That’s nationally renowned activist Van Jones, talking about how High Point’s new Neighborhood Center is going to set a national precedent, during his Seattle appearance in May. (That’s actually the third of three videos from his speech; part 1 is here, part 2 is here.) Tonight is your next chance to get involved with the Neighborhood Center and its “green revolution,” looking ahead to its groundbreaking next month – tonight there’s an orientation/training session for volunteers. First, find out more about what’s happening with the project — read the article sent to us by Cathy Cooper, then check out several different ways to help with NH:

West Seattle is the Center of the Green Revolution. Really!

Did you know that West Seattle is the center of a new movement to combine the fight for environmental justice with the fight against poverty? And that the state¹s largest single array of solar panels will be installed not on some fancy office building, but on a new Neighborhood House Neighborhood Center in the redeveloped High Point Community?

Seattle seems to breed innovative thinkers who change the rules of the game (think Microsoft, Amazon …). Now we’re on the forefront of a new civil-rights movement that combines environmental activism with social
justice, according to Van Jones, president and co-founder of Green for All. Jones, who spoke to a crowd of 750 plus guests at Neighborhood House¹s annual breakfast in May [see video above], sees the economic opportunities that await low-income families who join the green revolution. Jones champions green economic development as a means to promote social justice, empower working Americans, and preserve our fragile environment. He welcomed the new Neighborhood Center as a model for a revolutionary future – a “green wave,
that can lift all boats.”

Neighborhood House, a human-service provider which has served our low-income neighbors for 102 years, is leading the way. The new Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified Neighborhood House High Point Neighborhood Center will consume half the energy of a similarly sized building. It will feature high-efficiency windows, a ground source pump, solar panels and other design element to obtain LEED certification at the gold level. The building will harvest rain water from the roof to water rain gardens and slow the flow of storm water into Long Fellow Creek. The building will be constructed with environmentally-friendly building materials to help maintain carbon balance and reduce the introduction of toxins into the ecosystem.

Designed to be the heart of the High Point community, the Neighborhood Center is where the community’s low-income residents, many whom are refugees and immigrants, will receive the support they need to attain self-sufficiency. Some will receive job training, others transportation. Some will take ESL classes, others will send their preschoolers to Head Start. The center’s large rooms and terraces will be places where the entire community can come to meet their neighbors, celebrate with friends, and learn from each other.

This building will also become a green teaching tool; a multicultural learning laboratory where visitors can hear the personal stories of High Point families from around the world, who can teach us their native culture’s approach to sustainability while we experiencing state-of-the-art ecological advances. School children can be given guided tours of the center, and a walking tour of the area will encourage families to learn how the community interacts with the nearby parks, creeks and ponds that surround it.

According to Jones, we are the first place in the country where the weaving together of social justice, racial justice and environmental justice has taken root in a visible way. We are at the center of a fundamental change in the way humans approach their world. Be a part of this change.

—Cathy Cooper
(Cathy has lived in West Seattle for over 20 years, is a former board president of Neighborhood House and currently heads up the Capital Campaign¹s PR committee.)

Cathy also sent this info on the ways you can get involved with Neighborhood House, starting with what’s happening tonight:

How Can You Help?

*Join one of the local committees helping to promote this project by attending the volunteer training and orientation tonight (Wednesday) from 6 to 7:30 PM at the High Point branch of the Seattle Public Library. E-mail peterw@nhwa.org for more information.

*Donate to the Capital Campaign (We¹ve raised over $10.5 million or 81% of our $13 million goal).

*Buy a campaign t-shirt and wear it proudly!

*Mark your calendar to attend the groundbreaking for the new Neighborhood House Neighborhood Center on August 16 from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM

*Visit our booth at the West Seattle Summer Fest July 11-13 and pick up one of the green revolution buttons.

Visit www.nhwa.org to find out more, make a donation or buy a t-shirt and e-mail jen.rosenbrook@nhwa.org to volunteer.