West Seattle, Washington
23 Wednesday
Just received from the White Center Food Bank, which also serves part of West Seattle, and they describe the request as urgent:
The White Center Food Bank depends on donations of bread, produce, meat and non-perishable food to help feed the clients. Can you or someone you know fill this important position at the White Center Food Bank by volunteering one morning/early afternoon shift a week as driver? Volunteer drivers must be able to lift 35 pounds & have a valid drivers license with no driving infractions. Training and food bank van provided. Commitment of six months requested. Contact Audrey Zemke at (206) 762-2848 or audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org to volunteer or for information. Come ride along and help out for a shift to see what it’s like if you’re curious.
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
Sixteen people filled the board room at Fauntleroy Schoolhouse last night for the Fauntleroy Community Association‘s monthly board meeting. One of the major items of business was something YOU can help with right now – if you live and/or work in the Fauntleroy area:
THE SURVEY: To find out more about how best to serve the community, among other things, FCA is conducting a survey right now. It was announced via their website and Facebook page, as well as via postal-mail postcard, and more than 180 responses have come in so far. As the group gets ready for its annual membership meeting (more on that shortly), they would love to get hundreds more – since it asks about a wide range of community issues and concerns. If you have ties to Fauntleroy, here’s where the survey begins.
Ahead – a new wildlife advocacy group debuted at the FCA meeting, and the group was briefed on two big King County Wastewater Treatment Division projects in the area:
We’ve been reporting on local schools/classrooms taking Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Marcia Ingerslev and her students up on the challenge to collect at least 100 nonperishable food items, to commemorate the 100th day of school. For Seattle Public Schools, that’s February 20th; for some independent schools, it’s earlier, like Holy Rosary School, whose Lynne Crockett mentioned their kindergarteners’ food drive in a WSB comment yesterday; we subsequently requested a photo, and here it is!
We loved the idea of collecting 100 cans of food for the food bank. Between Mrs. Crockett and Mrs. Clarke’s classes, we collected over 200 cans of food for the White Center Food Bank. Attached is a photo of Reese, in the back of her family SUV among the bags of canned goods going to be delivered to the food bank. Again, thanks to the other schools who gave us this great idea!
The other schools participating have chosen to collect for the West Seattle Food Bank; as we frequently note, WC Food Bank serves part of West Seattle as well. Congratulations to everybody who’s joined in, and we’ll be happy to publish other progress reports/results too.
Big news for the little dancers of Gildenfire and their leader Jenna Lutton. They’ll soon have a permanent studio, reports Megan Kelton-Rehkopf (who also shared the photo from their latest performance):
On Neighborhood Appreciation Day (Saturday), Jenna Lutton’s Gildenfire Dance held their annual performance for the residents at The Kenney. At the end of the performance, Jenna announced that Gildenfire has found a permanent home and she’s launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise $5500 for a dance floor and mirrors to transform the space into an amazing dance studio. The new home of Gildenfire will be in White Center, located behind McLendon’s.
Here’s the link to the Gildenfire fundraising page on IndieGogo – as of this writing, already two-thirds of the way to the goal!
Hotcakes were the hot ticket for breakfast in West Seattle this morning, judging by the turnout at Hiawatha Community Center‘s annual benefit breakfast. The pancakes and sides were cooked up outside …
… and served fresh inside, as fast as staffers and volunteers could work:
Festive fruit, too:
We’ll be checking on the final tally – which goes to make sure that everybody who wants to take part in Hiawatha’s programs can do just that, regardless of their financial situation. A flyer handed out at the breakfast included highlights of upcoming programs and events, which you can browse in the newest West Seattle Community Centers (WSB sponsor) catalog, online.
In the West Duwamish Greenbelt, steps away from the south end of the South Seattle Community College (WSB sponsor) campus, a delegation from Seattle Sounders FC took the field – well, the forest – this afternoon. They were there to help the Nature Consortium in the West Seattle nonprofit’s ongoing quest to help heal and restore the city’s longest stretch of contiguous forest. Their task today: Plant trees that NC obtained through the Forterra C3 grant, in which the Sounders are a founding partner. (From left in our photo, Sounders team members Alex Caskey and Babayele Sodade; Nature Consortium’s Monica Thomas; Sounders’ Andy Rose, and Sounders rep Jessica Hancock)
P.S. You can help out in the forest too – find out how here – and the NC also would love to see you at SODO Park on March 21st for their next gala fundraiser, Deep Roots (with WSB among the co-sponsors) – ticket info here.
(WSB photo from 2011’s Hiawatha pancake breakfast)
No need to cook your own breakfast this Sunday – join your neighbors at Hiawatha Community Center (2700 California SW) for an annual tradition – all-you-can-eat pancakes, with proceeds going to cover program costs for those having trouble affording them otherwise. Hiawatha’s Tiffani Melake tells us it all starts at 8 on Sunday (February 10), $6 for ages 13-64, $5 for kids 3-12, $4 for ages 65 and up, 2 and under free.
The West Seattle Food Bank‘s first open house of the year did double duty – the Thursday night event also served as the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce’s “after-hours” gathering, first one in a few months. Everyone who visited got a chance to peek behind the scenes at the food bank (p.s. – here’s how to donate).
P.S. Next up for the Chamber – its annual meeting, set for noon February 19th at The Kenney (WSB sponsor) – details here.
Last night, we got word that classes at Schmitz Park Elementary would join the 100 Days of School Food-Drive Challenge launched by Arbor Heights Elementary‘s Room 16, with Alki Elementary and Cometa Playschool on board too. The goal is to collect at least 100 nonperishable food items for the West Seattle Food Bank by the 100th day of school – February 20th.
Tonight, two more schools: First we heard from Gatewood Elementary parent Jennifer Dempsey, sharing this news:
Donna Schwendeman’s first grade class at Gatewood Elementary would like to join Ms. Ingerslev’s class in their 100th day food-drive challenge. Ms. Schwendeman, the students, and parents are looking forward to making a great contribution to our local food bank.
And then via the West Seattle STEM Elementary Facebook page, we learned that their school is accepting the challenge and joining too – which means at least six schools so far. Details on the STEM collection plans are here. (And as they point out, even if you’re not involved with a school, you can help the WS Food Bank any time – see how at westseattlefoodbank.org.)
It’s been one week since Marcia Ingerslev‘s class at Arbor Heights Elementary announced its 100th Day of School Food Drive, hoping to collect 100 nonperishable food items by that day (2/20/13), and challenging other West Seattle classrooms/schools to join in. Tonight, we have word of more participants, this time from Schmitz Park Elementary! Mandy Cook, SP kindergarten teacher, e-mailed tonight to announce:
Schmitz Park Elementary is excited to take on the 100th Day of School Food Drive Challenge. Kindergarten, 3rd grade and 5th grade will be collecting non-perishables for the West Seattle Food Bank. Thanks for the great idea, Arbor Heights!!
Other participants we’ve heard from: Alki Elementary (here’s the Thursday story) and Cometa Playschool (also reported on Thursday). Anyone else? Let us know – thanks!
P.S. You’re also welcome to support Ms. Ingerslev’s class in their collection – here’s how.
Ready for a wardrobe refresh? This might be the ticket: A benefit women’s-clothing swap coming up three weeks from today in West Seattle, presented by and benefiting Early Days, a support organization for moms of babies. Read on for the official announcement:
Though the Special Olympics of Washington-benefiting Polar Plunge is being held at Lake Union this year, West Seattleites are participating, and one team from West Seattle High School is at Husky Deli in The Junction till about 4 pm to ask you to dive in with some support. If you don’t see this till later, you can donate online by going here. (Or, there’s still time to register to participate in the Polar Plunge, which is happening one week from tomorrow.)
Got stuff stacked up to shred? Tomorrow morning, you have a chance to get it done and do a good deed. A local team for the upcoming blood-cancer-fighting Big Climb is having a shredding event, $10 donation per box (cash/check), at 3703 California SW, 9 am-noon tomorrow. Here’s the calendar listing with details.
And we have word of another school joining the Arbor Heights Elementary Room 16 100th Day of School food-drive challenge. Room 16’s announcement came on Monday; then this afternoon, Alki Elementary announced it’s joining; and late tonight, we heard from Cometa Playschool‘s Manuela Slye:
Cometa Playschool students and teachers are excited to take the challenge and participate in the 100th day of school food donation for the West Seattle Food Bank. In the past we have organized food drives during the holiday season for Northwest Harvest, and we are thrilled this time we will be supporting our local food bank.
The 100th day of school is February 20th. Anybody else joined/joining? Let us know!
Back on Monday, Arbor Heights Elementary teacher Marcia Ingerslev shared the news that her class was collecting 100 items for the West Seattle Food Bank in honor of the upcoming 100th day of the school year – and challenged any and all other elementary classrooms in WS to join them. Today, we have word that Alki Elementary has accepted the challenge – fourth-grade teacher Anna Coghill sends word that notes will go home with students on Monday (there are no classes in the district tomorrow) to tell families that EVERY Alki classroom is hoping to collect 100 cans (or other non-perishable food items) by February 20th! (Anybody else? Let us know!)
(WSB photo from 2012 WestSide Baby Tea)
There’s still room at the table for you, at one of the biggest parties of the year – the WestSide Baby Benefit Tea, coming up February 10th, just one week from this Sunday. With auction items, surprises, and tea and treats in/on fine china, the party’s become so big that even though WS Baby is headquartered here in the West Seattle/White Center area, the benefit will be in its second year in a spacious room at the Hilton Seattle Conference Center a short way south. Tickets are $30, tables for 10 start at $250 – and you’ll be helping thousands, as WS Baby’s update explains:
WestSide Baby served 17% more local children in 2012 with essential items such as diapers, car seats, cribs and clothing valued at $1.6 million. That means 22,000 children received what they needed with most of those items being gently used things coming from local families passed through our doors to others. “We saw a great increase in need and a fantastic increase in support and volunteers in 2012 that allowed us to provide more to the most vulnerable among us, children in need,” shares Nancy Woodland, Executive Director of WestSide Baby. “The majority of what we give comes from local families and goes to support other local families. This is why our theme is ‘Families Helping Families, it’s just so simple. When one family is having a hard time, another can help. Our Tea gathers together many parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who inspire others in their own family to help. ”
(WSB photo from August 2012, Caspar Babypants at Summer Concerts @ Hiawatha)
Next Sunday starts with something “super” long before the football game: The musician with a big following among little fans is performing to benefit the scholarship fund for the South Seattle Community College Preschool Co-op. At 10 am on Sunday (February 3), Caspar Babypants performs at Brockey Center at SSCC (WSB sponsor). Proceeds will help pay tuition for preschool families in need. Admission is $10 at the door, kids under 1 free.
Here’s a challenge for you – a good one – and we’d dare say that you don’t have to be part of an elementary classroom to help out with this:
The Students of Room 16 at Arbor Heights Elementary are celebrating the 100th day of school by collecting 100 food items for the West Seattle Food Bank. We challenge all elementary classrooms in West Seattle elementary schools to collect 100 cans as well.
While we have the food in our classroom we will learn to read the labels. We will count the food and track our progress using tally marks and links on a paper chain. We will also sort the cans by size, weight, and food group.
We will be learning important reading and math skills while helping our community.
Last year our class donated more than 200 items of food for the food bank.
Please help us reach or exceed our goal.
Marcia Ingerslev
Proud teacher in Room 16
The West Seattle Food Bank and White Center Food Bank (whose service area includes part of West Seattle) both appreciate your donations any time – food or cash – click on their names in this line to get to their info-laden websites.
If everything goes according to plan, a major new bicycling event in this area will include West Seattle on its route. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is planning its first-ever fundraising bicycle ride, 
called Obliteride, coming up in August. Obliteride organizers e-mailed WSB to let us know about some points of West Seattle interest, including the route possibility – too soon to say for certain because they are still working on permits. One of the main point people for the ride is a West Seattleite – Mark Grantor, senior events manager; his background and interest in the cause are detailed in a story on the Obliteride site. They’re planning four routes – 25, 50, 100 miles on August 10th, 180 miles with an overnight stop in Tacoma, August 10-11. There’s an entry fee plus a fundraising commitment. Details and registration links are here. If you’re not ready to ride but would like to help, they’re also enlisting an army of volunteers.
Just out of the WSB inbox – you’re invited to come talk about a topic that many say isn’t discussed often (and openly) enough:
This Tuesday, January 22, 2013, at 7:00 PM in the Sanctuary of Hope Lutheran Church of West Seattle, the Hope Stephen Ministry group is hosting a discussion on community problems and opportunities related to current mental health legislation and issues, including those related to recent shootings and violence in the U.S.
Ann Christian, CEO of the Washington Community Mental Health Council, will respond to questions and present ways in which each of us can identify and help individuals in need and advocate for social change around this vital and ever-changing topic. This is a community-type meeting with no charge and all interested persons are welcome to attend.
Hope Lutheran Church is at 4456 42nd SW, just north of SW Oregon.
(West Seattle 5K 2012 photo by Debra Salazar Herbst)
Just four months from tomorrow – the morning of May 19th – the fifth annual West Seattle 5K will hit the street on Alki Avenue Southwest. Organizers are already signing up both runners/walkers and sponsors. (WSB has been a sponsor each year since the start, and we’re proud to be signing on again this year.) For runners/walkers, there are two incentives to sign up early: First, there’s a discount. Second, the first 100 people to register will qualify for a drawing to win a new pair of running shoes. The West Seattle 5K is a benefit for the West Seattle High School PTSA; registration and sponsorship information is all online at WestSeattle5K.com.
Still collecting opportunities for you to join in the MLK Day of Service next Monday on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. We’ve mentioned the Nature Consortium work party, and now we’ve heard from Stu Hennessey of West Seattle Spokespeople: Stu’s inviting local bike riders to join Spokespeople “for a clean-up-under-the-bridge work party. Meet at 2 pm under the West Seattle Bridge along the bike path. Tools provided by the WS Tool Library. It’s getting messy under there. Work party should be no more than two hours.”
A break in the rain provides a chance for those interested in helping the encampment on West Seattle’s southeastern edge that calls itself Nickelsville. They’ve just issued an invitation for a volunteer cleanup this weekend:
NICKELSVILLE – EVENT – Nickelsville Clean-up Day!
Saturday AND Sunday 1/12 & 1/13 – from 9 am to 3 pmHelp clean-up our Eco Friendly Camp – Free Hot Meal for helping, Friendly Folks, Beautiful Weather, 2 very cute Goats!
*bring your work gloves, boots ‘n tools and come lend a hand*
Nickelsville is located at 7116 W. Marginal Way SW, between 2nd Ave SW and Highland Park Way SW
ADDED FRIDAY NIGHT: For those considering joining in, WSB Forums member and longtime Nickelsville volunteer JoB has elaborated on what needs to be done there – more than what you might assume a “cleanup” to be. Here’s her Forums post.
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