West Seattle, Washington
18 Monday
By Tracy Record
West Seattle Blog editor
In these final moments of a holiday whose backstory stars a family seeking shelter, a West Seattle-based organization continues to work toward its dream of once again helping families find shelter.
Family Promise of Seattle has not yet reached its $90,000 goal – but that’s all they need to resume helping homeless families stay together, safe, and warm.
It’s been four months since Family Promise of Seattle put its sheltering operation on hold, as first reported here. The organization’s leaders decided they would reopen as soon as they raised $90,000 to fund adequate staff and resources for the intensive job of offering newly homeless families not just shelter, but also assistance in finding employment.
We sat in on Family Promise’s most recent fundraising committee and board meetings, back to back on a rainy night earlier this month. They had progress to celebrate, but a ways to go to the goal – and in less than a month, the board says it will decide whether to soldier on, or call it quits.
(WSB photo of promotional sign at West Seattle Farmers’ Market last Sunday)
There’s a whole lot of after-Christmas shopping to be done right here on the peninsula. (We’re compiling a list of sales/specials to publish tomorrow morning, so if you have or know of one, share the news!) One place you might be surprised to find specials, West Seattle Farmers’ Market. It’s open 10 am-2 pm tomorrow as always, and the market will observe Boxing Day in a unique way. Explains Chris Curtis: “Farmers have been encouraged to provide good deals in boxes all day long to market shoppers.” One more bonus: Stop by the information booth to ask about free Market Bucks to “spend on the spot … while supplies last,” according to the Seattle Farmers Markets page on Facebook. (If you’re new or visiting, the West Seattle Farmers’ Market is at 44th/Alaska.)
First saw a mention at KING5.com, then noted it’s also part of the newest “forecast discussion” from the National Weather Service: There’s a chance of lowland snow around here at midweek, forecasters say. Enough of a chance that the NWS has just issued a “special weather statement” about it – read it here. Excerpt (caps theirs):
THERE IS A CHANCE OF LOWLAND SNOW BEGINNING ABOUT WEDNESDAY AND LASTING INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. A DEEP UPPER TROUGH WILL SETTLE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON. PRECIPITATION WILL BE SHOWERY AND WILL DIMINISH BY THURSDAY. HOWEVER IT IS LIKELY THAT AT LEAST SOME OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE 30S AND LOWS IN THE 20S…SOME OF THE SNOW WILL STICK.
THIS SNOWFALL IS STILL FOUR DAYS AWAY AND THE FORECAST COULD CHANGE.
(Seems Cliff Mass mentioned this last night, too.)
While things are quiet on this Christmas Day, another set of West Seattle holiday scenes we’ve been saving up – photos from a gingerbread-house-making event at West Seattle Christian Church earlier this month.
We shot most of our photos at kid’s-eye level, but builders of all ages participated. The result here was described as “gingerbread house after an earthquake”:
The next one might qualify for the label “gingerbread doghouse”:
Some builders eschewed the “house” shape altogether:
But there’s also beauty in tradition:
Thanks to WSCC and EVERYONE around West Seattle who has sponsored fun holiday events, including many that doubled as charity fundraisers/donation drives, for the community this season (many of which we were honored to feature on our West Seattle Holidays page, which is now down to today and New Year’s Eve/Day – please let us know if you are having a public New Year’s event that’s not on the page yet).
(Taken in The Junction by smohundro, shared via the WSB Flickr group)
Merry Christmas!
We’ve updated the “who’s open for groceries/coffee/dining & drinks” list to winnow it down to just the businesses open today – including 9 coffee shops and more than a dozen places to get food. See the list here.
Metro’s on a Sunday schedule today; details here.
Looking for a Christmas Day church service in West Seattle? Check here.
Thinking about driving around to look at lights tonight? The schedule for the Helmstetler Family Christmas Spectacular (the music-synched lights at 3908 SW Charlestown) is here.
And if you’re mulling a movie – Admiral Theater opens at 4 this afternoon (movie listings/schedule here).
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