Friday, Brian Teachout will be remembered at a service in West Seattle, just one week after his untimely death following an accident while putting up Christmas lights. Since our original story, which includes word of a fund to which you can contribute to help his wife and children, we have received word of two fundraisers: First, donations made at the Helmstetler Family Spectacular Christmas-lights show this Friday, Saturday and Sunday will go to the Teachout family, according to lights mastermind Jim Winder. Find out more about that here. And local glass artist Brad Burzynski is making ornaments to sell this Sunday, with all proceeds to the Teachout family – here are the details on what’s in the works:

Although he’s never met Brian or his family, a local glassblower has been so touched by their situation he’d like to do something nice to show his support. Tonight he’ll create 25 Christmas ornaments in honor of Brian. On Sunday, at the West Seattle Farmers Market, these ornaments will be available for the very reasonable price of $20 each. [photo from Uptown Glassworks glassblowing session added 12:18 am Friday]

100% of the proceeds from these ornaments will be given to the family on behalf of the people of West Seattle. Get there early because once they are gone, they’re gone. The ornaments will be boxed and come with a label indicating they were hand blown and the proceeds will be given to the family. What a great way to help a West Seattle neighbor and get a meaningful gift for someone you love. Be a part of one of the little things that makes West Seattle such a special place.

The Farmers’ Market is 10 am-2 pm at 44th/Alaska; we’ll update Sunday morning (here, Twitter, Facebook) with word on where exactly you can find him around the perimeter. Brian Teachout’s service is at noon tomorrow (Friday) at The Hall at Fauntleroy. And in addition to the fundraising efforts mentioned above, you can donate to the Teachout Family Fund at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.

Her name is Nevaeh – “Heaven spelled backward” – and though she’s been through hell, she is one of the smiliest 7-year-olds you’ll ever meet. We met Nevaeh Harm earlier this week at Southwest Youth and Family Services‘ headquarters in North Delridge earlier this week, a place where she and her mom Thyda Phan spend a lot of time. They are among the survivors of the September shootings in West Seattle in which Thyda’s mother shot and killed three Phan/Harm family members – Thyda’s husband and two teenage daughters – and herself. Thyda is the only one to have survived gunshot wounds; Nevaeh was shot at, as was her older brother Kevin, but they managed to escape with no physical injuries. Cara Kroenke at SWYFS has been helping the survivors find new places to live, and new belongings to replace what they lost in the destructive rampage – or never had at all. In our photo, Nevaeh was trying on a helmet to use with one of the bicycles donated to SWYFS by Nucor (here’s our story on that). Cara was awaiting results of an inspection for the White Center rental house found for the family, near Nevaeh’s elementary school. And for those who have asked for an update on what they still need from this list we published a week and a half ago, Cara talked with us – that info’s after the jump:Read More

(WSB photos by Ellen Cedergreen)
Two special holiday donation visits to the West Seattle Food Bank today. First, the annual Nucor Steel tradition – the company and its employees donated more than $17,000 cash and more than 2,400 pounds of food, some of which you see being unloaded above. The Administrative Department won the internal competition to see which department could gather the most donated food, we’re told. Here’s the team from Nucor:

From left, Bart Kale, Winky Lai, Trish Sweat, Larry Dalke, and Don Wood. Bart is the safety/environmental manager and told us this year’s donation means more than ever because times are tough for donors, too, and they had to dig a lot to make such a generous gift. (Earlier today, we reported on another major Nucor donation, for Southwest Youth and Family Services.) Here’s part of the WS Food Bank team:

From left, that’s Mike, Fran, John, Eve, and Jack. A few hours earlier, a different type of donations arrived – more than 50 special bags for toddlers, made from items donated by local families who have toddlers or preschoolers themselves and are involved with groups such as co-operative preschools, PEPS, and West Seattle Teeter Tots.

We heard about this from Jennifer Hedge, who came up with the idea last year, and is in the photo above with Food Bank operations assistant Mike Tinker. She explains that the bags are meant to be given along with regular monthly Toddler Food Bags that are part of the Toddler Feeding Program, and that they contain useful items not covered by that program, as well as some “treats”:

The Toddler Feeding Program provides a little something extra for toddler-age kids whose families use six local Food Banks including West Seattle – graham crackers, Cheerios, juice, peanut butter, fruit, veggies. The “toddler bags” were assembled with a checklist including hats, toothbrushes, toothpaste, a small toy, small book, stickers, goldfish crackers, and more. We asked Jennifer if they needed anything more – she said no, but she would love to see other community groups get involved in this – maybe for their own age, seniors making Senior Bags, etc. We asked Food Bank director Fran the same thing; she said they’re OK for this season, but the most important thing to remember is, please donate at other times of the year too. (Here’s how to give money online.)

Family and friends are mourning West Seattle business owner Brian Teachout, who died last Friday, after surgery for an injury suffered while putting up Christmas lights. They also have set up a fund to help his wife – laid off by the former Washington Mutual – and children. Here’s the story, and a photo, shared by family friend Candace:

Just over a week ago, Brian Teachout, owner of Alki Home and Garden, was doing what he loved to do during the holidays… helping clients hang Christmas lights. Unfortunately, while in the process of hanging lights, the ladder Brian was using slipped out from under him. He fell, shattering his left shoulder. Surgery was scheduled and took place Wednesday, December 8th. Two days after going through reconstructive shoulder surgery, and while recovering at home, Brian suddenly died.

Brian was just 46 years old. He and his wife Tammy were blessed with a son, Owen. Then a few years ago they opened their hearts and home, and made room in their lives to adopt a niece, McKenna, and nephew, Levi, after the children’s mother died unexpectedly.

When the three children came home from school last Friday, just two weeks before Christmas, their mother and family had to give them the hard news of their father’s passing. This would be a tragedy at any time of the year, but with the holidays and three children excited about Christmas, it presented a severe challenge to Tammy, as she recently lost her job at Washington Mutual after 20 years, and with it a significant change in her health insurance.

Brian had a heart of gold and devoted his time to his wife, three children, family and many friends. He was a longtime West Seattle resident and delightful character; you might have crossed paths with Brian. Dependable and delightful, for many years he was always there to help so many West Seattle residents maintain our homes, yards and put up our lights. Brian loved to be in the garden … and we will all miss seeing him in it!

It is a tough economy and we are all facing tighter budgets this holiday season. However, if you are looking for a family to assist in some way .. or if you are part of an organization that can help … please keep Tammy and the Teachout children in mind.

Individual donations can be made to the ‘Brian Teachout Memorial Fund’ established to benefit his children – deposits can be made at any Wells Fargo Bank branch.

For organizations or individuals who wish to make a tax-deductible donation in excess of $500, the 501(c)3) Sharing Foundation has generously offered to manage your contributions. For details on donating to the Teachout Family Fund through the Sharing Foundation, please contact Andy at 206-679-8909.

A memorial service will be held Friday 12/17/10 at Noon at The Hall at Fauntleroy, 9131 California Ave SW in West Seattle. A gathering and refreshments will follow.

A month and a half ago, Cara Kroenke at Southwest Youth and Family Services put out a call for help on behalf of the family members who survived an afternoon of deadly violence inside a West Seattle home in September – the murder-suicide shootings that left four members of the Phan/Harm family dead. We talked last night with Cara, who says a recent media report that the survivors were virtually homeless is not true – she has been working with them daily since October. They should shortly all have “permanent” new homes – she says the widower of the woman who opened fire now has an apartment of his own, while the other family members are awaiting final word on a 3-bedroom rental house. The woman who was shot, but survived, will get her bowling-alley job back when she’s ready to work again, Cara says. And the family is working to plan a memorial that in Cambodian tradition, according to Cara, is even more important than the first funeral – the 100-day remembrance. Read on for more about that and what the family needs now:Read More

Kenyon Hall is one of West Seattle’s semi-secret magical places, and tonight its doors are open, inviting you inside for a food-and-music (silent auction too!) fundraiser, benefiting former Café Revo proprietor Sofia Goff and her children. It’s continuing till midnight; just before it started, Kenyon Hall’s Lou Magor sent out this final reminder with an overview:

We’ll have lots of entertainment, including Bob White at the organ, singing by Debbie Sweetland, Connie Corrick, Hugh Hastings, Phyllis Stewart, David Parker’s Ragtime piano, Comedy Juggling with Matt Baker, and general silliness at the eighty-eight with yours truly.

All evening we’ll have a silent auction and a raffle. Lots of items have been donated from neighbors, businesses, and community friends.

We’re asking for a $20 donation to Sofia from each person who attends, but will accept other amounts. Everything we take in will go directly to Sofia.

More details at caferevo.com, which also explains the backstory, if you hadn’t heard it before. Kenyon Hall is at 7904 35th SW (map).

Just in from Lou Magor at Kenyon Hall – the benefit originally scheduled for this afternoon/evening is now postponed till Saturday:

The open house fundraiser for Sofia Goff scheduled for today and this evening has been postponed due to hazardous driving conditions.

Please come to Kenyon Hall this Saturday, November 27, anytime from 7 P.M. until midnight, to help Sofia.

We’ll have entertainment, refreshments, a silent auction, and a raffle. When details are sorted out, I’ll send an update.

Thanks to all who have responded with offers to help. I know that Sofia and her family are grateful for your kindness, and I’m thankful to be part of such a caring community.

Details of the originally planned event had been available on the website for Sofia Goff‘s now-closed restaurant Cafe Revo (there’s also a donation link on that website).

It’s the kickoff, or perhaps the roll-off, to the heart of the helping-for-the-holidays season in West Seattle: The Beer Church Turkey Bowl, a festive fundraiser/foodraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank, which had its 12th annual edition tonight. Above, organizers Kendall Jones and Kim Sharpe Jones (also of the Washington Beer Blog), West Seattleites whose brainchild has just kept growing over the years, as have the donations. Tonight, they even introduced the Beer Church’s own Pale Ale (release party next Tuesday), made with the help of White Center’s Big Al Brewing. Local bars/breweries traditionally participate in the Turkey Bowl – including West 5 in The Junction, whose proprietor Dave Montoure is pictured below with West Seattle breast-cancer-fighting activist Tracy Dart:

According to Sarah via Twitter, Montoure’s team and Elliott Bay Brewery took the trophies again this year (here’s our coverage of their wins last year; all of this year’s brewery/pub participants were listed on the Beer Church Facebook page.). But the real winners, of course, are the people who rely on the West Seattle Food Bank – Kim just reported via FB that the donations totaled more than a ton!

Even if you weren’t part of tonight’s event, you can help the WS Food Bank with an online donation (go here), and/or by donating turkeys and/or pies for this week’s distributions (details here).