by Esha Jain | Feb 9, 2021 | General, Lifestyle, News, The Arts
Seattle, WA. In celebration of World Tutu Day and #TutuTuesday, Pacific Northwest Ballet launched a new fundraising effort for its Second Stage Program. The program supports PNB dancers looking to advance to the next stage of their lives. It’s multi-faceted and provides scholarships, mentorship programs, and support for a career transition. Providing financial support to dancers allows them to take college courses, access counseling, and career services, and receive grants for education and start-up expenses.
The lack of performance opportunities because of the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increased need to help bridge economic gaps and support dancer’s post-dance careers. This year World Tutu Day fell on Tuesday, February 2nd, so it was a great opportunity to launch an effort supporting young dancers, gearing up to advance their education and career opportunities.
Leta Biasucci is just one of many dancers who have benefited from this program. She articulates how much it has impacted her life: “While the notion is changing, there are often too many barriers of entry for a dancer to pursue higher education and explore other passions. Time, accessibility, and of course, expense are all hurdles. Dancers are exceptional in reaching personal goals through cultivated grit, dedication, and determination; but before anyone can aim for a goal, one must feel like that goal is attainable. That is why there is a real need for programs like Second Stage.”
Leta Biasucci in The Sleeping Beauty. Photo courtesy of PNB and Angela Sterling.
Funds from benefactors make it possible for PNB dancers to become college graduates, lawyers, small business owners, therapists, and more. Donate here.
From the Pacific Northwest Ballet:
Second Stage is a multi-faceted career transition program for PNB dancers to achieve their post-Company goals. Since 1999, Second Stage has provided more than $750,000 in grants to dozens of dancers. Our former colleagues are now working in law, medicine, dance education, culinary arts, dancewear design and manufacturing, aesthetics, and photography—as well as creating and managing companies world-wide. The program offers scholarships, mentorships, support for research, and a unique partnership with Seattle University. You may donate at this link: Second Stage Program.
by Zoë Thompson | Sep 2, 2020 | General, News
Seattle, WA. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, YouthCare has continued to work toward its mission to end youth homelessness by providing shelter, safety, and stability to young people. “In times such as these, YouthCare cannot close our doors,” writes YouthCare CEO, Melinda Giovengo, in a news release. YouthCare’s emergency shelter, community living, and independent living programs have remained open throughout the crisis. To accomplish this, YouthCare temporarily suspended its education, employment, and prevention programs, and instead directed the brunt of its people-power toward keeping essential food, shelter, and housing programs open. “We know that every young person deserves more than just survival. Yet, for now, we must do all that we can to protect young people and the broader community,” says Giovengo.
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, YouthCare’s Orion Center served over one hundred young people per day. YouthCare is now serving a fixed number of young people, approximately 200 youth and young adults across their Seattle area shelter and housing programs. To follow Governor Inslee’s stay-at-home order, these young people are no longer allowed to have visitors, or leave and come back without pre-approval. To flatten the curve, “YouthCare must navigate the complicated balance of keeping our doors open and shut at the same time,” says Giovengo.
Gourmondo joined forces with 16 Seattle businesses to provide over 1,000 meals to youth experiencing homelessness
Providing young people with food and safety as they shelter in place has required additional resources. YouthCare is keeping its facilities staffed 24 hours a day so that clients can shelter in place 24/7. The young people served by YouthCare are also now sharing three communal meals per day, which means increased food costs. Responding to YouthCare’s increased need for food, many restaurants, businesses, and non-profits have donated food and meals to YouthCare.
A student working hard at virtual school
In addition to food donations, YouthCare is also now collecting donations to its Back-to-School drive as schools begin to reopen online. With most schools holding classes exclusively online this Fall, the students served by YouthCare must have access to the supplies they need to stay connected to and engaged with their classes. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, YouthCare is not currently accepting in-person donations. Instead, those hoping to donate can do so through YouthCare’s Amazon wishlist, or ship supplies directly to YouthCare’s main office.
From YouthCare:
YouthCare envisions a community where no young person experiences homelessness, all young people have the opportunity to thrive, and the systems that oppress them are dismantled.
