Seattle, WA. Mary’s Place has exceeded a two million dollar campaign goal, despite the present economic impacts, with more than 6,000 individuals and over 200 local businesses generous contributions. As a result, Mary’s Place – the region’s largest family emergency shelter provider was able to create a Rapid Response Fund ahead of the eviction moratorium end date, to bring families inside into safe shelters and provide permanent housing beyond the Covid-19 pandemic.
To celebrate the end of the campaign, captured in the feature image, Mary’s Place released the following video:
Marty Hartman, Mary’s Place Executive Director expressed her heartfelt thanks, “We are so grateful to our community for this incredible outpouring of support. When the eviction moratorium comes to an end, we know that many families who are struggling will face homelessness. The new Rapid Response Fund will help us meet the increasing need and keep families housed by providing flexible funding solutions.”
With help from the community, Mary’s Place provides shelter and housing to families through the successful campaign.
In previous years, several festive events and activities had been celebrated during the campaign. This year, observing Covid-19 related safety measures, events were held virtually and included the following: a weekend at-home scavenger hunt, a game night, an online concert by the Amazon Symphony Orchestra, and Dick’s Drive-In Burger Box “virtual” Bingo. Continuing its ongoing commitment to the issue of family homelessness, the campaign kicked-off with a 250,000 dollar contribution from The Starbucks Foundation.
Mary’s Place exceeded the campaign goal to protect families.
To hear more and view updates from Mary’s Place visit the Facebook page at:
Mary’s Place believes that no one’s child should sleep outside. They provide safe and inclusive shelter and resources for women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness. Mary’s Place currently operates five crisis response family shelters providing refuge and community for 500 family members experiencing homelessness. To learn more about this organization and get involved, visit Mary’s Place Seattle
Seattle, WA. Inspire Washington maintains the role of resource development and advocacy for science, heritage, and the arts after the merging of Cultural Access Washington and the Washington State Arts Alliance. It supports enrichment programs like the one seen above during a pre-covid event at the Pacific Science Center. Manuel R. Cawaling, Executive Director, continues to assist organizations across Washington state, navigating Covid-19 restrictions, clarifying informational updates, and making sample survey templates and advocacy resources accessible. A list of these resources can be found here: Covid-19 Advocacy and Resources
Inspire Washington encourages the spread of culture
Arts, Heritage, and Science Day is an opportunity for cultural advocates to gather together and meet legislators that support these communities. Inspire Washington provides tools for advocates to fully participate, with training and logistical support. In the past, this annual event has been held in Olympia, and included legislative briefings and a full day of workshops. This year, a tribute to arts, heritage and science has been scheduled for the first week of February, through a series of discussions preparing community leaders for funding meetings with lawmakers. The sessions will be held virtually: AH&S Informational Sessions
Among a cohort of funding organizations, Inspire Washington collaborated to survey the financial needs and analyze recovery measures in the cultural sector. These data summaries from a statewide cultural recovery survey and economic impact dashboard report the findings.
The Inspire Washington team has created a path for community leaders to get involved and represent Washington’s 49 districts together, including the following: writing a lawmaker a message,joining a district for legislative advocacy, and by signing up to advocate for culture in Washington state. Cawaling hosts meetings for cultural businesses to learn about pandemic relief and the ways to support science, heritage, and the arts.
To help understand the ever changing developments related to Covid-19 relief, Inspire Washington hosts an office hour.
From Inspire Washington:
Mission: Inspire Washington nurtures the human spirit and strengthens communities by increasing access to science, heritage, and arts programming through advocacy, resource development, education, and coalition building.
Seattle, WA. The Center for Wooden Boats began in 1976 as a “living museum” preserving maritime heritage. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the nonprofit has continued to provide hands-on experiences by rapidly implementing safety measures. Sandy Lam, Community Engagement Director, describes the ability to contribute to the community with safe, socially distanced activities, including the following: youth programs with each participant sailing their own boat, offering free one-hour rowboat sessions, and by shifting the 3rd Friday Speaker Series to a virtual platform.
The video below is a sailing snapshot, titled Celebrate on the Lake.
Down at the Boathouse is a podcast created to broaden the reach to maritime enthusiasts worldwide and is a community-led sharing of stories inspired by those told on the docks.
The Center for Wooden Boats is a welcoming gathering place with two locations in Lake Union Park in Seattle captured in the feature image and Cama Beach State Park on Camano Island, a beautiful setting to escape the city, with the option for members to extend their stay with a cabin rental. The 45th anniversary will be celebrated with small events throughout the year, titled Connecting Generations and Maritime Heritage.
An art poster competition opened for submissions this month to celebrate the anniversary and showcases previous posters recorded in the archives.
From The Center for Wooden Boats:
This is a community that focuses on creating equitable access to maritime experiences. Mission: The Center for Wooden Boats promotes northwest maritime heritage through education, interpretation, and hands-on experience in building, maintaining, and using historic small craft. Interested in getting involved and becoming a member? Join the Center for Wooden Boats
Seattle, WA. The Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund confirmed its beneficiaries for the $500,000 they pledged last June. (Photo above courtesy of Rod Mar and the Seattle Seahawks. ‘We Want Justice’ t-shirt remains front and center for the Seahawks as they confirm their recipients for $500,000 worth of grants against injustice.) The funds are being donated as a response to the systemic racism in the United States and the heart-wrenching deaths of Black Americans at the hands of law enforcement. Half of the money is going to organizations, which will be using it to fight against social injustice and support local disadvantaged youth. The other half of the funds will be going directly towards scholarships for students of color who have overcome adversity within their own lives.
Creating opportunities for youth of color is imperative in changing the dynamics of disenfranchised communities, from the bottom-up. This is why the Seahawks have chosen to provide scholarships to students who need it most and donate to the following six organizations:
Click each of the links above to find out more about each local organization and how you can help them achieve their goals. There’s no justice without equality and opportunity for all.
Learn more and donate directly to the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice for All Action Fund here. From the Seattle Seahawks:
In June, as Seahawks players, like so many people around the country, tried to come to grips with the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, the Seahawks Players Equality & Justice For All Action Fund pledged to donate $500,000 in grants that would go to local organizations working toward social injustice causes and supporting our local youth. Go ‘Hawks!
Seattle, WA. Pike Place Market is open to visitors, and many vendors are offering unique items for sale in-person. This year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, vendors are also offering items for sale online. It’s an online charitable marketplace where you can buy items and have them shipped to your home. Patricia Gray, Community Relations Manager of the Pike Place Market Foundation, explains, “It’s not your typical tourist place; but it’s a real place with authentic people, and that is because it’s actually a living, breathing, village. It’s a village that all works together to support a whole community where everyone is welcome.” Here’s a video about the Market this holiday season:
The Pike Place Market is more than meets the eye: not only is it a serene place to wander while sipping a cup of cold brew and browsing local art, it has a historical charter that focuses on providing low-income housing and services, especially for seniors. The Pike Place Market Foundation initiated a recovery fund in June 2020. The $3.5 million campaign will go toward increasing the size of the community safety net to support vendors in the Market and launch emergency programs to support the senior residents of the Market.
Even Rachel the Pig, the iconic market piggy bank, is sprayed with Lysol. Photo courtesy of the Pike Place Market.
If you visit the Market you’ll find safety measures to keep customers healthy: increased sanitization, social distancing, and mask implementation. The money donated to the Rachel the Pig piggy bank goes straight to the Market Foundation to fund many services, which have expanded during the pandemic. Emergency programs such as food distribution, Covid-19 testing, and shelter-in-place orders for over 500 senior residents of the Market are a few of the programs implemented by the foundation. Since the Covid-19 shutdown, the Market’s social services remain open and deployed emergency programs such as food distribution and Covid-19 testing for neighbors throughout downtown in addition to shelter-in-place orders for more than 500 senior residents of the market. The Pike Market Senior Center, Food Bank, Health Clinic, and Heritage House remain open.
The Pike Market food bank provides much-needed assistance during tough times. Photo courtesy of the Pike Place Market Foundation.
Now for big ray-of-sunshine news: the foundation is very close to its $3.5 million dollar goal. “The dollars are flying in, and it’s the holiday season so things are really busy. We will announce our grand total in January,” says Patricia Gray. However there is still a long road ahead, and the Market will have to double down on its recovery fund efforts if it wants to continue supporting local businesses and residents. The Pike Place Market Foundation has given out about a hundred grants to the Market small businesses so far, totaling up to half a million dollars of the recovery fund, and on top of that, a worker safety net is available to help vendors cover rent and healthcare costs. When the current eviction moratorium has expired, these artists will likely need more assistance with rent.
If you shop online at the Charitable Marketplace, a portion of the proceeds goes towards the Market Foundation. In this way, shoppers can support local artists while also supporting local residents through the low-income housing provided by the Market Foundation.
Blown glass ornaments made by Motoko and Joshua. Photo Courtesy of the KOBO Art Garden.
One of the vendors, the KOBO Art Garden, (http://www.koboartgarden.com) is not able to sell in person at the Market right now. The business is run by Motoko Hayashi and Joshua Swanson, a couple that has creatively transformed their garage into an art studio to create their authentic blown-glass artwork. The couple has been selling their art at the Market for fifteen years, and now they must rely solely on online sales through their website.
Typically the KOBO Art Garden hosts a glass-blowing workshop, where people come and learn to blow their own glass creations, which they get to take home. It’s the perfect way to get hands-on experience and become immersed in the art of glass-sculpting. These sessions are temporarily on hold due to the virus, so income has been sparse. Luckily the couple was able to qualify for a loan, but what they really need is the support of locals.
Wavy bowls crafted by Motoko and Joshua. Photo courtesy of KOBO Art Garden.
As you are finishing up some last-minute holiday shopping, consider shopping at the Pike Place Charitable Marketplace, where you can support local businesses while also funding the Market foundation. Of course, you can still go in-person to Pike Place Market with your cold brew and bundles of scarves, where you can say hi to Rachel the Pig and throw some coins in there too (for good luck, of course).
Seattle, WA. The Seattle Aquarium is open with timed ticketing and limited attendance, which means you’ll get up close to the animals and not other visitors. Seattle Aquarium staffers have worked closely with local health experts to provide a safe and fun experience.
There’s plenty of space to maintain distance as you stroll the wide sidewalk along Alaskan Way, taking in views of Elliott Bay and enjoying the sights and sounds of Seattle’s historic waterfront.
There are some changes you need to know about before visiting:
ONLINE TICKETS MUST BE RESERVED IN ADVANCE for all guests, whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time member.
YOUR TIMED TICKET indicates your arrival window. There is no limit to how long you can spend at the Aquarium.
FACE COVERINGS/MASKS ARE REQUIRED during your visit. Exemptions to this order include babies/toddlers under age 2; anyone with a disability that makes it hard for them to wear or remove a face covering; anyone who is deaf and moves their face and mouth to communicate; and anyone who has been advised by a medical professional to not wear a face-covering because of personal health issues.
A ONE-WAY PATHWAY with clear physical distance markers will guide you through the Aquarium and help protect everyone’s health.
Here’s a video with more information:
Opened in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium was owned and operated by the City of Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation until 2010, when the nonprofit Seattle Aquarium Society assumed its management—a model used by most leading zoos and aquariums across the country.
From the Seattle Aquarium: The Seattle Aquarium is one of Washington state’s leading environmental education and stewardship institutions, and the region’s gathering place for discussion and sharing information about marine conservation. It maintains a number of research initiatives in cooperation with federal, state, zoological and university partners. The Aquarium is located on Pier 59, at 1483 Alaskan Way.
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