by Nicholas Mendro | Feb 3, 2021 | Lifestyle, News
A Lifestyle story: Seattle, WA. This winter, finding an accessible, quarantine-friendly pastime outside the house has become a priority. Skiers and snowboarders are heading to resorts like Crystal Mountain in force. Before the season started, Crystal announced a set of COVID-friendly contingency plans, requiring reservations for any and all skiers to ride the lifts. Walk-up sales were nixed.
This expansive ski area has 3,100 vertical feet and 2,600 acres on the flanks of the towering 14,000-foot Mount Rainier.
A statement on the Crystal Mountain website reads: “We will be operating with a limited capacity and reservations. There will be no walk-up sales of any kind so plan ahead. A limited number of day tickets will be available to purchase.”
Such policy, paired with rigid, stated guidelines pertaining to the continual use of face coverings in the plaza and lift lines, suggest a relatively safe environment for even the most COVID-wary Seattlites. But, skiers report the launch of the season was not easy going with parking lots packed to the brim, and college-aged skiers and snowboards spilling out of packed Forerunners and Foresters.
The sun sets after a long day skiing at Crystal Mountain.
(PC: Hayden Jenkins)
Skiing and snowboarding lend themselves to socially distanced fun, and most of the people on the slopes respected the face-covering guidelines, as much out of desire for nose-warmth and comfort as compliance. But if they didn’t, resort employees gently reminded them to cover their faces as soon as they reached the lines for the next trip up the hill.
From Crystal Mountain :
Crystal Mountain is the largest ski resort in Washington State with a total of 2,600 acres and over 80 named runs. Puget Sound skiers and riders flock to the slopes during the winter months to enjoy breathtaking views of Mt. Rainier and to ride some of the best terrain in Washington State, only 2 hours away from Seattle in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. Crystal also operates the Mt. Rainier Gondola for scenic rides during the summer so that guests can enjoy the beautiful views of Mt. Rainier all year long. “Life has been odd this year, but our mountain isn’t going anywhere. It’s the tonic you need to clear the mind and feed the soul. Your skis are calling to you.”
by Nicholas Mendro | Dec 1, 2020 | Coming Up, News
Seattle, WA. World AIDS Day offers a reminder of the ongoing war against a disease that gained mainstream attention four decades ago and continues to plague millions around the globe. For four decades now, Lifelong has helped fight that battle with equity and transparency throughout Washington State.
“Lifelong, which was formed in the ‘80s during the AIDS epidemic, has decades of expertise supporting the HIV community with basic needs to support their health, like food, housing, insurance access, and sexual education programs,” Sydney Friend Sifferman wrote about Lifelong. “While they’ve expanded their programs and services in recent years to support all people living with severe or chronic health conditions, they continue to fight to eliminate HIV in Washington State.”
Workers for Lifelong load Metro Transit with meals, groceries, and cakes.
While it poses issues across all demographics, HIV/AIDS doesn’t impact all communities equally. The epidemic reflects pervasive racial inequities in public health, affecting BIPOC communities disproportionately, with Black people accounting for 19% of the state’s new HIV cases despite representing only 4% of the overall population. Meanwhile, Latinx communities — only 13$ of the population — make up 21% of new HIV infections.
“HIV medical advances have been life-changing, but too many people of color aren’t getting the care and support services they need,” said Beau Butler, Lifelong’s Prevention Program Manager.
Since its conception, Lifelong has prioritized addressing these injustices in all of its services. Their mission—or at least the values behind it — culminates once a year on Dec. 1.
“For 34 years, Lifelong has played host to the Seattle AIDS Walk, kicking off this year on World AIDS Day Dec. 1 and continuing through Dec. 8.,” Sifferman writes. “The walk raises vital funds to help support their HIV services as well as for partner organizations.”
Of course, in fighting one epidemic, Lifelong hasn’t forgotten the current virus running rings around the globe. In response to COVID-19, the nonprofit will be holding this year’s walk virtually, expanding access to those beyond Seattle’s city limits. The walk’s extensive, free-flowing time period allows participants to tune in and show support for short durations on any given day, through short runs, daily strolls, or even on walks with the dog.
Everyone has their own reason for walking. But either way, the importance of showing solidarity for those at the confluence of two global diseases cannot be understated. And Lifelong’s efforts to dismantle systems of inequity that have forced some communities to experience the impact of HIV/AIDS more harshly than others come to a head this December. Why not join them?
“I’m walking for those who no longer can,” said Butler. “2020 continues to put a spotlight on the racial disparities of our healthcare systmes, and we are reminded our work is not done.”
From Lifelong: “As an organization rooted in fighting injustice, we are committed to using all our resources to break down these barriers and serve the most disenfranchised members of our community.”
by Nicholas Mendro | Nov 18, 2020 | General, News
Seattle, WA. Artist Meenakshi Sinha uses her Facebook page, The Giving Canvas, to auction paintings in support of nonprofits, offering bidders an opportunity for to be donors, too. Every cent of each purchase goes directly into a fund for different specified foundations, most of which are located in or around Seattle. During coronavirus, which has made money and time harder to come by, her contributions have become even more crucial.
“The pandemic has had an economic downturn, so people are not as upcoming with their money as they used to be,” Sinha said. “But on the other hand there is more demand from nonprofits. They’ve been asking for my paintings this year more so because everything is virtual anyway, so I’m getting more requests for donating to their auctions as well as to host auctions for my page.”
Meenakshi Sinha auctions paintings — like this one — on The Giving Canvas.
Although it’s been difficult to meet the one-painting-per-week agenda, Sinha and her artistic prowess have continued to grow throughout the pandemic, providing donors with ornate canvas paintings of natural environments, while offering foundations important funds to maintain their much-needed work during a global pandemic.
The most inspiring and beautiful aspect of The Giving Canvas, though, isn’t as much the art as it is the human interaction — at least according to Sinha.
“Every auction has its own beautiful story,” she said. “I am always surprised at how often connections are made and people kind of find a connection, either to the painting or the nonprofit and so on.”
One of the more recent examples of this took place on Sep. 23rd, when Sinha auctioned off an encapsulating 24-inch by 24-inch stretched canvas painting called, “A Place of Joy.” The auction’s nonprofit beneficiary, ImmunoMomentum, provides important funding for research on childhood cancer.
ImmunoMomentum was started by the parent of a young girl who is now in remission after undergoing chemotherapy. The fund directly benefits data and research on cancer treatment for labs in Seattle Children’s Hospital.
As with any of her paintings, bidders flocked to The Giving Canvas Facebook page for a chance to support the cause and come away with a work of beauty. In this particular case, the winner of the bidding was a mother whose son was in the middle of his final round of cancer treatment at Seattle Children’s.
“The person who bid said, ‘I want to bid on this because I’m looking at this auction from Seattle Children’s Hospital, and my son is getting his last treatment of chemo,’” Sinha said. “He is looking at the painting with me, and he’s really attracted to the colors of this painting. He really wants me to bid on it.’
“They finally won, and the person took the painting home and then sent me a picture of the painting with their son, and what they said was, ‘This was such a great way for us to mark this day as the day that he’s getting his last treatment.’”
“A Place of Joy” by Meenakshi Sinha
Even more than the artwork — which would be quite sufficient on its own — The Giving Canvas is a platform of poignancy and joy. During coronavirus, when normal life seems to have slipped away. Sinha’s artwork provides a splash of brightness and livelihood for the city of Seattle.
From The Giving Canvas:
“Hello! I am Meenakshi Sinha and I live in Kirkland, WA. I offer my art on this page to raise funds for various causes. Thank you for visiting!”
by Nicholas Mendro | Nov 5, 2020 | General, News
Seattle, WA. For 30 years, FareStart has offered food industry training and employment opportunities to individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty. During that time, their employees’ work has always gone directly back into the community, cooking and preparing meals for others in need across the greater Seattle area. Up until now, nothing has been able to stop FareStart or its employees — not even a pandemic.
FareStart kitchen employees prep sandwiches to deliver to the community.
“The pandemic has brought together the community, not just within the Farestart walls,” Stephanie Schoo, Marketing and Communications Director at FareStart, explained. “We’ve seen an outpouring of support from restaurant partners and donors and volunteers and other nonprofit organizations that are all wanting to join together to make sure people get the help that they need.”
Initially, the pandemic took its toll on the Seattle-based nonprofit, forcing an abrupt shutdown of restaurants and catering facilities in and around the community. With its largest employers unable to function through an economic shutdown, FareStart quickly shifted gears, re-deploying its workers and resources into efforts to provide emergency meals to underserved individuals.
Since then, FareStart has helped orchestrate over 1.5 million emergency meals to shelters, housing facilities, and Seattle Public School sites across the city.
Wayne, an employee at FareStart, prepares emergency meals during COVID-19.
“We were able to see right away the impacts of COVID — folks who are low-income, or even students that used to be getting meals in one place could no longer get those meals,” Schoo said. “We want to make sure those meals get to high-need communities.”
Recently, Farestart launched its COVID-friendly education program to begin providing those experiencing homelessness or poverty with culinary courses once again. The online training also reintroduced former students who lost their jobs at the start of the pandemic.
A little over a month later, on the morning of Oct 29th, fourteen students went on to graduate from FareStart’s inaugural remote learning program.
“Creating a virtual curriculum is very new territory for us,” Schoo said. “This has been a stressful time for all of us, no matter your background or socio-economic status, And to have students stick with the program and come back reinvigorated — I think it speaks to that resiliency and hope.”
From FareStart:
For those looking to support FareStart in guiding clientele through gradual workforce reentry programs, or perhaps provide reheatable meals to students without easy access to school lunches, it’s not difficult.
With one click of the easy-to-uses “donate” button at the top of its home page, anyone can join FareStart in serving those who’ve bumped up against heightened hurdles during the turbulence of COVID-19.
“People in poverty struggle to escape the cycle they are in and often face other compounding barriers to getting and keeping a job. At FareStart, we help people overcome those barriers by teaching them work and life skills they need to succeed in the foodservice industry — and in life.”
by Nicholas Mendro | Oct 22, 2020 | General, News
Seattle, WA. Life for community colleges has not been easy throughout the course of COVID-19, which has thrown a particularly heavy wrench into an already overwhelming workload for students, many of whom are juggling school, jobs, family obligations, and now a global pandemic. Still, Seattle Central College has taken the novel coronavirus in stride, keeping students engaged in a supportive scholarly community with a variety of remote resources.
A student at Seattle Central College fills out a ballot.
“We have increased the frequency of messages to students and set up several virtual forums to update them on the changes,” Roberto Bonaccorso, Seattle Central College’s Director of Communications, said via email. “One key initiative has been to offer chromebooks and WiFi hotspots to students who lack the equipment at home. Our resources for these are limited, but we are reaching out to local partners to help.”
One of the more particularly devastating impacts of COVID-19 has been the toll its taken on the international student population. With pandemic restrictions still looming overhead, alongside stringent ICE policy directives, international student enrollment dropped nearly 40%, from 1,034 students in 2019 to 625 this year.
Still, Seattle Central has done everything in its power to transition equitably and effectively to 100-percent online instruction for all students in under two weeks, providing accessible resources for every student capable of attending. Of course, having undergone such unprecedented challenges itself, the school knows life isn’t easy for anyone right now.
A computer lab sits empty at Seattle Central College during COVID-19.
With widely available counselors — both academic and therapeutic — and a faculty dedicated to flexibility, students have a broad assortment of support systems as they juggle work and school amidst the uncertainties of a pandemic and an ongoing battle for racial justice.
“Since we know many students will need help in person, we have set up meetings for student services by appointment and held walk-in access for two weeks before and after the start of the quarter, with strict safety protocols,” Bonaccorso said. “[The pandemic] demonstrated that our college is strong, resilient, and that we can change quickly when we need to.”
Moving forward, Seattle Central College is focused on building back better, exploiting this opportunity to review safety protocols and investigate the need for more collaboration across departments. Staff and management have considered potentially reevaluating physical infrastructure and institutional policy, pinpointing strategies to maximize equity and safety for all students.
“This crisis has tested us, but I’m confident Seattle Central College will emerge leaner, stronger, and more focused to help all our students reach their goals and to succeed in work and life.”
From Seattle Central College:
“For more than 50 years, Seattle Central has been educating the citizens of Seattle and the surrounding region with the best programs of their kind anywhere, including college transfer, career training, continuing education and basic studies.”
