June. That was a major achievement. But the key word there is “matching.”
The land at stake, dubbed the Dakota Homestead, is at 50th SW and SW Dakota [map], to purchase the lot, on the corner of SW Dakota and 50th Avenue SW. It’s city-owned – a decommissioned substation – and holds 20 mature trees, six of them with “exceptional” status. The foundation has been working for more than a year and a half to manage the land as a neighborhood preserve and gathering space, a hub for urban gardening and environmental education.
But they have to have the money to buy it by the end of the year. That’s where the hero, or heroes, come in, says foundation board member Phoebe Ingraham: “We are confident a visionary family, an energized community member or local businesses will respond to this call and save the day with a major gift. We need a hero to save this land and legacy before it’s lost forever. It’s the 11th hour on this unique opportunity. This green space represents West Seattle’s past, present, and future.”
The Urban Homestead Foundation has raised money and awareness, and along with securing the grant, they’ve pulled together $30,000 from neighbors. On the same June day that foundation supporters celebrated the big matching-fund grant, for example, a Girl Scout troop stopped by to donate $350:
(Photo courtesy UHF president Katie Stemp)
And now, they need major gifts totaling at least $300,000 before the end-of-year deadline.
The community supporters include Gerrit Kischner, principal of Genesee Hill Elementary across the street. He sees the site as “a natural classroom. Right now, much of the space is closed up and cut off from the community. Urban Homestead Foundation wants to do better for students and neighbors. I urge local families, individuals and businesses to consider their deep ties to this area, learn about the vision, and to step forward. It would be an incredible legacy to capture this moment in time and preserve the Homestead for future generations.” He’s one of the people you’ll hear from in this video about the site:
Donations are tax-deductible; information about how to give is here. December 31st is the deadline.
That’s Pellegrini, onstage at The Skylark (3803 Delridge Way SW) when we stopped in toward the start of tonight’s 2nd annual Benefit Concert for the Homeless. 10+ bands are on the lineup tonight, $12 cover (unless you bought an advance ticket), with all proceeds going to benefit Mary’s Place, which helps families experiencing homelessness (and opened a shelter in nearby White Center earlier this year).
(WSB photos)
The West Seattle Helpline‘s new executive director Erin Dury Moore and her predecessor Chris Langeler were at The Hall at Fauntleroy tonight along with a big roomful of people supporting the Helpline mission: Emergency assistance for thousands of neighbors in need.
The “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” began with beverages, and then, along with dinner and live/silent auction bidding, was headed toward a dessert dash:
And if you bought at least $50 in raffle tickets, you got to light up the night with a blinking ring:
Tonight’s guest speaker was Gregg Hersholt, a longtime local radio journalist and West Seattleite who served as the Helpline’s first board president in the ’90s, a few years after wife Maureen Hersholt co-founded the nonprofit.
P.S. Didn’t get to go to tonight’s event? You can still support the Helpline any time.
(Sanislo Elementary students, Judah Nellis and Charlie Kestler measuring an old garden bed during first Sanislo Sprouts event)
So much happening tomorrow, it’s a good thing the next round of possible snow isn’t supposed to arrive until late tomorrow night! We’ve already previewed several major events. Here’s another one that could use your help, happening tomorrow morning at Sanislo Elementary on Puget Ridge. From Rebecca Evans:
The idea was of a school garden, STEM outdoor-learning program, sparked through teacher suggestions in a survey we ran at the end of last year, and a few fellow Sanislo parents recently began seeking ways to make it a reality. Before we knew it, there was an outpouring of support for this idea. Our principal, district projects coordinator, Pathfinder’s Earth Project, and a non-profit organization, Washington Green Schools have partnered with our garden committee and the PTA to literally build us a garden in an afternoon. Washington Green Schools offers two “Days of Service” a year wherein they help make green projects, like school gardens, come to fruition with the help of sponsors like construction companies and corporate donors.
It’s going to be a beautiful space, designed to facilitate hands-on learning, science exploration and curiosity! We also want to use our garden space as an opportunity to explore gardening in a way the matches our school’s diversity by growing herbs and vegetables that resonate with our school’s families and global food culture. We hope to generate produce that can be shared at snack times and harvested by our student community. We are so excited for the endless possibilities this brings for the students of Sanislo.
Our Day of Service will be held on Saturday, November 4th from 9:00 am to 12 pm. This is a family-friendly, all-welcome, garden-building event. Children are encouraged to take part in building their school garden. There will be volunteers from local businesses, Abbott Construction, Washington Green Schools, Pathfinder, Trinity Church and Sanislo Elementary.
We are so fortunate to have support from local partners to create the space, and hope more join in over time so we can create sustainability for years to come.
Sanislo is at 1812 SW Myrtle.
(WSB photo, Thanksgiving 2016)
Thanksgiving is three weeks from today and it’s time to start talking holidays. If you haven’t already seen the listing in the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar, this year will be the 19th for the free, open-to-all Thanksgiving dinner at The Hall at Fauntleroy. It’s a chance to give as well as receive, as explained in the announcement:
Expect a full sit-down meal, from salad to unlimited trips to the dessert bar. Hours will be noon to 3 pm, with seating whenever you arrive.
This meal is for all comers. If cooking is too much for you this year or your plans change at the last minute, come. Many guests arrange to meet friends or family members there.
A feature of this dinner in the Fauntleroy Schoolhouse (9131 California Ave. SW) is the giveaway table for guests in need. Donations of kids clothing are encouraged, with an emphasis this year on new socks (any size) and blankets. Pies, cookies, and other desserts are especially welcome.
Bring donations to The Hall at Fauntleroy on Thanksgiving 10 am – 1 pm or call 206-932-1059 to arrange your drop-off the afternoon before.
P.S. If you have a holiday-season event to announce, please send us the information as soon as you can (editor@westseattleblog.com – plain text in the body of your e-mail) so we can get it into the calendar and the forthcoming WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – thank you!
It’s not just November – it’s Movember! Maybe a man you know is taking part in this fundraiser. If not, West Seattleite Mat McBride would be happy to have your support. His before-and-after pics from just the other day:
Mat’s pitch:
Ever notice that in the month of November there’s a spike in per-capita mustaches? It’s not a trick of the light, it’s a real thing known as Movember.
Movember, in case you were not aware, is a foundation that raises money for men’s health – specifically prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health/suicide prevention. The last item is why I’m participating this year. A young man I know took his life not too long ago, after some bad luck came his way. This happens too often, it doesn’t have to be that way, and rather than feel powerless about it I’m growing a dang mustache.
Why the mustache? Because people tend to say things like “Dude, what’s up with the ‘Stache?” And then, I’ll tell them. Start a dialog, and maybe raise some money for good causes as well (the Movember Foundation is aiming to reduce the rate of male suicide by 25% by 2030, and I want to help them get there).
You can join Mat’s team – and/or donate to Mat’s team – by going here.
P.S. If you don’t know Mat, he is a prolific community giver/advocate – many current and past projects, including the renovation of the “castle” playground at Roxhill Park, and his continued service as chair of the Delridge Neighborhoods District Council.
From Lisa:
Chief Sealth International High School sends a big thank you to our wonderful community for sending in donations of gently used clothing, school supplies, and toiletries. Your generosity helps our homeless, foster, and low-income students.
We’re currently looking for donations of:
new socks of all kinds — athletic, men’s & women’s dress, warm and casual
new women’s panties and men’s boxer-briefs in all sizes
new or gently used hooded sweatshirts, raincoats, and winter coats
new or gently used gloves and mittens
new or gently used athletic pants and shorts
business wear for young women — blazers, skirts, dress pants, dresses and tops
business wear for young men — suits, jackets, white shirts and tiesYou may drop off donations at the school office Mondays – Fridays, 8 am – 4:30 pm. If you have any questions, please email Lisa Conley, parent volunteer, at lisalconley@hotmail.com. Thanks for thinking of our students!
Chief Sealth IHS is at 2600 SW Thistle.
Before we get too much further into fall, it’s still prime time for planting, and that’s what Green Seattle Day is all about next Saturday (November 4th). If you can help out 9 am-noon, three West Seattle spots would appreciate your tree-planting TLC, including:
Westcrest Park in Highland Park – get details and RSVP here
Duwamish Head Greenbelt in East Admiral – get details and RSVP here
Me-Kwa-Mooks along Beach Drive – get details and RSVP here
All ages welcome – tools (and more) provided.
Next Friday (November 3rd), you’re invited to enjoy an evening out while ensuring that the West Seattle Helpline can continue assisting people who otherwise might find themselves out on the street. The annual Neighbors Helping Neighbors dinner/auction at The Hall at Fauntleroy (6-9 pm) is five days away, and ticket sales are scheduled to end tonight at midnight. Get yours here, right now; the Helpline invites you to “join us in celebrating and strengthening our wonderful West Seattle community. We can’t wait to spend a fantastic evening with our favorite friends and neighbors!” The nonprofit steps in to offer emergency assistance with rent, utilities, even clothing. Your generosity helps them keep doing that work.
Got your ticket(s) yet? Saturday’s the night you can masquerade in the spirit of the season, while also dining, dancing, and bidding to help the West Seattle Community Orchestras support student music. The reminder from WSCO:
Come dance to the great sounds of the West Seattle Big Band and listen to topnotch musicians of the West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) as they get you in the swing of things at this year’s annual gala!
Here’s the general plan:
6:00-7:15: Doors open, cocktail reception, silent auctions, entertainment by WSCO musicians
7:15: Buffet dinner served
7:55-8:40: Live auction, raise the paddle, dessert dash
8:40++: Dancing to the West Seattle Big Band!Generous supporters have donated very special items for our silent and live auctions:
Tray of WSCO “Masquerade Fantasie” Drinks
Alaska Junction Pack (ArtsWest, Matador, Husky Deli, Cupcake Royale)
Canlis and Seattle Symphony
Conducting Opportunity (you’ve always wanted to lead an orchestra!)
Wine Cellar
Dinner and a Play (10 Mercer and Seattle Shakespeare Company)
Coffee, Tea & Chocolate Pack (Ampersand Cafe, C&P Coffee, Caffe Ladro)
Paradise in Cabo!There are many, many more fabulous items to bid on. Here’s a partial list of donors:
Bartells Drug Store | Bakery Nouveau | Seattle Shakespeare Company
Heavy Restaurant Group | Boehms Candy | C&P Coffee | MoPOP | West5 | Fresh Flours | ACT Theater | Pagliacci Pizza | MOHAI | Northwest Symphony Orchestra | Trader Joe’s | Seattle Theater Group | Seattle Symphony | Alki Spud | MarketSpice | Puzzle Break | Philharmonia Northwest | Seattle Thunderbirds |
Photography by Chris Leavitt | Jet City Improv | Emerald Downs | Museum of Flight | 5th Avenue Theatre |
Great Harvest | Grand Central Bakery | Seattle Theatre Group |10 Mercer | Ampersand Cafe | Seattle Seahawks | Elegant Electrolysis | Lake Union Civic Orchestra | Plus Friends of the Orchestras!Your support will help WSCO continue to provide FREE participation and instruction in orchestral and band music for our student musicians.
Hope to see you there: Saturday, October 28, 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. at Alki Masonic Lodge, 4736 40th Ave. SW. Tickets are on sale online now or at the door ($35 adults 18+, $20 students and seniors):
Oh, yes! This year’s theme is Masquerade for Musicians: A mysterious night benefiting student music in West Seattle. Diners are encouraged to contribute to the fun by donning a costume — Halloween-themed or otherwise. Wear a costume—or not!—but don’t forget your dancing shoes!
(File photo: Unloading car full of donations from past drive)
Neighbors in need will be thrilled to get your donation of coats and other winter clothing this fall – and an easy way to give is via the Dave Newman State Farm Insurance Agency‘s annual drive for West Seattle Helpline, now in its first week. Here’s the announcement:
Week one of our annual clothing drive in support of the West Seattle Helpline is now under way. So far we have one full barrel of much-needed winter clothing to help our less-fortunate friends and neighbors.
Dave Newman State Farm Insurance agency will continue to collect clean donations of clothes, coats, and shoes until January 1st. The dropoff location is 3435 California Ave SW [map].
For those who have donations but are unable to transport their clothes, coats and shoes to the donation location, pickup may be available. For further information, contact the State Farm office at 206-932-1878.
Dave Newman’s office is open 9 am-5 pm weekdays.
Combine costumes and community … and you get a chance to support student music via the West Seattle Community Orchestras! Tickets are now available for the WSCO gala, starring – here’s the announcement:
Masquerade for Musicians: West Seattle Community Orchestras’ 2017 Gala
Enjoy special music! Partake of scrumptious food! Giggle at the costumed diners! Dance with the dazzling sounds of the West Seattle Big Band!
What more could you ask for?!
West Seattle Community Orchestras (WSCO) invite the community to enjoy a very special Gala evening Saturday, October 28, from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. at the Alki Masonic Lodge, 4736 40th Ave. SW.
This year’s theme is Masquerade for Musicians — A mysterious night benefiting student music in West Seattle. Diners are encouraged to contribute to the fun by donning a costume — Halloween-themed or otherwise.
You can help WSCO provide FREE participation for student musicians while having fun! Join us for a great evening of music, dining, and dancing to the swinging sounds of the West Seattle Big Band — a great local asset and our gracious event sponsor.
Andrew Emory, WSCO board member, French horn player extraordinaire, and our Gala host, extends an invitation:
Tickets are on sale now ($35 adults 18+, $20 students and seniors): Go here.
Wear a costume — or not! — but don’t forget your dancing shoes!
After an Admiral woman was stabbed last week while walking with her baby on 41st SW, many people asked how the community could help with her recovery. Now, there’s a way. This afternoon, friends of the victim launched a crowdfunding page for Sarah Hanson and her family, and just shared the link with us so we could share it with you. While she is home from the hospital, as we reported in last week’s ongoing coverage of the attack and the ensuing arrest, her friends explain that she has a long road to recovery:
She is suffering from a number of knife wounds to her head and face that required many stitches and two damaged tendons in her left hand that will take 12 weeks of healing and physical therapy until she can use it again.
Besides trying to recover physically and emotionally from this terrifying and traumatic experience, her left arm and hand are completely bandaged and unusable, leaving her unable to pick up her wiggly baby and do independently many of the things for him that he needs during the course of each day (picking up, diapering, nursing, dressing, buckling into carseat, and getting to her physical therapy appointments with him in tow). In short, she needs someone with her all the time so she can care for him.
We are raising funds to help cover costs for professional helpers that will be with her every weekday for the 10 weeks after her husband and mom return to work, voice-activation software so she can continue her work at home without the use of her left hand, extra meal deliveries beyond what friends are bringing, and a little extra to cover unexpected costs.
Thank you in advance for your generosity!
Meantime, the woman charged with assault for attacking Sarah and threatening a man who tried to help remains in jail, her bail set at $400,000, awaiting arraignment next week.
One year ago, goats took on the 22nd SW/SW Henderson slope – “before” photo above, “after” photo below:
Next Saturday (October 21st), volunteers of all ages – with community-service credit available for students – are invited to a followup cleanup. The photos and announcement are from Sara Dominguez:
REMEMBER THE GOATS?
Last year, through a neighborhood grant from the city, about 50 goats from Vashon came over to clear out blackberry and ivy from an overgrown area by the stairs at 22nd and SW Henderson St. Then community members worked to clear out the trash, lay down geotextile, and spread mulch to deter future overgrowth and negative activity that seems to increase with it. It is time to finish the laying of the textile on part two and mulching with donated mulch from the city.
WE NEED YOU (and your toes protected in sturdy shoes and hands protected by gloves if possible) to help lay the textile and spread the mulch. We’re hoping to get most of it done in one day and have a tool trailer with shovels and wheel barrows for the day. Please come on by from 10-4 to make it happen.
A certified Seattle Public School Teacher will be on hand to help students earn their community service hours and sign forms if they are in need of fulfilling their 60 hours. Come one, Come all.
When: Saturday, October 21st, 2017 10 am-4 pm
Location: Stairs leading up from 22nd and Henderson
Clothing required: Closed toed shoes, heavy pants (jeans better than leggings), raincoat/pants for the weather, and gloves would be helpful
For students – “six possible service Hours to be earned (and followup dates if you would like to continue with the project and earn more.” Contact srframe1@seattleschools.org for more info.
Last year’s goat-enhanced cleanup was a followup to the Westwood/Roxhill Find It, Fix It Walk (WSB coverage here) two months earlier.
Of all the ways to volunteer … ever done it as a bingo caller? That’s just one of the roles the Senior Center of West Seattle is looking to fill, after some recent turnover, and really, it can be good for you, even if you THINK you don’t have the time:
The power of volunteering has been documented for the last 2,500+ years; however, a slew of recent research is shedding even more light onto its surprising benefits. Science now proves what great leaders and philosophers have known for years. Here are five benefits of volunteering:
-Volunteering time makes you feel like you have more time
-Volunteering builds bonds and creates friends
-Experience improved health and well-being
-Learn new skills
-Know that you can make a powerful difference
The Senior Center of West Seattle has several exciting volunteer openings:
– Receptionist, Thursday afternoons 1-5 pm
– BINGO Caller! Fridays 10:30-2:30 pm
– Stop N’ Shop Thrift Shop, Saturdays 10-1 pm
– Café & Kitchen, various openings!
If you are interested in making a difference in your community, and working to enhance the lives of our local senior community, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Sara, at 206-932-4044 x8, or email her at sarah@soundgenerations.org.
On a Friday afternoon two months ago, a young man’s life ended in a car parked on Beach Drive SW alongside Emma Schmitz Overlook. We reported briefly on his death, determined to have been by suicide; those who knew and loved him have maintained a memorial in his honor nearby. And today a friend e-mailed, with his family’s permission, to invite you to support a campaign for a permanent memorial in honor of 20-year-old Miguel Sanchez Sampablo – a bench in a West Seattle park. Ava Olsen says, “As you likely know, the entire community was shaken by the devastating loss of Miguel Sanchez, who was one of our best friends and sweetest souls I have ever met.” Many knew him from his years at Chief Sealth International High School and Denny International Middle School, and from his job at Marination Ma Kai, where a benefit was held for his family. Ava says they have already obtained permission from Seattle Parks for the proposed bench. The crowdfunding page that’s been set up is here.
Remember that anyone with thoughts of self-harm can reach the Crisis Clinic 24/7, 206-461-3222.
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