Tag Archives: volunteer

Van Asselt playground project needs neighbor help

Keyunda Wilson at Van Asselt is trying to get a Neighborhood Grant to bring a play structure to Van Asselt Elementary @ the African American Academy.

To be eligible for the grant and to bring a community playground to this area we need 25% of the pledges to come directly from the neighborhood! I need to have pledged commitments by Friday the 28th.

Time is short: the 28th is tomorrow!

Ways you can pledge to help:

  • With your time: join the Playground Committee, attend a planning meeting, help design the playground
  • With materials: lending or buying tools and equipment, providing snacks for the builders
  • With labor: paint or assemble the play structure
  • With organizing: contact and recruit other people in the community who may be interested in the project

If you’d like to help, email Keyunda at krwilson@seattleschools.org or pwfowler@seattleschools.org with your name, address, phone number, and the number of hours you are willing to pledge and/or kinds of volunteer activities or items you can pledge. Or call 206-252-7500.

Rizal Park Music Fest urgently seeks assistance

Tess is organizing the Rizal Park Music Fest to create awareness in the community about the talents of Filipino Artists and Musicians. This will also benefit the Rizal Park Preservation Society and the Zenaida Guerzon Foundation. Photo from Tess's Facebook page
Tess is organizing the Rizal Park Music Fest to create awareness in the community about the talents of Filipino Artists and Musicians. This will also benefit the Rizal Park Preservation Society and the Zenaida Guerzon Foundation. Photo from Tess's Facebook page
Tess Guerzon, coordinator of the previously mentioned Rizal Music Fest coming up on August 8th, is looking to add some last-minute sponsors, vendors, or artists wanting to display their work during the festival, and she’s also hoping to find volunteers and someone who might be able to assist with providing and/or setting up tent(s) and a stage.

The current roster of sponsors includes Coldwell Banker-Danforth, OMA Construction, and Goldie’s Restaurant.

Time is running short — if you know anyone who might be interested in sponsoring the show, displaying their wares, selling items, volunteering, or providing tent and stage assistance, please contact Tess via email or phone at 206-819-8377.

Raised-bed veggie gardens for seniors: volunteers, candidates needed

photo by Sbocaj
photo by Sbocaj
Kahlyn Keilty-Lucas, El Centro de la Raza Senior Garden Project Coordinator, is running a project to provide raised-bed vegetable gardens for seniors, providing outdoor activity along with some self-sufficiency and money-savings on groceries to our older neighbors.

The gardens are housed in a four by six by two foot box, allowing them to be placed in the yard, in an unused driveway, or even atop a paved-over planting strip. Seeds, vegetable starts, and gardening tools will be provided. A weekly visit from master gardener volunteers is available to those who may have growing questions.

The project has funding (courtesy of the United Way) and materials to provide 40 gardens, but is currently lacking on manpower to get them set-up and in place. If you know a local senior that would enjoy learning about and tending to a little vegetable garden, or if you have some basic tools or a truck and could volunteer to help assemble, transport, or install them, please contact Kahlyn at El Centro (612-387-8481).

Are you able to help a neighbor?

Kerrie Carbary of Volunteer Chore Services writes:

“An extremely independent 87 year old who lives near the VA Hospital on Beacon Hill is very proud of how energetic and capable she is, but during the cold last month she fell, and now she realized that she could use a bit of help to be able to stay in her own home. Her house is charming and lovely, and she loves to keep it nice. Would you like to visit with her for an hour or two a month, and help her with the chores she can no longer do, such as bending over, lifting, and light housework? During the summer, she has a beautiful garden, so some gardening may be in the future for the right volunteer as well. She has no family in the area to help her out, and until now has been the helper for her friends, who are mostly older than her. She is full of wonderful stories, and would love a visit from you!”

To volunteer, go here or email Kerrie at kerriec@ccsww.org. Volunteers are required to complete a registration packet, provide three personal references, pass a background check, and attend an orientation.

Volunteers clean up and replant Jose Rizal Park

Volunteers were at Jose Rizal Park this weekend to kick off the MLK Weekend of Service by doing some needed cleaning and maintenance in the park. According to Elizabeth White of EarthCorps, who managed the project, 86 volunteers removed 6,000 square feet of new ivy, maintained 48,421 square feet of past work sites (more than an acre!), and planted 325 native plants. Wow! Thanks to all of the dedicated volunteers for their hard work in improving one of the neighborhood’s jewels!

MLK Day planting party at Hanford Steps

Hanford Steps under renovation - Photo by Jason
Photo by Jason
On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Monday, January 19th, a planting party will be hosted by the neighborhood group SONG at the Hanford Steps at South Hanford Street & 25th Avenue South.

Party participants are encouraged to bring gloves, shovels, trowels, raingear (just in case), and snacks!

If you can spare some time and labor sometime between 10am and 5pm (particularly between 2 and 5), the Steps and your neighbors near them would be mighty appreciative.

The original invitation mail from Jorji and a map is after the break.
Thanks, Jorji!

Continue reading MLK Day planting party at Hanford Steps

Beacon Bits: Local volunteering, local food, and local cake!

Mmmmm... cake. Photo by Cristina DeAraujo.
Mmmmm... cake. Photo by Cristina DeAraujo.
  • The Rainier Valley Post tells us that Rainier Avenue institution Borracchini’s has added a 21st century shine to an 86-year-old business — now you can order cakes online!
  • Sara suggests that we mention that there are tons of local volunteer opportunities for the National Day of Service on January 19; find some here.
  • Sustainable South Seattle (S3) will meet at the Columbia City Library this Wednesday, January 14, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm, where Seattle City Councilmember Richard Conlin will discuss the Local Food Action Initiative.

A wish for wheels that work: can you help?

The snow is melting, but it’s not gone yet, and things could still get worse before it’s gone. While we’re still in this mess, the folks at the Rainier Valley Post are helping organize a network of Southeast Seattle neighbors with reliable snow-friendly vehicles to help people with critical travel needs. They have volunteers in several areas, but still need people with chains or 4WD in Brighton/Othello, Rainier Beach, and Beacon Hill. We hope they won’t be needed for long, but wet snow is very slick, so lots of people are still stuck at home. If you can help, please do.

Help clean up Beacon Avenue today at noon

Today at noon, “Team Java Love,” one of two local Beacon Avenue litter-pickup teams, will be picking up litter on Beacon between Java Love and the Beacon Hill Library. Anyone who would like to pitch in is welcome. Please bring gardening or latex gloves if you have them. We are told that when you check in at Java Love, they may have yellow litter bags and highly fashionable safety vests to use. The job could take 30 minutes to an hour or more, depending on how many helpers are there.

Thanks to Allison for posting this on the mailing list!

North Beacon volunteer potluck dinner, 12/4

The North Beacon Hill Council is hosting a potluck dinner to honor volunteers in the community. Amie Patao writes,

“Whether you pick up litter, help to clean up stairwells, work with the NBHC and GDDC, head up a Block Watch, keep the Jungle safe, help with the Piñata Party, walk your dog so the Hill is populated, go to the off-leash park, or advocate for pedestrian rights, you’re invited. I’m sure I’ve missed some of the many volunteer efforts that take place here on the Hill, so if I have, please know that you are included!”

The dinner is Thursday, December 4, 6:30-9:00 pm, at the Jefferson Park Lawn Bowling Clubhouse, 4103 Beacon Ave South. Bring a dish to share; no alcoholic beverages are allowed at the clubhouse for this event. The potluck is in place of the monthly NBHC meeting.