(WSB photos by Patrick Sand)

A celebration at noontime today in the West Seattle Triangle – the demonstration house that’s temporarily on American Legion Post 160‘s lawn was the backdrop for Impact West Seattle‘s first quarterly-gift presentation. The recipient of the $15,300 donation: The BLOCK Project. Here’s the announcement from Impact West Seattle:

Impact West Seattle is a newly founded coalition of women using their collective giving to make an impact on the major issues facing the area. The group is an example of so many people’s desire to ‘do something’ amidst a challenging political climate and in a city facing massive growth and major challenges.

‘We saw an opportunity to bring together a community of local women who want to learn more about local non-profits, and how collectively we can support them in a meaningful way’, according to Rachel Lazar, one of the six group founders. ‘Along with the growth of our city, the need has also grown, and there are so many people who want to help but don’t know where to start. We simply wanted to provide a platform for community, learning and action’.

Impact West Seattle provides a simple membership structure, requiring a $100 quarterly donation which goes directly to the non-profit selected by the group at each quarterly meeting. Prior to the start of each year, members select four quarterly giving themes and can nominate non-profits that fit within them to pitch to the full membership. In the quarterly meeting pitches, members learn about local non-profits and ultimately vote to determine which will receive the significant quarterly gift.

The giving group grew to over 150 women in the first few months prior to the first meeting and hopes to continue to grow in the West Seattle area, as well as to expand into other neighborhoods of Seattle and the Eastside. This fast growth demonstrates the need for these types of programs not only in our area, but across the Country.

The BLOCK Project, run by local non-profit Facing Homelessness, is the recipient of the first Impact West Seattle Gift. The housing and community building project invites community into the task of ending homelessness by placing a BLOCK home in the backyard of one single-family lot on every residentially zoned block in Seattle. Each 125 square foot home is beautifully designed to be sustainable, self-sufficient, and amenity-rich.

‘We are so incredibly grateful for Impact West Seattle’s generous donation’, said The BLOCK Project Executive Director Sara Vander Zanden. ‘This group models one of our organization’s core beliefs which is that the collective impact of many compassionate gestures can make a profound difference on this city and in the lives of people living outside. When each of us asks, “What can I do?” despite knowing we cannot do it all, we begin to end homeslessness.’

Funds from the Impact West Seattle donation will contribute directly towards the construction and landscaping of the six backyard BLOCK homes being built in 2019.

The BLOCK Project’s demo house is expected to be on display outside Post 160 for a few more months, until it’s moved to a permanent home – to become someone’s home.