May Day March & Rally for Immigrant Rights!

From our friends at Washington Community Action Network:  

Washington CAN!'s youngest spokesperson, 11-year-old Marcelas Owens

 

Join Washington CAN!, Statewide Poverty Action Network, Solid Ground and many others at the 10th Annual May 1st March & Rally for Immigrant Rights! In 2006, thousands of people across the nation took to the streets to protest inhumane immigration policies and support immigrant and worker rights. In Seattle, the May 1st march has historically been a grassroots effort with full support from all sectors of the community and driven by the Latino community in the Puget Sound Area. 

There is an indisputable need for immigration reform for everyone in our country. We need comprehensive immigration reform that reflects our American values of justice, fairness, and respect for humanity. We believe all communities can come together to better our country. 

Event Information: 

• Rally 12:00pm at Judkins Playfield (behind St Mary’s Church- 611 20th Ave S, Seattle)
• March 12:30pm
• March will end at 1:30pm followed by a program with elected officials and music at Memorial Stadium in the Seattle Center (401 5th Ave 98109)
• Contact: Email maru@washingtoncan.org

Thank you for all you,
The Washington CAN! Team 

***************************************************************** 

¡Marcha y mitin del 1ero de mayo por derechos de los inmigrantes! En el 2006 miles de personas a través de la nación inundaron las calles para protestar políticas  migratorias deshumanas y un apoyo a derechos de los trabajadores e inmigrantes. En Seattle la marcha del 1ero de mayo ha sido históricamente un esfuerzo comunitario con apoyo absoluto de todos los sectores de la comunidad y liderado por la comunidad Latina del área de Puget Sound. 

Hay una necesidad indiscutible de una reforma migratoria para todos en este país. Necesitamos una reforma amplia que refleje nuestros valores Americanos de justicia, igualdad y respeto por la humanidad. Creemos que todas las comunidades pueden unirse y mejorar nuestro país. 

¡Acompáñenos a la Décima Marcha Anual por Derechos de los Inmigrantes e invite a sus amigos y familiares! 

Información del evento: 

• Sábado 1ero de mayo, 2010
• Mitin 12:00pm en el parque Judkins Playfield (detrás de la iglesia St Mary – 611 20th Ave S, Seattle)
• Marcha 12:30pm
• Marcha terminará a la 1:30pm y será seguida por un programa con oradores políticos y música en el Memorial Stadium en el Seattle Center (401 5th Ave 98109)
• Reservaciones: mande un correo electrónico a maru@washingtoncan.org  

Gracias por su apoyo, 

La Red Activa – Washington CAN!

Gear up for an evening of biking, dining and doing good

Cool: Bikers and Lovers of Food, some Solid Ground supporters asked us to invite you to participate in the premier Spoke and Food Event on Tuesday, June 29th, 2010! This event will combine bicycling and dining into one evening, while also raising funds for Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program. This is a great opportunity to give back to the community and have some fun on one of those beautiful Seattle summer nights!

The main goals of Spoke & Food this year are to support Lettuce Link and to motivate members of our local community to use their bicycles as a mode of transportation to and from dinner. Lettuce Link (an innovative food and gardening program growing and giving since 1988) creates access to fresh, nutritious and organic produce, seeds, and gardening information for families with lower incomes in Seattle. They work to educate the community about food security and sustainable food production.

So get out and bike on the night of Tuesday, June 29th and help support a healthier community! Bike to any of the following restaurants and they’ll donate 15-20% of their proceeds to Lettuce Link!

Participating restaurants as of April 30th include:
Dad Watsons (Fremont)
The Scarlet Tree (Ravenna/Green Lake)
Montlake Alehouse (Montlake)
The Stepping Stone (Ballard)
Snoose Junction Pizzeria (Ballard)

If you are interested in becoming a participating restaurant, please contact info@spokeandfood.com.

What I learned at the Youth Philanthropy Summit

Cedar Valley Community School was lucky to have the opportunity to attend the Second Annual Youth Philanthropy Summit last Thursday.  This Penny Harvest event was a chance for students from all over the greater Seattle area to come together and collectively share and learn more about philanthropy and social justice work.  Ten student leaders from Cedar Valley attended the conference.  I would like to take a little bit of time to share some of what I learned last week about the students with whom I work.

Ana Lucia Degel, former Penny Harvest Youth leader

I learned that they are dedicated:  Each of them knew that it would take two or three public buses (and a bit of a walk) to reach the Seattle Center, and an hour and a half of travel time each way.  They all signed up regardless, knowing that this opportunity was important to them.  I didn’t hear one single complaint on the buses.  What I did hear were discussions about what would happen, about which cities and counties we were passing through, about how their day went, and what they learned from the different organizations.

I learned that they are collaborative: During the morning portion of the event, Cedar Valley participated in a “scavenger hunt,” learning information about dozens of community organizations.  All ten of our students worked together harmoniously.  They shared resources, helped each other find clues, and encouraged each other the whole time.

I learned that they are confident: During Lulu Carpenter’s keynote speech, our student leaders joined over a hundred other students in shouting out affirmations.  With smiles on their faces, they declared that they believed in themselves, and that they could change the world.

I learned that they aware and inquisitive: After the keynote address, there were four choices of caucus groups to attend:  youth leadership, animal welfare, the environment, and homelessness.  Our students split up fairly evenly between the latter three issues.  I joined one group in the homelessness caucus.  They were quiet, respectful, and engaged while the panel introduced many difficult concepts.  Fourth grader Allan even bravely raised his hand to ask a few theoretical questions throughout the day.  They all paid attention, and were able to share many new things that they had learned during the conference.

I learned that they are full of joy: A highlight of the day was when a seagull took off with Paola’s pizza at lunchtime.  It was totally unexpected and funny, and nobody laughed louder than Paola, even after she got a new piece.  It was refreshing to see that in the middle of a day dealing with heavy, heavy issues, they could fully experience the humor and lightness of that moment.

I learned that they will all do amazing things in their lives. It’s true.  It’s cheesy, but it’s true.  How do I know this?  They’ve already come together to accomplish some pretty amazing things.

Working on a building

I'm working on a building...

Celebrate Earth Day with random acts of flowers

Celebrate Earth Day with random acts of seed sowing and benefit Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program.

Anthropologie (at both their U-Village and downtown stores) will donate to Lettuce Link a portion of the proceeds from all sales of their Seed Bombs. While the name suggests violence, Seed Bombs really are a peaceful and ingenious way to broadcast wildflower seeds!

Bombs away!

Made by a US company, each pack contains 5 “bombs,” the size of a bath bomb. They contain a mixture of wildflower seeds indigenous to the western US. They come in a darling muslin pouch that has been hand screen printed (so you can keep the pouch afterwards). The Seed Bombs are on sale now, until they’re sold out! Get some and spread some wildflowers in your yard or the vacant lot down the street.

Solid Ground volunteer recognized by United Way

Solid Ground Advisory Council member, advocacy volunteer, bike rebuilder (more on that in a future blog post), SG blogger, and all around good guy Peter Zimmerman was featured in this post on the United Way King County Blog as part of their National Volunteer Week activities.

Congrats, Peter!

Captain Z in Olytown

Gardening open house benefits Lettuce Link

How can you scratch your itchy green thumb and help feed hungry people at the same time? Head on down to Madison Valley on this coming Saturday, April 24th, from 11:00am to 3:00pm, where City People’s Garden Store is holding a Spring Open House in partnership with Café Flora and Full Circle Farm. The event benefits Lettuce Link!

You can learn how to grow your own heirloom vegetables from Bill Thorness, author of Edible Heirlooms. Learn about organic produce from Full Circle Farm. Take a cooking lesson from the chefs of Café Flora. Get advice on starting your own vegetable garden from City People’s Landscape. Enter the raffle to win a gift basket.

10% of the day’s proceeds will go to Lettuce Link, Solid Ground’s program that partners with the City’s P-Patches to grow/harvest fresh produce for Seattle area food banks.

As an added treat, enjoy Old Time music in City People’s outdoor nursery by members of The Tallboys and Klezmer music by Harvey Niebulski & Sarah Funke & Friends.

For all the details, including the workshop schedule, go to the City People’s Garden Store workshop website.

I loved my experience at JustServe AmeriCorps

Alex Montances served with Solid Ground’s JustServe AmeriCorps program from 2007-2008. His placement was the Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center, helping to coordinate the Annual Vigil for Victims of Domestic Violence at the King County Courthouse, and leading educational peer groups with high school aged Asian and Pacific Islander young men on anti-oppression topics, dating violence and sexual assault.

Read below to hear how Alex was impacted by his participation in JustServe AmeriCorps at Solid Ground–and the powerful work that Alex is doing in the community, today:

“Today I am a second year graduate student at California State University Long Beach in their Applied Anthropology program. My focus is on advocacy and social services for Filipino American immigrants, organizations, and communities. I hope to do advocacy and research consulting for non-profit organizations, state, city and federal institutions so that they can better serve Filipino immigrant communities. I also work with a Filipino American Youth group called AnakBayan Los Angeles that teaches youth about Filipino culture and history while fighting for youth rights and human rights for Filipino communities around the world. Currently, with AnakBayan I teach educational workshops on Filipino culture/history, anti- imperialism, and human rights to Filipino youth and students in the greater Los Angeles county area.

I learned so many great things about people’s movements, anti-oppression, non-profit work, and community activism through JustServe AmeriCorps. There were things I learned about racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, age-ism, able-ism and other forms of oppression in those team meetings that I would have never learned in school or though my friends and family. I learned on the job about humility, patience, and hard work. I learned more about active leadership and teamwork at my placement site, and how people navigate through systems to do real community work.

If anyone is thinking about joining an AmeriCorps program you should really consider JustServe. Its focus on anti-oppression and anti-violence is extremely valuable and will give you many tools to work with communities. Be open to challenge yourself and what you know about marginalized communities and you will definitely grow as an individual and a leader in this program.

If you are a current JustServe AmeriCorps Member, thank you for your service! You will never forget or regret the work you do here! If you are unsure of what to do after your service, talk to your placement site, teammates, team leaders and others in the community, and you may find some unexpected opportunities waiting for you. If you are interested in Filipino communities and human rights, please contact JustServe team leaders and ask for my contact information, I would love to chat.

I loved my experience at JustServe AmeriCorps, and I know that real social change happens when you work together and empower local people to change their communities for the better. Thank you to Solid Ground, Just Serve AmeriCorps, and the Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center whose guidance and friendship helped me to serve my communities in meaningful ways.”

Breaking ground and realizing dreams

It’s a dusty, noisy site now, but in little more than a year, it will hold 52 brand new apartments and townhouses. A slew of kids will be playing in the park, and 52 formerly homeless families will be taking their next steps back to solid ground.

That’s the promise of Brettler Family Place, the housing Solid Ground ceremonially broke ground on April 15th on the western side of Magnuson Park. The project moves our region closer to its goal of ending homelessness, and delivers on the promise of the City’s Reuse Plan for Sand Point. Pics from the celebration follow:

Cheryl Cobbs, Solid Ground Executive Director

The Brettler Family, whose commitment to ending homelessness will be honored in our naming the project Brettler Family Place

New life coming to this incredible environment

Former Governor Mike Lowry and Bill Block of the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness

Former Sand Point Housing resident Celia Waddell talks about how the peaceful setting supported her family

Zanne Garland, Frank Chopp and Sarajane Siegfriedt have all played important roles in moving this project forward

Truckin'

Cool piles of gravel and trucks!

Sand Point is a great place to live for people who need a home--and a great place to be a dog

 

Marra Farm featured on KUOW

KUOW 94.9 FM ran a great story this morning about Marra Farm, where Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program operates a Giving Garden. You can read the transcript on KUOW’s website.

You can donate to support Marra Farm and our Lettuce Link Program! Thanks.

Washington Reading Corps helps Spanish speaking families on Vashon

This article highlighting the efforts of Washington Reading Corps Members is by Amelia Heagerty of the Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber Reporter, and appeared on Apr 07 2010:

Seven Spanish-speaking parents gathered in a third-floor classroom at Chautauqua Elementary School one recent Thursday evening, chatting easily as they waited to hear presentations in Spanish about the school’s English Language Learning program and the U.S. Census.

One parent filled out her census questionnaire; others discussed how many native Spanish speakers live on Vashon Island.

It was the fifth weekly informational evening for Spanish-speaking parents at the elementary school, where special topics are discussed and dinner and child care are provided.

Laying the foundation for a better future

Cool: These photos were taken at the construction site of the new Brettler Family Place family housing that Solid Ground is building at Sand Point/Magnuson Park. For more information on the project, or to get involved, go to our Sand Point Capital Campaign webpage.

From the south side of the site looking north by northeast. The green building on the left is Santos Place, housing for single men and women, which is at the north end of the building site. You can also see the new sports fields at Magnuson Park and a sliver of Lake Washington.

 

This view looks east by southeast over the foundations to the new baseball field and wetlands. The restorative properties of the location are a major feature of the new housing, which will accept people out of emergency shelter and transitional housing, and give them the opportunity to stay even after they graduate from needing service-rich transitional housing.

  

 

“The Revolution will not be Adultist!”

“The Revolution will not be Adultist!” is the quote printed on the most recent popular Seattle Young People’s Project bowl-a-thon t-shirt. I find myself thinking about this quote often. Often when I wear the t-shirt, people read the quote and I see a confused look on their face or the look of faking understanding. I think underneath that confused look is the question, “What is Adultism?” In the Seattle progressive, liberal, even radical scene we talk a lot of good talk and even take some good action around issues of racism, sexism, and classism, but too often the discussion about how adultism intersects with these other oppressions is missing. 

Today I ran across a Facebook status update by my friend, Adam Fletcher, on “re-defining adultism.”  On his blog he defines “adultism” this way:

Adultism is the addiction to the attitudes, ideas, beliefs, and actions of adults. It is a major concept in the organization of society: Adultism prevails in every sector, including government, education, social services, and families. Its defeat is often seen as a bad thing, as adults are mostly capable only of seeing their own abilities as those that are truly needed to the function and well-being of our world.

The problem with adultism is that it ignores, silences, neglects, and punishes children and youth simply because they are not adults. Every young person experiences adultism from the day they are born until the day the world around them recognizes them as an adult.

I like how Adam frames adultism as an “addiction.” Addictions take active effort to overcome. The first step in overcoming addiction is awareness of the problem that we have, right? So I encourage you to ask the question: How are you and the groups that you are a part of ignoring, silencing, neglecting and even punishing children and youth? Have you written a grant “about and for” young people in your community without seeking youth input into that grant application? Do you have any youth involved in the decision making of your group? Have you found yourself saying recently, “Well they (a young person)  just aren’t ready for that responsibility yet?” Have you been part of either creating or enforcing arbitrary age limits that young people can or cannot participate in an activity or program?

How can you and the groups you are involved in start sharing your adult power with young people? How can you engage young people in decision making? How can you as an adult (if you are one) start following the lead of young people instead of leading young people? How are you overcoming your addiction to the attitudes, ideas, beliefs, and actions of adults?

Strike Out Hunger 2010: Good fun in the fast lanes

The Strike Out Hunger Bowl-a-thon raises money to help Solid Ground’s Food Security for Children (FSC) program feed thousands of infants and toddlers — and supports other Solid Ground efforts to end poverty. On March 27th, 150 people had a blast bowling to strike out hunger! We’re still tallying the amount raised, but we know it will go a long way to support families and children through these difficult economic times. The West Seattle Herald published a short piece highlighting the event.

The Pinkies

Our extra-spirited teams included:

• The Big Lebowski’s Hunger Action Team
• Finance Kids Team
• Google
• Mini but Mighty
• Not A Number
• Pinkies
• Selena’s Guadalajara
• Team Paul Haas
• Team Bridget Perry
• The Untouchables (Advisory Council)
• Verity Credit Union

And many thanks to our In-Kind Sponsors!

• Athletic Awards
• Cupcake Royale (West Seattle)
• Fainting Goat
• Garlic Jim’s Famous Gourmet Pizza
• Hawaiian Breeze
• Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
• Nickerson Street Saloon
• Not A Number
• Paige Collins
• Papa Murphy’s (Jefferson Square)
• QFC (Wallingford)
• Safeway (Jefferson Square)
• Selena’s Guadalajara

It’s not too late to give to the Bowl-a-thon! Click here to Strike Out Hunger NOW! Interested in participating in next year’s Bowl-a-thon? Please contact Anna Ramos at 206.694.6857 or annar@solid-ground.org.