West Seattle, Washington
03 Sunday
(Spawning pair, photographed in 2021 by Tom Trulin)
This year’s Fauntleroy Creek salmon watch is set to start on October 13, reports creek steward Judy Pickens, adding that they’d appreciate some additional volunteer watchers:
More than a dozen volunteers are on deck to document spawning season in Fauntleroy Creek but a few more would be welcome. Last year, watchers came out in the cold and wet to count 34 coho spawners.
The watch will start Sunday, October 13, and go into mid-November, depending on the fish. Watchers take half-hour shifts at the fish ladder in the lower creek (across from the ferry terminal). A veteran watcher will train. Email your interest by September 27 to info@fauntleroywatershed.org.
October 13 is also the day of the annual all-ages drumming to call in spawners. Barring serious rain, this free event will start at 4:00 pm near the fish ladder. Find details HERE.
Though watchers only saw 34 spawners last year, in both 2021 and 2022, they counted more than 200.
(WSB file photo)
Volunteers and donations power the Westside Neighbors Shelter in The Triangle, and some of the latter are running low. Here are the items that shelter operator Keith Hughes says are most needed right now:
Granulated Sugar – 5# or 10# bags prefered
Coffee Mate powdered coffee creamer
Ground coffee – 2# / 3# cans – Folgers is fine.
Herbal Tea Bags
Krusteaz Pancake Mix – Family size (5# /10# bags)
Pancake syrup
Cornbread mix
Vegetable oil – plain and simple, nothing fancy
Paper towels
Toilet paper
Kitchen dishwashing soap
Laundry detergent soap pods
8 am-11 am daily is the best time to drop off donations at the shelter at 3618 SW Alaska – the building that also houses the West Seattle Veteran Center and American Legion Post 160.
(WSB photos)
The doors are about to open for general admission to The Taste of West Seattle, and we’re told tickets are still available at the door, so ditch your dinner plans and come to The Hall at Fauntleroy (9131 California SW) to enjoy tastes and sips from dozens of local purveyors – all to benefit the West Seattle Food Bank. What’s in our photo is just one of the two big event rooms where you can circulate between tables and try everything. Among the participating purveyors, Nola’s Events (WSB sponsor), serving sweet and savory flatbread options:
Another WSB sponsor that’s here, Mioposto (serving up tiramisu):
And Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) is pouring:
“Papa Tony” (of Hot Sauce fame) is serving up caramelized-onion pasta:
Here’s what Cactus> is offering:
Seattle Sorbets had the scoop:
Mission Cantina came from Admiral:
And Fauntleroy’s own Birdhouse:
In The Hall’s downstairs room, along with some of the food/drink offerings, you’ll also find featured musicians Correo Aéreo:
If you want to support the WSFB a bit extra, you can buy a raffle ticket, and/or play the Wine Game downstairs:
The Taste of West Seattle is on until 8 pm, but you’ll want to get here before 7:30. $75 admission, 21+ only. You can vote for your favorite tastes/sips, too. And it all goes toward not only the food-insecurity work done by WSFB, but also their other work, including emergency assistance to keep people from becoming homeless, and the Clothesline, offering clothing to people in need.
ADDED: WSFB’s Robbin Peterson shared the list of winners:
Alki’s Fire Tacos won two votes – for “savory” and “beverage.” Also:
–Viscon Cellars for “pour”
–Falafel Salam for “veggie”
–Dolcetta for “sweet”
We’re still just a few weeks into the new school year, and some things are still getting settled – like a roster of volunteers to help local kids via Invest in Youth. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share:
Can you give 1 hour, 1 day a week to be a volunteer tutor for the 2024-25 school year?
Invest in Youth is currently accepting applications for volunteer tutors! Tutors are paired with a 3rd-5th grade scholar at any one of our several Seattle Public School locations, starting in late October 2024 through mid-May 2025.
What makes Invest in Youth tutoring so unique is its emphasis on being both academic-focused and relationship based. Tutors have the same student over the course of the school year. Our mission is to help students to believe in themselves and become confident, capable, and resilient learners. “I feel like I can be myself with my tutor,” says last year’s student at Sanislo Elementary.
You can choose to be a tutor or a substitute tutor at any one of our 5 schools most convenient for you. In West Seattle:
Tuesdays, 2:40 PM – 3:40 PM @ Roxhill Elementary (at EC Hughes)
Thursdays, 3:40 PM – 4:40 PM @ Sanislo Elementary
No experience is necessary; just a commitment to showing up for a young person and providing caring learning support. Tutors typically work on math skills, reading fundamentals as well as being a friend and mentor to their students. Time is spent in the classroom with other student-tutor pairs and materials are provided. An SPS teacher and Invest in Youth staff member are also onsite with you and available to help.
Our youth today have experienced a wide range of Covid learning loss. By joining our volunteer community, you can help to bridge that gap by giving a student 1:1 learning support and mentorship to help them thrive.
Adults as well as high school juniors and seniors (in strong academic standing) are welcome to apply. This is a great opportunity to give the gift of mentorship and for students to receive credit for service learning hours throughout the year.
Learn more at InvestinYouth.org | Questions? Please contact Jenny Ho, Invest in Youth Program Manager (jho@investinyouth.org)
An apartment fire in High Point on Sunday didn’t bring a huge response, so it didn’t hit our radar, but we’ve since learned it has left two people and two cats dealing with the aftermath. Both people work at Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care (WSB sponsor), which has organized a crowdfunding campaign and request for other help:
Dear West Seattle community,
Hanna Oatts (on the left), our newest Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care employee, recently experienced a major apartment fire that destroyed most of her belongings and has left her and her sweet kitties, Dillinger (16) & Bubba (12), without a home. The fire occurred while good friend Stina Borst (on the right, also an employee of NN!) was catsitting, resulting in a loss of many of her belongings as well. Both humans and kitties are safe and unharmed (but exhausted) and need your support.
Please consider donating what you can via our GoFundMe campaign on their behalf.
Do you, or someone you know, have resources to provide access to any of the following
-Temporary housing
-Kitty fostering
-Possibly, a more permanent long-term lease in the West Seattle, White Center, Burien areas (studio or 1 bedroom apartment preferred)
-Legal assistance, support navigating tenants rights in WA stateIf so, please email hello@neighborhood-naturopathic.com
Thank you for your assistance,
Neighborhood Naturopathic and Primary Care team
(Beach cleanup in Alaska – photo courtesy Ocean Conservancy)
West Seattle already has a strong cleanup community (A Cleaner Alki is testament to that), and this Saturday an international cleanup effort, coast to coast and pole to pole, is leading an event here and inviting you to participate. From the announcement we received today:
Ocean Conservancy, a national environmental NGO headquartered in Washington, D.C., and with offices in Bellingham and other coastal cities across the country, is partnering with Puget Soundkeeper to bring its flagship International Coastal Cleanup® (ICC) event to Seattle. Volunteers are invited to join the world’s largest beach and waterway cleanup movement at Statue of Liberty Plaza at Alki Beach on September 21, 2024. Breakfast, lunch, and cleanup supplies will be provided. (Register here.)
“Over a garbage truck’s worth of plastics – much of it single-use – enters the ocean every minute, where they accumulate year after year,” said Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Conservation Cleanups, Allison Schutes. “While it’s critical that we turn off the tap of plastics flowing into the environment through prevention measures, we also need to clean up what’s already out there. Every piece of plastic collected and recorded as part of the International Coastal Cleanup informs important research and advocacy and makes a tangible difference for our ocean and the creatures that call it home.”
“We’re incredibly proud to be partnering with Ocean Conservancy on this flagship cleanup at one of the most iconic beaches in the Pacific Northwest,” said Sean Dixon, Executive Director of Puget Soundkeeper, which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2024. “This year’s event will bring families, neighbors, activists, and community champions out to help safeguard this vital ecosystem. Plastics in our environment are superhighways transporting toxic chemicals into the food web and, especially during salmon migrations, are a literal poison pill for our already endangered and threatened fisheries. Every little piece of trash collected helps save a salmon.”
Partners in Washington state have been participating in Ocean Conservancy’s ICC for 36 years. Since 2019, in the Puget Sound area alone, nearly 9,000 volunteers have removed close to 200,000 individual pieces of trash, weighing a whopping 75,000 pounds. Meanwhile, Washington state has been at the forefront of plastics policy. The state has banned plastic foam foodware, including clamshell containers, plates and cups, as well as single-use foam coolers and packing peanuts; and last year, Governor Jay Inslee signed into law legislation designed to reduce single-use water bottles, other plastic packaging, and plastic foam docks. …
Globally, since the first ICC in 1986, over 18 million volunteers have joined local cleanup efforts big and small to remove over 385 million pounds of trash from beaches and waterways, making it the largest beach and waterway cleanup in the world. At last year’s ICC, over 486,000 volunteers collected nearly 8 million pounds of trash globally, including nearly 2 million cigarette butts, over 1.3 million beverage bottles, and over 850,000 bottle caps. Ocean Conservancy is expecting an even larger turnout in 2024.
Every year, more than 11 million metric tons of plastic waste are estimated to enter the ocean, impacting more than 1,300 species of marine life, including seabirds, sea turtles and marine mammals. Plastics never fully breakdown in the environment and instead, break into smaller and smaller pieces called microplastics. Microplastics are being found everywhere scientists look, from the depths of the Mariana trench to mountain tops, and even our dinner tables, showing up in proteins, salt, and even drinking water.
The cleanup is set for 9 am-noon Saturday (September 21); you can register here.
After summer, before the winter holidays, it’s prime time for nonprofits’ fundraising celebrations. Coming up in less than three weeks, DNDA – which works on art, nature, and affordable housing – invites you to Destination Delridge! Here’s the announcement:
Join us for an unforgettable evening at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association’s *Destination Delridge* fundraiser! Mark your calendars for October 5th, 6-9 pm, and get ready for a night of fun at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center’s newly renovated Thelma DeWitty theater and dance studio.
This year’s event is a *Casino Night* theme featuring real casino games like Craps, Roulette, Spanish 21, Texas Hold ‘Em, and Blackjack! Enjoy live Jazz music, raffle, live auction and a silent auction with incredible local prizes (think sports tickets and gear, Spirit making classes, NotOccult tattoo sessions, pet and self-care baskets – and so much more!), plus a delicious selection of local foods made by Black-owned businesses, a dessert bar, and an open bar.
We’ve worked hard to make this event accessible to everyone in the community. That’s why we’ve reduced ticket prices to just $50 and are also offering free community tickets (while they last)! All proceeds will support DNDA’s vital work in the neighborhood. So gather your friends and family, and let’s celebrate this beautiful space together!
Head to WWW.DNDA.org/DESTINATION to reserve your spot and be sure to share with your networks. We can’t wait to see you there!
The event venue – which also holds DNDA’s HQ – is at 4408 Delridge Way SW.
Some tickets are still available for the Taste of West Seattle, our area’s premier food fair, supporting the West Seattle Food Bank, this Thursday (September 19). More than two dozen food and beverage providers will be at The Hall at Fauntleroy that night for The Taste, with delicious food and drink for attendees. WSFB’s Robbin Peterson tells us this is the lineup:
A Butter Place
Cactus Restaurants – Alki Beach
Dolcetta Artisan Sweets
Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub
Falafel Salam
Fire Tacos & Cantina
Ghostfish Brewing Company
JØYUS
Margie’s Cafe (at the Center for Active Living)
Mioposto
Mission Cantina
Murder Hornet Hot Sauce
Nola’s Events
On Safari Foods
Papa Tony’s Hot Sauce
Phoenecia
RINGA
Seattle Sorbets
Sopranos Antico Pizza and Pasta
T2 Cellar
The Birdhouse
The Good Society Brewery & Public House
The Locol Kitchen & Bar
Thorntail Hard Agave
Highland Park Corner Store
Tuxedos and Tennis Shoes Catering
Viscon Cellars
West Seattle Grounds
MVP Photo Booth
You get to vote on your favorites. Plus, Robbin adds, “We will have raffles available only for event attendees and one raffle prize is a trip for 2 to Tuscany! Fun games will include ‘Plinko’ for local gift card prizes and ‘Sorry!’ for wine prizes!” Ready to get your ticket(s)? General admission is $75 and gets you in at 6 pm; VIP early admission, 5:30 pm, is $125 (limited number, so if you’re interested, don’t wait). Go here!
WSB is media sponsor – see you there Thursday! The Hall is at 9131 California SW.
(WSB file photo, fair at Gatewood Elementary)
Got a middle- or high-school student in your household who would be interested in volunteer hours? The Gatewood Elementary PTSA is offering this opportunity:
Gatewood Elementary is hosting its Annual Gatewood Gator Spirit Fair on Friday, September 20, 2024, from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m., and is looking for volunteers to help run carnival games and hand out free hot dogs and cotton candy. Rain or shine.
Volunteer shift is: 4 – 7:30 pm
** We will work with all time schedules if there is a conflict. **Contact: Sign up here. (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B48A8A629A1F4C34-51155075-gator#/)
Email GatewoodGatorFair@gmail.com for more informationSchool address: 4320 SW Myrtle Street, Seattle. Parking in the neighborhood
Public transportation: Rapid Ride C line stop is Fauntleroy Way SW and SW Myrtle St.
As the new school year scales up, we’re back to spotlighting school-related fundraisers – here’s an announcement from the Madison Middle School PTSA:
Madison Middle School PTSA has a shiny new website thanks to a parent volunteer and we are holding our back-to-school fundraising drive through September 30.
With these donations we can fund field trips and enrichment opportunities such as online curriculum access, guest speakers, professional development, and magazine subscriptions. With the community’s generous donations last year, we were able to purchase new outdoor seating for the cafeteria, new books for the library, fund the entire 7th and 8th grades for a walking field trip to view “Boys in the Boat” at the Admiral Theater, provide community dinners, guest speakers, teacher appreciation and more! These funds also helped teachers buy basic necessities like graph paper, highlighters, and art supplies. Thank you in advance for your support! Donations can be made here. Go Bulldogs!
(WSB file photo)
The start of the new school year means the start of the season for fall sports. Tomorrow (Thursday, September 5) brings the first local football game – West Seattle High School hosts Bainbridge HS at Nino Cantu Southwest Athletic Complex (2801 SW Thistle), 7 pm. Supporters hope you’ll show up to cheer for the Wildcats. They also have this request:
West Seattle High School football’s singular direct give fundraiser to the community concludes this Friday, September 6. We have a record number of players this year and minimal funds supporting the team through SPS Athletics. All tax-deductible funds raised go toward equipment, uniforms, coaches’ stipends, nutrition, team meals, banquets, and awards. This year we have set up a friendly captain’s squad competition.
Fundraiser: wshs.schoolauction.net/2024footballfundraiser/give/list
More information including a link to our game schedule, team, and generous sponsors can be found on our website: westseattlefootball.com
Thank you in advance!
Bloodworks Northwest is back in West Seattle this week and tells WSB they have room for more donors to sign up. They’re running a new prize drawing, too – here’s the announcement:
Donate blood in September and October and enter to win 2 tickets to see Billie Eilish in concert (in Portland), along with a $500 gift card for travel expenses! Double entries through Sept 7! The lucky winner will be contacted Nov 3-15, and will have 24 hours to accept their prize!
This week, Bloodworks is at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) located at 4001 44th Ave SW in West Seattle. The drives will be held in the gym from 9 am to 4 pm. Please use this link to sign up! If you can’t make it this week, follow the link to see other West Seattle donation opportunities!
Appointments are required. If you need help booking your appointment, please contact the Bloodworks Northwest DONOR CARE TEAM at 800-398-7888 or e-mail schedule@bloodworksnw.org
Got your ticket(s) for the Taste of West Seattle? The peninsula’s premier food fair – a fundraiser for the West Seattle Food Bank – is now less than three weeks away, on Thursday, September 19th.
More than 30 food and beverage purveyors will be at The Hall at Fauntleroy that night for this event – with tastes and sips to delight you. Once you’re in, you’re in – it’s not a “one ticket, one taste” type of event (but it’s 21+). General admission is $75 and gets you in at 6 pm; VIP early admission, 5:30 pm, is $125. Along with selling tickets, WSFB has been giving away a few of these coveted tickets, including a drawing today at HomeStreet Bank (WSB sponsor), which has been showcasing WSFB all month:
(WSFB’s Whit and Robbin, HomeStreet’s Gus and Andrew)
We’re told you can also enter a drawing tomorrow at Alki Beach Pride (12-9 pm at the beach and in the street) – just look for the WSFB booth. But however you get your ticket, don’t procrastinate – The Taste usually sells out. Here’s where to find out more.
P.S. Attendees get to vote, too, choosing the best taste or sip in multiple categories. (WSB is media sponsor – see you there September 19th! The Hall is at 9131 California SW.)
There’s still room for more players to register for a fundraising pinball tournament in West Seattle on Monday (Labor Day, September 2). Organizer Michael sent the announcement:
Admiral Pub is hosting a pinball tournament charity event this Monday 9/2/2024. Doors at 11 am, starts at 12:30 pm. It’s a format called pingolf. Players each play 18 holes (different pinball machines) and try to reach the target score in 1-5 balls. Getting the target score in one ball will be a hole in one, etc.
The charity is Pasado’s Animal Rescue. Interested players can pre-register or get more info here – westsidepinball.com
There will also be raffles for gift cards to local restaurants around West Seattle/White Center, prizes, etc. All proceeds from the raffle go to the charity as well as a portion of the entry fee into the tournament.
Participation is capped at 72 players, according to the tournament website, but at last check there are still spots, so sign up fast if interested!
(WSB file photo)
Urban Art Works is hoping for more helping hands to paint a mural at Lafayette Elementary this weekend. If you can spare a little time Sunday and/or Monday, read on:
Volunteers Needed ✨
Volunteers! Join us for painting at Lafayette Elementary School in West Seattle! We’re painting the exterior walls of two portable classrooms, the project is on a very tight turnaround as we’re aiming to start and complete the mural in two days! With your help, we can do it!
When: Labor Day Weekend — Sunday, September 1st & Monday, September 2nd
Time: Shifts are available in 1.5-hour slots from 10 AM to 4 PM
Where: Lafayette Elementary, 2645 California Ave SWWe’re aiming to complete this mural before school starts on the 4th. The first slot is open to all levels (adults), with intermediate and advanced slots in the middle of the day and afternoon. Our goal is to complete the mural on Sept 1st, with Sept 2nd being a back-up day for any necessary touch-ups; if we are able to finish on the 1st, the 2nd will be canceled, so make sure to sign up for the 1st if you want to make sure to get a chance to paint :)
Sign up for as many slots as you like, and let’s paint!
*Parking Info: Find parking at the back of the school by turning into the alley next to Wiseman’s Appliance on California Ave.
Don’t forget your paint clothes, water, and sunscreen!
(WSB photos)
That’s Sue Lindblom, who – with the Rotary Club of West Seattle and her former business Illusions Hair Design – has been helping local students get ready for the new school year since 1996, via Pencil Me in for Kids. Today Sue’s delivering this year’s donated backpacks and school supplies to six local schools.
She and other volunteers gathered Wednesday afternoon at American Legion Post 160 in The Triangle to get everything ready for today’s deliveries to Arbor Heights, Highland Park, Roxhill, Sanislo, and West Seattle Elementary Schools and Louisa Boren STEM K-8. Classes at those and other Seattle Public Schools start next Wednesday.
You can support Pencil Me in for Kids by donating to the Rotary Service Foundation.
Just a little over a week remains in summer break – and one local school community would love your help with a cleanup tomorrow! Here’s the invitation:
Please come join the Madison PTSA and A Cleaner Alki as they spruce-up the Madison Middle School campus to prepare for the new school year this Tuesday, August 27 from 9:30-11:30 AM. All are welcome to volunteer! We are happy to sign student’s volunteer hour sheets. More details can be found here.
Thank you and we hope to see you there.
First day of classes for Seattle Public Schools is a week from Wednesday – on September 4.
A little time can make a big difference, if you can be a volunteer mentor for a new program at West Seattle High School. Here’s the announcement we were asked to share with you:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is looking for 30 adult volunteers to mentor 9th through 12th graders once a month in a program called “MentorU.”
One in three kids in America are growing up without a sustained, positive adult mentor in their lives and over 500 youth are on Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound’s waitlist for a mentor. The gap between mentorship and youth who need it most continues to widen due to adult volunteers’ perceived barriers of the time and expertise needed to become a mentor. Understanding the critical need, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound seeks to engage and galvanize community members to help bridge the gap between people and possibility. Contrary to what potential volunteers might assume, no special qualifications are needed to be a great mentor.
The MentorU program engages local adult volunteers and 9th through 12th graders in 1:1 mentoring relationships with 90-minute meetings just once each month during the academic year. Mentors meet with their mentee to provide insights into the professional world and support mentees’ social-emotional development. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound provides a facilitator who guides mentors & mentees through a curriculum that prepares mentees for post-secondary education, employment, enlistment, and entrepreneurship. The program uses a cohort-based approach, working with incoming 9th graders, with the goal of ongoing student participation from 9th through 12th grade.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is looking for adults who live or work in or near West Seattle who are interested in mentoring these young people. To be great mentors, adults don’t need to have a specific title, a degree, or any special qualifications other than being compassionate, patient, and accepting. Even the littlest moments can grow into big ones – sometimes all teens need is a little encouragement, a little advice, and a little inspiration.
Mentoring has a long track record of proven positive outcomes, in particular, 100% of young people matched with mentors through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound graduate high school. A staggering 79% of youth with a mentor experienced improvement in or reported no worsening of depressive symptoms – a goal which MentorU’s social-emotional programming directly supports.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is looking for 30 volunteers of all gender identities, ethnicities, nationalities, and backgrounds who are willing to spend just an hour and a half per month to help teens in MentorU achieve their BIGGEST, brightest futures. Are YOU ready to #BEBIG? Learn more and get started at inspirebig.org/mentoru
“Thank you for being a friend!” The board of Friends of Roxhill Elementary offers those words of gratitude in advance for help with the first fundraiser of the year – here’s their message:
Kick off the new school year by giving to the Roxhill Field Trip and Classroom Fund!
Did you know schools and families cover the cost of field trips? This creates a disparity between field trip experiences across schools in our district.
With your generous donations, Friends of Roxhill provides each teacher at our school with money for field trips and to equip their classroom with much-needed supplies, like educational games, toys, and books. Last year, donations helped send Roxhill students to the Seattle Aquarium, the Woodland Park Zoo, and the Seattle Children’s Theater.
Last year, each teacher received ~$15 per student. We’d like to increase the amount to ~$20 per student this year!
100% of funds will go to teachers to benefit our RoxStars.
Roxhill Elementary is a small but mighty Title I school with about 250 students, located in the south end of West Seattle. Friends of Roxhill Elementary supports the education and enrichment of our multicultural public school in Seattle. Over 70% of our students are from BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color). Our nonprofit focuses on building equity for students through fundraising, community building, and other important projects for our kids’ school success.
You can help by going here. School starts two weeks from Wednesday!
August 25, 2023, was the day that Bruun Idun the troll was officially introduced near Colman Pool in Lincoln Park (WSB coverage here), after weeks of semi-secret construction by Danish recycled-materials artist Thomas Dambo and volunteers. Next Sunday is the one-year anniversary, and a restoration event is at the heart of the celebration:
The restoration work party is planned from 10 am to noon Sunday, August 25 – followed by ice cream! Forest steward Lisa McGinty sent the invitation:
August 25th is BRUUN IDUN DAY in Seattle! Celebrate with our much-loved troll in Lincoln Park. We’ll be working to restore natural areas surrounding the troll and making space for winter planting season. After our work is done, Scan Design Foundation will be treating all to an ICE CREAM SOCIAL as we honor Bruun Idun and the land and sea where she calls home. Great opportunity for student service hours!
All ages are welcome; bring your own gloves if you have them, but if you don’t, you’ll be able to borrow a pair, with tools available too. You’re asked to RSVP – you can do that right now, here.
(WSB photo, Monday)
Back on Monday, we reported on a fire that damaged three buildings at Full Gospel Pentecostal Federated Church in North Delridge. The next day, as we noted in an update at the end of the original report, SFD announced the fire was accidental. Readers have asked how to help the church recover; today, District 1 City Councilmember Rob Saka‘s newest newsletter has suggestions. He writes:
… Church leadership are looking at the availability for an alternative site for their Sunday service and they will be issuing community notifications soon. The leadership shared: “Our greatest joy would be to see the community of supporters in person and their best donation is the time taken in human fellowship.”
Monetary donations can be sent electronically to the Church’s Cash App log-in: #FullGospel5071, or Zelle, log in fgpfcf@gmail.com. Checks may be mailed to: Full Gospel Pentecostal Federated Church, c/o P.O. Box 232 Renton, WA 98057.
{Note: Other types of donations are welcomed, but the capacity to store them is currently very limited at this time.}
No one was injured by the fire. We spoke at the scene with someone from the church who told us it hit doubly hard because they were already grieving, having just hosted a memorial service two days earlier for a longtime member.
In case you haven’t already seen it in our calendar: The Salvation Army is having a fundraising 5K on Saturday (August 17), and part of the course involves a street closure. The Fund Run will close SW Barton on Saturday morning; the course is described as, “from the White Center Salvation Army parking lot [9050 16th SW], east on Barton up to Westcrest Park, where a designated loop will be set up with volunteers, and then back to the Salvation Army. SW Barton Street will be closed between 8th Ave and 16th Ave.” The run starts at 9 am, with 5K and 1K options; registration is still open. They’re fundraising for ongoing community programs including senior lunches, day camps, and after-school services.
For 30 years, the Seattle Public Library has welcomed volunteers to help local students with their homework during drop-in after-school hours. This year, they’re recruiting volunteers for free Homework Help tutoring at the High Point and South Park branches. Citywide, last school year, SPL says 1,100 students used Homework Help more than 4,400 times, aided by more than 180 volunteers. SPL says 60 percent of the students reported better grades as a result of the help they received. You can be part of kids’ success this year! Here’s what SPL wants prospective volunteers to know:
The Library requests a volunteer commitment for the school year, specifically from Sept. 16, 2024 through June 12, 2025. Volunteer shifts are available Monday through Thursday between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and each shift is approximately two hours.
Volunteers must be 18 or older. Having competence in another language, especially Amharic, Tigrinya, Somali, Oromo and Spanish, is also helpful. The majority of students served by the program are youth of color, with 90% of students reporting their parents speaking a language other than English at home.
Volunteer tutors receive an orientation and additional materials about working with youth and concepts such as social-emotional learning and growth mindset.
During Homework Help sessions, volunteers help students with homework, play learning games, read to students, or work with them on academic worksheets. Volunteers work with students individually and in small groups. High-school students can get help with not just academic subjects but with other priorities such as college essays.
Because Homework Help is a drop-in program, students can show up any day to receive help, and they do not need to have a Library card to attend. Snacks are provided at every Homework Help session, courtesy of The Seattle Public Library Foundation and the Hunger Intervention Program.
Can you help? Or, have a question? You can email SPL’s Volunteer Services Coordinator at volunteer@spl.org (and find more info here). They’re hoping to hear from new volunteers ASAP as the new school year approaches, but they do also accept volunteer applications throughout the year.
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