West Seattle, Washington
13 Monday
Actually, they’re looking for nominations for THREE awards this year – and one is brand new. Here’s the pitch, from Shannon Felix of Avalon Glassworks, on behalf of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce:
Call for Nominations – West Seattle Business of the Year, Community Hero, and Westsider of the Year
Now is your opportunity to honor those who have made an outstanding commitment to West Seattle. Nominations are now being accepted for the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year, Community Hero, and Westsider of the Year for 2009.
Your Business of the Year nomination should be for a West Seattle Chamber Member which best exemplifies West Seattle’s high standards of excellence. Past recipients include Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub, Tom’s Automotive Service, and Avalon Glassworks.
The Community Hero award is any West Seattle resident who has continually contributed selflessly to West Seattle. Past recipients include Jerry Robinson, Warren Lawless, and Earl Cruzen.
The Westsider of the Year is a new award designed to honor fresh faces who are improving West Seattle. Who is an upcoming community role-model? Tell us!
E-mail your nominations by January 12, 2010 to Patti Mullen, pmullen@wschamber.com.
The 2009 Chamber Award winners will be honored April 7, 2010 at the Annual Awards Breakfast at Salty’s on Alki. For more information, contact the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, 206-932-5685, or visit wschamber.com.
The nomination form is on the Chamber website – direct link (PDF) here.
A small amount of your time can make a big difference for local middle-schoolers. Here’s the challenge, just out of the WSB inbox from Romina at Neighborhood House (which built the new High Point Neighborhood Center):
WANTED: Mentors for Middle School Students
January is National Mentoring Month. To celebrate, Neighborhood House is launching the Recruit-A-Mentor Challenge. We’re trying to double the number of our CASASTART volunteer mentors for our middle school students.
Mentors are an important component of CASASTART. Each month, mentors join our students in various activities during after-school hours. These activities range from educational to simply hanging out. By being present each month, mentors become positive adult role models to our students which they may not otherwise have if it were not for the CASASTART program. The time commitment is two hours per month with the students plus some planning time with the other mentors. We ask that mentors commit at least six months to the program.
If you (or anyone you know) are interested in becoming a mentor, please e-mail RominaR@nhwa.org for more information on how to get started as a mentor.
By Keri DeTore
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
“Congratulations! You have Breast Cancer…” is the headline of the first entry in Lisa Town’s online diary “The C Word,” which she started in September 2008.
Irreverence, combined with physical and mental strength and a strong network of support, has brought Lisa to where she is today — a place of well-being, health and optimism. And now her biggest supporter is taking a big step to help others get to the place she’s reached – a fundraising climb that can use your support.
But first, more of Lisa’s story: After a lifetime of health challenges, her diagnosis of breast cancer at the relatively young age of 43, followed by a double mastectomy in February of last year, seemed both “routine, yet surprising. I thought I was done with all that. I kept looking around for cameras, wondering if I was on a reality tv show.”
ORIGINAL 11:46 AM REPORT: New information on how to help Jade West Cafe owner Wah Wong, badly hurt when a driver hit him and his wife and son outside their Beacon Hill home December 12 (as reported here December 19). “Family Friend” added the following as a comment last night on our most recent update:
The family has set up an account at Wells Fargo Bank. Anyone who wants to help Wah Wong and his family can visit any Wells Fargo branch and make a donation in the name of “Jade West Cafe”. The family thanks everyone for their support.
(There are two Wells Fargo branches in West Seattle – 2358 California SW and 4314 SW Alaska.) Other WSB’ers pointed out in the same comment thread that two TV stations, 5 and 13, did followups last night; neither has its video online as of this writing. We have a note out to “Family Friend” to see if there’s any more info to share. Meantime, there are now two get-well cards on the door of the cafe (6032 California SW). The driver charged with vehicular assault for hitting the Wong family, Rodney James, has been in jail since the night it happened, bail set at $250,000. (Photo of Wah Wong at Jade West Cafe, taken in early 2009 by Paul Sureddin) ADDED 1:53 PM: Wah Wong’s wife has asked us to share this message with well-wishers:
On behalf of my family, I would like to thank everyone in the West Seattle Community who have sent their support, prayers and well wishes to my husband, Wah and son, Jason who were seriously injured on December 12, 2009. They are both stable at this time and will receive surgeries in the coming week at Harborview Medical Center. We appreciate your continued outpouring of support and care.
Sincerely,
Salina Wong
5:36 PM UPDATE: The KING5 story is now available online, including the story video – see it here.
Just out of the WSB inbox from Nancy Woodland at WestSide Baby:
Did your New Year’s Resolution include more volunteer work?
WestSide Baby needs extra volunteers today, Saturday Jan. 2 (now until 4pm), to help sort toys. We will stay open today until 4 pm just for toy sorting volunteers. If you’d like to come down today to help us, show up or call us at 767-1662. Children 7-14 welcome with adult supervision and teens over 14 can be dropped off. Adults always welcome, of course!! We need extra hands today to help sort and package all the toys that have been displaced by the bounty Santa brought this year. Item donations encouraged until 1pm. THANKS!!
WestSide Baby is at 10032 15th SW in White Center – here’s a map.
Having driven donations to organizations outside West Seattle in past years, we didn’t know Stop ‘n’ Shop at the Senior Center of West Seattle accepted donated items. But now we do, thanks to this WSB Forums post. If your New Year’s resolution includes clearing away stuff that’s usable but not being used, there’s another local option!
WEST SEATTLE FARMERS’ MARKET: No holiday break for West Seattle’s favorite outdoor buy-local eat-local weekly adventure. 10 am-2 pm as always, 44th/Alaska. Here’s what’s on the fresh sheet; one more market note, the Thanksgiving dinner-cooking contest winners have been announced (a vegetarian feast for 7 took top honors).
“TEAM TRACY” FUNDRAISER @ SKYLARK: West Seattle’s most-famous Breast Cancer 3-Day team, Tracy Dart’s Team Tracy, gets 20% of the proceeds from food sales during brunch today at Skylark Cafe (WSB sponsor), from 10 am to 1 pm – chow down and help save lives. (The next Seattle 3-Day is set for Sept. 24-26.)
LANTERN WORKSHOP TO PREP FOR NEW YEAR’S EVE PARADE: Help put together lanterns for the Highland Park Improvement Club-led neighborhood parade on New Year’s Eve – drop by HPIC (1116 SW Holden) between noon-6 pm today for artist-coached lantern-making. Full details are here, including the materials you need to bring, to supplement what’ll be provided.
“PLAID TIDINGS” FINALE: Today, the (plaid) curtain falls on the holiday extravaganza at ArtsWest (WSB sponsor) – as of late Saturday night, a couple dozen tickets remained (according to this AW tweet) – buy yours ASAP here; showtime’s 3 pm.
Take your reusable bows and other package trimmings to Beveridge Place Pub – where Furry Faces Foundation is collecting them, as explained here. (We’ll have more post-holiday recycling info this weekend.)
Another story of holiday giving: We received a news release announcing that West Seattle resident Elaine Cornell won a statewide drawing held by her employer, Umpqua Bank, for a $500 donation to be given to a charity of her choice. She chose Northwest Kidney Centers, where she received dialysis treatment more than 20 years ago, while awaiting a kidney transplant, which came from her sister, RoseAnne Tobelaine of Snohomish (at right with Elaine in the photo below). Along with the news release came Elaine’s first-person story.
The gift I Received and why I want to give to the Northwest Kidney Centers:
Winning the first prize in the Associate Giving Campaign has given me a great opportunity to, in part, give back to an organization and foundation that was there for me during my greatest time of need and express my gratitude for the “Gift of Life” I received from my sister.
In 1986 I was in my third year at the University of Washington, when I learned, thanks to a very pro-active and thorough Navy doctor, that blood tests showed my kidney function was in the abnormal range. In addition to the blood tests, I had high blood pressure readings (which were not normal for someone of my age who was not overweight, in good physical shape and not a smoker) and I was weak.
Elaine’s story continues ahead:Read More
That’s Jessica at Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) with the last stack of donations to the Pet Giving Tree that’s been up for a few weeks to help West Seattle Food Bank clients take care of their furry companions – you can barely see the tree itself! Teri Ensley from Furry Faces Foundation says they’re making one last run to the food bank “and wanted to let everyone know how generous they have been.” She adds:
Including today’s delivery, the Grand total for people’s cats and dogs is:
220 lbs dry food
69 cans of food
17 toys
74 lbs of litter
12 bags/boxes of treats
1 big beautiful dog bed
1 adorable pink dog bed set with matching accessories.A big thanks to Lora, her staff and all of the West Seattle folks that supported Food Bank clients’ pets.
Not too late to get in on more giving around West Seattle. Teri and Furry Faces are joining Animals First Foundation to offer fundraising gift-wrapping service at Beveridge Place Pub, 3-7 pm today (possibly a bit later if they’re busy at 7). And CAPERS in The Junction has its giving tree for the Hickman House domestic-violence shelter up through today (they’re open till 4) – lot of stars still on the tree last time we looked.
Hadn’t seen a video from the all-West Seattle benefit compilation “We Are The Junction” till this link landed in our Facebook box courtesy of the artist, Kirk Dubb, whose trademark phrase is “Chug-A-Lug.” Produced & directed by Dynomite D, this isn’t kid stuff, but hey, it’s late night. And a good cause. Many West Seattle nightlife shoutouts. (Look for the “Happy Festivus” lights’ cameo.” Multiple artists (listed here) on “We Are The Junction” in addition to Kirk Dubb; proceeds benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. You can buy it for just $10 at Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), Easy Street Records, West 5 and Shadow Land.
Two notes following up on the article published here last night saying WestSide Baby – which helps thousands of families, not just in West Seattle and White Center, but beyond – needs car seats and diapers: First, Nancy Woodland from WestSide Baby says the donations (including car seats like the ones shown above) have been flowing in all day. Second, please note a change to the dropoff site list in the story – Square 1 Books (WSB sponsor) is *not* a dropoff location – they are collecting board books that you can buy and donate on the spot, but otherwise, much as they’d like to take other donations, there’s no room. The updated list is in the story.
We’ve been checking in with major nonprofits – the people whose business is helping people — over the past week, to see what they need by Christmas. Our previous stories: West Seattle Food Bank here, White Center Food Bank here, West Seattle Helpline here. Tonight; WestSide Baby, which helps families in need not just throughout West Seattle/White Center, but beyond – and they have a very specific wish list.
By Lauri Hennessey
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
Have time with the kids in the next two days? Take the chance to show them the true meaning of Christmas, and in the process, help WestSide Baby meets its holiday collection goal. The nonprofit is still short of its goal, and only has until Wednesday to make the target.
Nancy Woodland, executive director of WestSide Baby, says she set her goal for the December collection drive at 25,000 diapers, 100 coats, and 50 car seats. As of this afternoon, the community had collected enough coats to meet the goal, but WestSide Baby was still 3,000 diapers short of the goal. And, WestSide Baby is far behind on collecting the car seats.
“We’ve noticed a 13% increase in the number of children served this year compared to last,” she says. Woodland says WestSide Baby has served the needs of 400 children in the last ten days, an unheard of number for the organization. Woodland says that is roughly double the usual number for this time of year. In fact, she says, since October 1, WestSide Baby has seen unprecedented need. She says they have served more than $33,000 worth of supplies through White Center’s Neighborhood House alone. Diapers are not covered by food stamps or other government programs and cost approximately 23 cents each.
(More specifics on how to help – and where to take those donations the next 2 days – ahead!)Read More
Just out of the WSB inbox:
The Puget Sound Blood Center is giving West Seattle two opportunities to save lives before the New Year. With a decrease in donations and an increase in accidents, we could use help maintaining a stable blood supply over the holidays.
As we exchange gifts during the holidays, please remember that you have the most precious gift inside you to give.
Please give others a chance at a better life:
– Saturday December 26th
* Holy Family Parish- Tice Hall 9516 20th Ave SW
* 10:00AM- 4:00PM (closed 12-1pm)– Monday December 28th
* Safeway- 2622 California Ave SW
* 9:00AM- 3:00PM (closed 11:30-12:30)The Puget Sound Blood Center is a non-profit, community and volunteer based
organization. For more than 60 years, the PSBC has been improving the quality of
life for sick patients in the Puget Sound area. This is all thanks to the generous
donors who are saving lives in Western Washington every day. Your volunteered blood
is distributed to 70 local hospitals and clinics in the Puget Sound area. For more
information, please contact 1-800-DONATE-1.
Three weeks ago, we mentioned that the woman who survived a puzzling bicycle accident on Delridge was publicly chronicling her recovery and getting ready for a fundraising concert to help with her ongoing medical expenses. You may recall from our 
original August coverage that she was found in the street, and nobody could figure out whether she’d been hit by someone or just taken a bad spill. Against the odds, she has recovered, and is now home after being in the hospital and rehab for almost three months. The fundraising concert starring singer violinist Angela Fuller is 7 pm tomorrow (Tuesday) at Mars Hill Church in West Seattle. The bicyclist, 27-year-old Angela Sweet, agreed to answer a few questions from us via e-mail – our questions and her answers, verbatim, ahead:Read More
A new postscript in the saga of the High Point holiday donations: Rebecca Hall from High Point Community Center says that while, as she updated us all last night, they have exceeded the goal of 400 toys overall for Monday’s distribution (backstory here), they still need items for teenagers – and are working with other West Seattle groups that have the same need. They ask you to please drop off the presents for teens during two specific windows TOMORROW and MONDAY. Here are the specifics:
Gifts for teens are still in high demand and can be dropped off at High Point CC on Sunday, 12-2 pm, or Monday at noon. These items will be distributed to various groups in West Seattle that work with teens.
Don’t know what a teen would like? Here are some suggestions:
-sport equipment such as basketballs, soccer and volleyballs
-pajama sets
-hat / scarf / glove sets
-t-shirts
-athletic pants/shorts
-vanity mirrors
-hair accessories/brushes
-nail polish
-the type of metal waterbottles that are so popular this year
-music cd’s
-journals
Rebecca also says they could use “games for older children.” Again, they’ll be able to accept these donations in two limited windows over the next two days – noon-2 pm tomorrow (Sunday) and at noon on Monday – the main distribution is later Monday afternoon. High Point Community Center is at 6920 34th SW (here’s a map). And as for the items donated so far for the rest of the drive, Rebecca says via Facebook, “The turnout has been amazing and residents of West Seattle and the surrounding communities should know that they REALLY are making a difference this holiday season!”
(Editor’s note: We’ve been checking in with major local nonprofits as Christmas approaches, to see what they need and how they’re doing. Earlier stories: West Seattle Food Bank, here; White Center Food Bank, here.)
(Photo courtesy WS Helpline: Volunteer Donavyn with mom LaTista)
By Lauri Hennessey
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The West Seattle Helpline tells us their goal is pretty simple this holiday season: keep as many people sheltered as possible. And, every time someone donates $200 between now and Christmas (do it online!), that means one more family gets to stay in their home through Christmas.
The Helpline helps local families with rent and utilities, clothing (through the West Seattle Clothesline), Metro Transit tickets and school supplies.
Executive director Anna Fern says every $200 means a family doesn’t lose a home this season because landlords will accept partial rent payments more than in the past.
(Read on for more of how to help – how WS Helpline is helping – and for details on a savory fundraiser in The Junction tomorrow.)Read More
Call it a timely two-fer for a good cause: West Seattle’s C & P Coffee has a silent auction under way right now – taking bids online – for a copy of an award-winning Seattle photographer’s book documenting global climate change. The photographer is Daniel Beltra, who you’ll see when you click the clip above, taken from Prince Charles‘s presentation naming Beltra as winner of the Prince’s Rainforests Project Professional Award at the Sony World Photography Awards. The C & P auction is happening as world leaders attending the Copenhagen climate-change conference are being given copies of Beltra’s book. He donated a copy to C & P for the silent auction, which is raising money to help a coffeehouse team members with medical expenses. You can bid by e-mail — candpco@comcast.net – and through the C & P Facebook page (where you can also see what the bidding’s up to – to get a firsthand look at the book, go to C & P at 5612 California SW. (Photos are also viewable at danielbeltra.com.)
Really, there’s nothing like a ton of good news going into a weekend, especially before a holiday. Here’s more. Earlier we reported the success of Lafayette Elementary‘s food drive for the White Center Food Bank. Now we have a report from Sanislo Elementary, which also wrapped up a food drive today – Lisa K shared the photos and the report below this next pic:
WOW! The Sanislo community once again demonstrated their tremendous generosity during our annual winter food drive. Our 300 students blew away our goal of 1000 lbs of nonperishable food, toiletries and cleaning supplies with donations totaling 2912 pounds! In full disclosure, one of our truly big-hearted dads once again donated hundreds of pounds of food to help his son’s class win the class competition. However, even without his amazing generosity, our kids still topped a ton (!!) of donations. There were more than enough donations this year to provide for our own school families needing extra help AND to share with the greater community through the food bank. Given the current economy and the fact that approximately half our students qualify for free or reduced meals, this is certainly an example of the kids’ and teachers’ care for one another.
Representatives from Mr. Apostol’s 5th grade class accepted the trophy as this year’s winners, and their class leads off the initial engraved plate on our new plaque that will commemorate each year’s “Annual Sanislo Food Drive Superstars.” Mrs. Goethe’s kindergarten class and Mr. Simmons’ 4th graders (woo hoo FIRE MONKEYS!) also deserve mention for their efforts. Since the entire school did such a great job showing us just what outstanding citizens they are, EVERY class won ice cream. Congratulations to you all!
All the best,
Lisa K. for the Sanislo PTA
First, WSB’er Celeste called us a little while ago with word that the Marines had landed at High Point Community Center with toys for the toy drive mentioned here earlier this week. Then High Point CC’s Rebecca Hall sent us the photo you see above, with word that they now officially have exceeded the goal of 400 toys for the families who were disappointed on what was supposed to be the distribution day last Monday. So they’ve got everything they need, and then some – if you’ve bought toys to donate, please check out some of the many Giving Trees and other donation drives (we have some listed on our Holidays page and will check around to see if there are any other urgent needs). By the way, High Point CC will be happy to see you and the kids in your life tomorrow morning – they’re making gingerbread houses, 10:30-11:30 am, $5 admission.
We’re just back from Lafayette Elementary School in Admiral, where White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump and volunteer Beth Grieser came to pick up a huge donation of food gathered by Lafayette students. We’ll add photos of the handoff later; first, here are a few of the student heroes with the massive pile of food (in a photo taken by Lafayette leadership this morning), and the story told by school administrators:
For the second year in a row, the Lafayette Elementary community used some friendly competition to amass donations for the school’s annual food drive. The charitable event was fueled by a contest to see which class could collect the most items and donations by teacher were tracked on a bulletin board in the front lobby. Over the next couple of weeks, the collected food almost overtook the school’s front lobby.
All of the classes participated, but two classes led the competition: Ms. Rollins’ class collected the most items (525) and Mr. Beal’s class (497) came in second place. Mrs. Bell’s kindergarten class sorted their 297 items alphabetically so that the collection effort also became a learning opportunity. Over 3,300 items total were collected school-wide, which is up dramatically from 2,100 last year. Today the White Center Food Bank team (came) to start transporting all of the collected food down to their facility in White Center.
Lafayette’s student council sponsors two community service projects a year–one in winter and one in spring. We would like to thank the Lafayette’s student council leaders for putting together the food drive, faculty/staff for keeping students motivated and to all the generous Lafayette families who donated food.
Congratulations to all the generous youngsters and their families, and to everyone in West Seattle who’s reached out so generously to make sure fewer people will be in need. We published a story earlier today about the WC Food Bank as the holiday approaches and how you can help – read it here; and our earlier story about the West Seattle Food Bank can be seen here.
(Editor’s note: We’re spotlighting some of West Seattle’s nonprofits in the Christmas countdown, to help with the final push to make sure the people they assist get what they need for the holidays. Wednesday we focused on the West Seattle Food Bank; this morning, it’s the White Center Food Bank, which helps people in part of West Seattle too.)
By Lauri Hennessey
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The White Center Food Bank has taken a hit over the last year. Its executive director says the need for its services has increased up to 80 percent over the last 18 months. Still, Rick Jump says the food bank is surviving the economic downtown in some pretty creative ways — in no small part due to the local community stepping up.
Examples? This fall West Seattle’s Avalon Glassworks produced beautiful red glass apples as part of a WC Food Bank fundraiser. The apples are gorgeous — just $80 each (and there are still some left). Half of the proceeds from each apple goes to the food bank.
Plus, the food bank has received a donation of Christmas trees from IKEA and Evergreen High School. And, food bank board member Gary Fasso joined with the local Carpenters Union to create a new “carport style” produce shed. Now volunteers and customers can be protected from the rain as they look through produce.
Jump says the changes are all part of the food bank’s efforts to make it a bit more pleasant experience for those who come in for help. Just coming in for food is hard enough, he says, without having to stand out in the cold.
(Read on for what you can do NOW to help WC Food Bank before Christmas – and more)Read More
More updates on how West Seattleites are reaching out to help their neighbors: The nearly 300 employees of Nucor have just sent two tons of food to the West Seattle Food Bank. Thanks to Tricia at Nucor for sharing the news:
Each year Nucor Steel Seattle holds a food drive to support the West Seattle Food Bank. We ask our employees to donate food or cash to help others in our community. This year we were facing a down economy and employees whose hours and pay were cut by 33% or more – but they still came through.
Donations from employees totaled $3,083 in cash plus 4,400lbs of food! Nucor matched $2 per $1 donated and $2 per pound of food donated, totaling $14,966. The total donation to the West Seattle Food Bank was $18,049 in cash plus 4,400lbs of food!
On top of the donations to the Food Bank, some staff also collected jackets, coats, and sweaters to donate to West Seattle Helpline‘s Clothesline. These coats will be given away to West Seattle residents to help keep warm over the holiday season and into 2010. We think this is a testament to everyone’s generous spirit even in a down economy.
Happy Holidays from everyone at Nucor Steel Seattle.
We have updates coming up about both Helpline and our area’s other food bank, White Center FB. P.S. WS Food Bank president Pete Spalding told WSB a little while earlier – we’re both at the Alaskan Way Viaduct South Portal Working Group meeting downtown – that the agency is SO grateful for EVERYONE who’s reached out to help.
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