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. Fifth Avenue Theatre is ready to host two live-stream holiday concerts are made to recreate the joys of live theatre. There will be holiday music, tap dancing, and all sorts of colorful festivities to brighten this chilly Seattle winter.
“This year we are doing a different kind of holiday special where we are celebrating all parts of the season,” says Bernie Griffin, Managing Director of the Fifth Avenue Theater. “We have a couple of hosts, Cayman Ilika and Shaunyce Omar, and some special guests– kind of a throwback to when I was growing up, the old holiday specials where there would be special guests that would pop in.” The Fifth Avenue Theater isn’t holding back this holiday season, but brightening the mood with a festive holiday special that can be viewed online.
This online performance is different from what the theater is used to: “For the holidays we would normally bring in about fifty thousand people into the downtown theater for our holiday show, and have been a part of families memories for decades” says Bernie. This year the Fifth Ave has gotten creative with their shows, especially among Governor Inslee’s new Coronavirus regulations. “We were actually going to film our holiday special at the theater a few weeks ago, and then the governor’s mandate came down as far as additional restrictions for the good of the health guidelines, so we had to send all of the equipment out to people’s homes. They filmed in their own apartments and houses, we sent music to them and now it’s splicing it all together,” she explained.
This beautiful theatre will remain empty this holiday season, but the Fifth Ave is bringing the music straight to your home.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre is offering a variety of package optionsfor theatre-fanatics with subscriber access to new content including a mix of exclusive original video, podcasting content, and live stream concerts by theatre partners around the world. Subscribers can enjoy micro-doses of musical theater with access to original video series’, in which actors and composers cooperate to create an original video-story and song. Or, for a full dose of musical theater, subscribers can listen to full-length musical podcasts featuring the 5th’s First Draft commission Half the Sky and Afterwords (Village Theater Beta Series); and one more still to be announced. Cuddle up with a steaming hot-cocoa and enjoy live concerts from the lobby Cabaret; performances by Seattle stars filmed from the lobby of The 5th.
Determined to continue supporting local artists during the pandemic, The 5th Ave recently hosted its Holiday Bazaar. This nine-day virtual event was an auctioning off of wines and various Fifth Avenue gems, as well as a marketplace for artisans who are not currently working. “All of that money goes directly to the artisans for their beautiful hand-crafted gifts. We hope it provides a little bit of assistance,” says Bernie Griffin. “I just recognize the individuals who work for The Fifth Ave and their dedication to this organization, our community, our patrons and our artists, to figure out how to do this”.
The “Pearl or Perfection” chandelier, historical centerpiece to an intricate ceiling.
The Fifth Avenue Theatre has a deep-rooted history here in Seattle. Constructed in 1926, the theatre is today considered one of the most beautiful theatres in our country, thanks to its elaborate interior design. The ceiling is an exact replica of the ceiling of the Throne Room of Beijing’s Imperial Palace, only it’s twice the size. The ornate, five-toed dragon in the center was created as a symbol of the Chinese emperor, with the “Pearl of Perfection” chandelier dangling from his mouth. In the 1990’s, the theatre became the only professional theater organization in the Pacific Northwest to stage both Broadway touring musicals and its own original productions at the time. From its very inception, The 5th Avenue Theatre was created to serve Seattle. The theatre has supported other Seattle theatre organizations, and has made grants to support education programs at cultural institutions throughout Seattle. Not to mention providing much-needed musical entertainment and creative release to Satellites.
5th avenue street lights up in celebration of the holiday season.
This year has been challenging as far as musical theatre goes, as Coronavirus regulations prohibit people from gathering. However, The 5th Ave continues to “create art and to continue to lift the spirits of folks as only musical theater can do,” says a hopeful Bernie Griffin. “However it is that we are able to do that during this time is what our role is as a community asset”. The theatre is happy to continue to feed the creative appetite of the Seattle community, and is grateful for its supportive followers. There is much to look forward to in terms of new shows, podcasts and concerts– all of which can be found on The Fifth Avenue website. “During this time we really need the support of all our community, when the time is right, to get back on our feet”.
We’re proud to introduce The Essential 5th Digital Collection, a digital season featuring content created by The 5th that immerses you in the very essence of musical theater.
With The Essential 5th Digital Collection, we invite you to join us in our virtual theater for a mix of exclusive original video and podcasting content created by The 5th and livestream concerts by theater partners around the world—including some of Broadway’s brightest stars.
The Essential 5th is broken out into three different package options with subscriber access to exciting new content expanding at every level:
The 5th Avenue Theatre has an essential role to play in your life—just as you have an essential role to play in ours. The close connection between our audience and our art has always lead to musical experiences at their richest. It is your support—whether through your subscription, your donation, or even your kind words and messages—that we maintain the critical resources that support our staff, create opportunities for our local artists, and plan for recovery.
Seattle, WA. This fall hundreds of families and children are sleeping outside in cars, tents, and other uninhabitable spaces. The weather has turned cold, wet, and dark, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, these families have no safe place to sleep this winter. In response to this crisis, and despite facing economic uncertainly, Seattle’s business community has come together for the seventh year with the goal of raising $2 million to help Mary’s Place address this untenable situation with its annual crowdfunding campaign: No Child Sleeps Outside. Here’s a video about the effort:
During last year’s successful No Child Sleeps Outside campaign, local businesses, and the community came together to raise just over $3 million, making it possible for Mary’s Place to bring more than 1,000 moms, dads, and kids inside to a new downtown shelter. That shelter, inside the Amazon headquarters with eight floors of wide-open spaces and private rooms, opened in March, just as the pandemic hit.
But even with that success, there are still hundreds of children and families sleeping outside. Today, as the weather gets colder and this pandemic worsens, Mary’s Place is only able to provide shelter to just about half of the families calling, looking for a safe, warm place to come inside. Families staying in shelters are anxious to move into their own homes, and those who recently moved into housing worry about their ability to pay rent when the temporary eviction moratorium ends.
The No Child Sleeps Outside campaign begins on November 17 and runs through December 31. Anyone can help ensure that No Child Sleeps Outside this winter just by going to the crowdfunding site at NoChildSleepsOutside.org to make a donation or start a fundraising team.
From the No Child Sleeps Outside Campaign:
Experiencing homelessness is traumatic for families and children, and during this pandemic, it’s more important than ever to keep families safe and housed. This year’s campaign will provide funding for Mary’s Place to create a Rapid Response Fund to help families move quickly into housing – or keep their hard-won homes – opening more shelter space for families this winter. Reaching the $2 million goal will help over 650 families, more than 2,300 moms, dads, and kids, achieve their housing goals.
“Before this pandemic hit, we were very close to reaching our goal of bringing every child inside from cars and tents. Today, with social distancing and other health measures, we’ve had to close several smaller shelters and have lost 300 beds for families,” said Marty Hartman, Mary’s Place Executive Director. “Things are changing, and we’re changing how we meet the need by providing resources to help unsheltered families find housing quickly and keep families in their hard-won homes. We know that it will take our entire community to solve this crisis, but together, we know we can get through this, and we can bring every child inside to warmth, safety, and stability.”
“Since 2016, Starbucks has been a proud supporter of the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign, recognizing that the rising homelessness crisis among Seattle-area families in our hometown is our most urgent issue to face,” said Virginia Tenpenny, vice president, global social impact at Starbucks and executive director of The Starbucks Foundation. “The COVID-19 pandemic has not made it any easier for families experiencing homelessness, and we are so proud to partner with Mary’s Place and their work to bring and keep more unsheltered moms, dads and kids inside. The safest place for a family to be is in their own home – especially during this pandemic.”
In addition to Starbucks, other sponsors and partners include 2A Consulting, Amazon, Brides for a Cause, Coldstream Wealth Management, Comcast NBCUniversal, Darigold, Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Dunn Lumber, Enchant Christmas, Forsberg & Umlauf, P.S., Frontdoor, G3 builders, Google, Hempler Foods Group, H.D. Fowler Company, HNN Associates, LLC, KeyBank, Lease Crutcher Lewis, Lighthouse Roasters, LMC A Lennar Company, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Murraysmith, Nestlé Coffee Partners, PRIME Electric, PwC, Russell Investments, SAP Concur, Seattle Chocolate, Smart Foodservice, The Billing Associates Group, Theo Chocolate, Tinte Cellars, Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience, Windermere Foundation, and Zillow Group – with more to come!
As always, there will be lots of fun ways to participate in the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign, including these virtual events:
The No Child Sleeps Outside “Game Night In” on Tuesday, November 24, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm is a fun series of challenges for you and your team (event hosts will place you into groups). Some games are scavenger-hunt inspired, some are trivia inspired, some may be more guessing-game style, and some may be more skill-based. There’s something for everyone! Attendance is limited, and tickets are available now for $30 per person. More information is available atnochildsleepsoutside.org.
The No Child Sleeps Outside Virtual Scavenger Hunt takes place over the weekend of Saturday, December 12 and Sunday, December 13. All you’ll need is your phone, an internet connection, your team (family members or friends), and your home. The interactive Let’s Roam app presents players with a series of challenges and questions ranging in difficulty and point value. The first team to complete the challenge will win a fabulous grand prize! The cost to play is $50 per team. More information is available atnochildsleepsoutside.org.
Other fun events, including Dick’s Drive-in Burger Box Bingo to benefit the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign, will be announced soon!
About Mary’s Place:
Mary’s Place believes that no one’s child should sleep outside. They provide safe, inclusive shelter and services to support women, children and families on their journey out of homelessness. The organization focuses on an innovative strategy of combining flexible funding, emergency shelter, and resources for transition into housing to bring families out of homelessness. Visit MarysPlaceSeattle.org to learn more.
Seattle, WA. Despite the added challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, Jubilee Women’s Center continues to offer refuge and hope for women experiencing poverty and homelessness in Seattle (photo of masked volunteers from the Rainier Ravens group, working in Jubilee’s garden). Established in 1983 as Seattle’s first transitional home for women, the non-profit’s guiding mission is to “support women experiencing poverty to build stable and fulfilling futures, one extraordinary woman at a time.” Each year, Jubilee provides affordable community housing and individualized support to approximately 60 women struggling with home insecurity and aids an additional 2000 low-income women with free referrals, job/life skills classes, and more; services that are especially needed now as the economic weight of the pandemic bears down heavily on vulnerable communities.
The inspiration behind Jubilee came from three sisters of St. Joseph of Peace who realized that to break the cycle of homelessness, women needed much more than the 90-day stay typically offered by local shelters. In response, they created Jubilee Women’s Center and a uniquely holistic service model to give women experiencing personal and financial hardships “the stability and time they need to heal, grow, and rebuild their lives” (jwcenter.org). Today, Jubilee Women’s Center carries on the sister’s legacy with its two-year transitional housing program that includes “holistic support services, on-site care managers, and a focus on employment preparation to advance each woman on her path out of poverty with a living-wage and a home of her own” (jwcenter.org).
Communications and Marketing Manager, Jen Zug shared that when the COVID-19 virus first became an issue earlier this year, Jubilee immediately began taking precautions to protect clients, staff, and volunteers from the virus. Mask wearing, physical distancing, and sanitizing protocols were introduced across each of Jubilee’s four residential sites. Fundraising efforts were reshaped for safety as well, she said, with the annual Fall Benefit event “expanded to a month of smaller in-person and virtual gatherings and peer to peer fundraising” throughout October instead.
Initially, the organization also closed its clothing boutique, which provides free clothing, accessories, and personal items to residents and women in the community. But more recently, Zug explained “we’ve adjusted to begin providing Boutique Care Packages. Women who call for shopping appointments can now place an order for the items she’s looking for, and a boutique volunteer will gather her items together into a custom care package she can pick up” (photo below of Jubilee’s Boutique, stocked with donations from the community).
Jubilee’s free clothing boutique.
While they look forward to reopening the boutique and other offerings to the public sometime soon, Zug and other organization leaders say they are simply glad that they have found ways of staying on mission in the meantime, continuing to serve and empower women in need. Those who wish to contribute to Jubilee Women’s Center can donate through the organization’s website, or volunteer as shoppers in the clothing boutique, assembling care packages for women in the community. Visit jwcenter.org for more information.
From Jubilee Women’s Center:
Jubilee Women’s Center supports women experiencing poverty to build stable and fulfilling futures, one extraordinary woman at a time.
Led by the guiding principle that women of all races and cultures are to be treated with respect and dignity, Jubilee provides programs and services that empower women to make positive life changes.
We believe women experiencing homelessness and economic crisis need time and space to heal while addressing the complex circumstances leading to their housing instability. Jubilee provides safe, affordable housing and holistic services to support women as they heal from their past and work toward self-sufficiency.
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