Songs for Shelter video

Local artist (^ Brian Prosser came to the Songs for Shelter benefit and drew some amazing images of the performers. We’ve taken the drawings and a few audio clips from the show and made a little video tribute to the performers. Enjoy!

Songs for Shelter lineup

The lineup of performers for the Songs for Shelter benefit has just been announced and is below.

The show is Thursday Dec. 16 at Egan’s Ballard Jam House, 1707 NW Market Street from 7pm – 11pm. $10 suggested donation benefits Solid Ground programs serving homeless families.

Performers will play 15 minute sets:

Darren Smith performing at a previous Songs for Shelter show

7pm
Larry Murante
Eric Apoe
Danny Godinez
Darren Loucas

8pm
Darren Smith
Jen Busch
Sean, Tyler & Cort
Paul Benoit

9pm
Sean Kent
Mike Buchman
Jean Mann
JR

10pm
Jim Page
Annie O’Neill
Reggie Garrett
Rachel Harrington

Online client feedback survey

“As an agency that works for social and racial equity within the community, we consistently ask ourselves, ‘Are we walking our talk?’ And if so, what do our clients say this equity looks like to them?” asks Ariana Cantu, Solid Ground’s Administrative Information Coordinator.

Client feedback survey

“Where are we succeeding and where can we improve? And how will we know we are fulfilling our mission, embodying those values of ending poverty, prejudice and neglect unless we ask those who are using our services – ‘How are we doing?’ However, to date, we have not collected client feedback in a consistent manner across our diverse programs, nor have we attempted to analyze the information received on an agency-wide basis.

“Thanks in large part to the contributions of our Anti-Racism Committee, Client Advisory Committee, and direct service staff, we have developed a new Client Feedback Survey which will be available on the Solid Ground website and will be distributed by our direct service programs. We encourage all clients to use the survey to give us their feedback on our work. This is one way Solid Ground can have a consistent feedback mechanism for all Solid Ground clients and learn directly from our clients where we are succeeding and where we can grow,” says Ariana

Here is a direct link to the survey.

OR: Go to our home page.

Look in the right navigation sidebar under the “Tell Us What You Think” header.

Click on the “Client Feedback Questionnaire” link!

Harvesting goodness at Marra Farm

Another wonderful set of harvest photos from our good friends at Marra Farm.

Mustard greens, chard, radishes and some happy honey bees!

Radishes

Honey bees

The entire sets can be viewed here.

Thanks once again to Marra Farm volunteer Steve Tracy for his beautiful photographs.

Inspired? Come join us on Fridays (only 3 left for 2010!) from 10am-2pm at Marra Farm (9026 4th Ave S) for harvesting, washing and being outside on a crisp fall day. Call Sue at 206.694.6746 x1 for more information.

Political ads we like

Thanks to the Washington Bus, not every political ad is a pack of fear-mongering lies.

Sometimes you just have to laugh

If there is any humor in the morass that has become our entire system of mortgage lending, it might be in the ironic strategic default by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Check out The Daily Show’s crack reporting (with apologies for not figuring out how to embed a full viewer, but click on this and you’ll get there…)

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Mortgage Bankers Association Strategic Default
www.thedailyshow.com
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:361442
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Rally to Restore Sanity

Brettler Family Place photo essay

The latest images from Brettler Family Place at Magnuson Park/Sand Point. By next year this time, the air hammers and heavy equipment that resound around these soon-to-be 52 housing units for formerly homeless families will be replaced by the sounds of kids playing!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Family housing site from the south showing buildings in progress and foundations being readied for construction

JustServe AmeriCorps recruiting for a year of service and a lifetime of change

JustServe Heroes Wanted!

JustServe AmeriCorps Members are on the frontlines of anti-violence work in our community. Whether serving in neighborhood-based nonprofits, inside the criminal justice system, or with faith-based organizations, JustServe Members make a profound difference in the communities they serve. And their year of service makes a profound impact in each Member’s life.

JustServe is hiring for the 2010-2011 term. For more info about the program and how to apply go to the JustServe webspage.

Community Farm unveils final design

Thanks to the Urban Farm Hub for beating us to what should have been or own news! We’re just basically copying their post, but hey, our staff person wrote it:

The Seattle Community Farm at Rainier Vista is excited to unveil its final design! The feedback we heard from the Rainier Vista neighborhood has helped to develop a beautiful design for growing, sharing and gathering around food in the Rainier Valley.

Our volunteer landscape architect, Eric Higbee, has been working with the Seattle Housing Authority, P-Patch Program and Solid Ground in order to create a garden design that will enrich the Rainier Vista neighborhood and immediate surroundings.

The prominent characteristic of this design is the “long tables.” Three long tables will stretch the width of the cul-de-sac at S. Lilac Street. These tables will be used for teaching, eating and harvesting. This space belongs to everyone in the neighborhood… coffee, barbeques and birthday parties are all encouraged!

A children’s garden will be developed south of the cul-de-sac, while terraced garden beds will be built on the northern end. Compost bins will dot the western edge of the garden, and there are plans for a street painting in the cul-de-sac. We heard from many residents that the space should be fenced in; a four foot fence is planned for the food production space in the garden.

If all goes as planned, groundbreaking will begin in July. Community members are invited to join the work parties beginning in August, with an opening celebration on September 25, 2010. If you would like to be involved with small construction projects or artistic contributions to the garden, please contact us! You can reach Leslie Heimer and Jamie Robinson, of the Farm’s Outreach & Development team, at 206.694.6829 or urbanfarm@solid-ground.org. Developments can be followed on the Lettuce Link Blog.

About the author: Jamie Robinson is an AmeriCorps National Service Member with Solid Ground.

Volunteers needed to harvest backyard fruit!

Lettuce Link’s Community Fruit Tree Harvest is gearing up for the 2010 season and we would love for you to harvest with us!

Fruit is a valuable community resource. In 2009, Community Fruit Tree Harvest volunteers harvested more than 19,600 pounds of apples, plums and pears from Seattle fruit trees and delivered it to people with limited access to organic produce (through food banks and meals programs). Harvesting this fruit depends on significant community support.

Community Fruit Tree Harvest volunteers…

• “Scout” trees in your neighborhood to see if they are ripe before sending volunteers to harvest.
• Harvest at scheduled work parties.
• Be “on call” to harvest fruit in your neighborhood. (An email will go out to the volunteers in a particular neighborhood when a tree there is ripe. Available volunteers will make arrangements for picking.)
• Provide garage storage for ladders, picking buckets and/or harvested fruit.
• Deliver harvested fruit to food banks and meals programs.

If you would like to volunteer, please attend one of our volunteer orientations and fill out a volunteer application.

Tuesday, July 27, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Ballard Library (5614 22nd Ave NW)

Wednesday, July 28, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Wallingford, Solid Ground (1501 N 45th St)

Thursday, July 29, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Northeast Library (6801 35th Ave NE)

Monday, August 2, 6:30pm – 7:30pm, Douglass-Truth Library (2300 E Yesler Way)

If you’re unable to attend an orientation, we’d still love to have your help! Contact Sadie at fruitharvest@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6751.

If you have fruit to donate, please contact Seattle Tilth’s Garden Hotline at 206.633.0224 or help@gardenhotline.org.

Other fantastic Seattle Fruit Harvest programs:

City Fruit, Phinney / Greenwood

City Fruit, Crown Hill

City Fruit, SE Seattle

Community Harvest of SW Seattle, West Seattle

Colman Neighborhood

Lunchtime fresh picks

How about some crisp yellow chard on this hot summer day? This gorgeous photo is from Marra Farm volunteer Steve Tracy. You can view more of Steve’s lovely veggie photos on the Lettuce Link Blog.

Even better than the photos? All this stunning, nutritious, organic produce is delivered regularly to South Park’s neighborhood food bank, Providence Regina House!

Freedom is a ticket to ride

I just got another big load of bicycles fixed up for the kids at Sand Point. They are donated in various conditions, parts here, parts there. Some of them I went out and got, some of them just showed up, some were left by former residents…

I’ve given away 34 bikes over the past couple of years. I have four or five to work on now… I’m working with the parts and pieces I’ve got, a few carcasses in the bone yard.

I started working on bikes right after I got out of the hospital a few years back, because I couldn’t afford a new one.

I’m foot challenged, I can’t walk too far because of neuropathy. But I can ride! And all these parts of bikes were at Solid Ground’s Santos Place (transitional housing for single men and women at Sand Point). Roger, who runs Santos Place, said, ‘you can take these bikes and put them together.’

So I started putting together bikes and giving them away. And I started fixing bikes for the kids. I know what I was like when I was a kid with a bike; I broke it pretty regularly. And a lot of the kids that come through the Family Housing have never had a bike.

That is why I really do it is to see the look on their little faces! Because when you get a bike, it means you have arrived, welcome to the big time, you know. I know how I felt with my first bike when I was a kid and I want them to feel the same thing. It is just so cool. I do it for selfish reasons!

While we don’t currently have room at Sand Point for donations of bikes, folks who have bikes they would like to donate to help young people who can’t afford them should contact Bikeworks.

Cascade Bike Club has been just phenomenal on supplying us with bike helmets for Sand Point residents, kids and grownups!

Bill, the maintenance guy at Sand Point, is a man of the year candidate! He’s really good at reading the kids. He says, “Well, he destroyed their Barbie Playhouse and broke the swing set, well he needs one of these kind of bikes!” I work with him directly on deciding. We hit it off from the word go; I like the way he operates. So I fix them up and say, ‘These are ready to go, Bill. You got any people you think could use one?’ And he’s linked in the with case management staff. Darlene, Joshua and Liz are all incredibly supportive! The bikes get shipped out pretty quickly.

(Editor’s note: Peter’s personal stable is down to four bikes. First is his regular hybrid bike. “If your regular bike breaks down, you need to go get more bike parts,” he says. So, that’s the “basic transportation backup.” He has a recumbent, aka the Rocket Ship, which is the “research and development bike.” Peter has plans to swap out chain rings, pedal arms, etc. “Then you’ll be able to climb trees with it!” Number four is an old Raleigh Grand Prix road bike, sitting unused for a while.)

Bike to dinner and help feed hungry people

Next Tuesday evening June 29th, join the first ever Spoke & Food event to celebrate summer cycling and healthy food for hungry people! Spoke & Food is a volunteer-led event to promote bicycling to dinner and to engage the community in good works! Bike with your friends and family to and from any of the participating restaurants for dinner and a percentage of your bill will be donated to Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program. One of the participating restaurants, Dad Watsons, will be donating 50% of the evening’s proceeds to Lettuce Link.

Lettuce Link strives to nurture healthy communities in the Seattle area through distributing fresh, organic produce, seeds and plant starts to low-income families. The program promotes self-sufficiency through gardening education, teaching sustainable food production, and raising awareness about good nutrition and food security. Lettuce Link also coordinates donations of fruits and vegetables grown and harvested in Seattle.

Garett Slettebak, a founder of the event, commented on why Spoke & Food chose to support Lettuce Link: “We were looking for a well-deserving, local non-profit or program whose focus involves food, health, and service. Our planning committee researched a handful of non-profits in the Seattle area who we felt would match up well with and benefit from the Spoke & Food event and the Lettuce Link program landed on top of our list.”

Please join Garett and others and participate in Spoke & Food. Have fun, be healthy, and support a great cause!

Here is a partial list of participating restaurants. For the complete list, bike maps and more information about the event go to Spoke & Food’s website.
Dad Watsons
The Scarlet Tree
Montlake Alehouse
The Stepping Stone
Snoose Junction Pizzeria
Naked City Brewery & Taphouse
Fiddler’s Inn
Mulleady’s Irish Pub
Cantinetta
The Hi-Life
Barking Dog Alehouse
Louisa’s Cafe & Bakery
Porterhouse
Blue Star Cafe & Pub

Progress lagging in 10-year plan

“Midway through the city of Portland and Multnomah County’s 10-year plan to end homelessness, an impressive number of people have been housed through a coordinated, countywide effort,” writes Joanne Zuhl, staff writer on the Street Roots blog.

“Likewise, however, an impressive number of people have arrived newly homeless to the streets through a national disaster.

“Five years into the plan, which promotes ‘housing first’ with supportive permanent housing programs, more than 7,000 homeless households have moved from the streets into housing (in Portland). At the same time, the engines of recession are driving more people to the streets for the first time in their lives.”

The numbers might not match up exactly, but you could run a search and replace on Zuhl’s piece, substituting Seattle for Portland, and pretty much make the same case: For all the good we are doing as a community creating more housing first and permanent housing opportunities (and we are accomplishing a lot there), there are still more newly homeless folks than our established community services can accomodate. Increasingly, the new homeless are families.

The 10-year plans have been integral to Federal funding of homeless services. But Zuhl reports that the Fed’s approach is changing

“On June 21, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, which oversees the 10-year plan program, will unveil the new Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness, which in process and policy supplants the 10-year plan concept. The new plan, set on a five-year agenda, will focus on not only ending chronic homelessness, but on a wider population, including veterans, families, youths and children, setting a ‘path to ending all types of homelessness.’ That’s a major expansion, from the federal viewpoint, on the 10-year agenda and one driven by accumulating statistics that the streets are filling up with families.”

Paul Carlson, regional coordinator for the Interagency Council on Homelessness based in Seattle, told Zuhl that he couldn’t comment on the specifics of the report until it was released, and that it was unclear what additional resources would be dedicated to address family and youth homelessness.

Hopefully, more than just shuffling the federal deck, the new plan will not only bring additional resources to bear, but also respond to the increasing number of newly homeless in need of additional emergency services.

Farm talk with Sue: spring harvest, greenhouses and more

Our Lettuce Link program has posted another Session with Farmer Sue. Check it out for the latest news about our Giving Garden at Marra Farm.

To see previous videos go to Solid Ground’s YouTube channel.

Undead to help feed hungry people

Supernatural powers of philanthropy will converge at the Fremont Outdoor Movies on Saturdays July 3 and 10 to support Solid Ground’s efforts to feed hungry people and shelter homeless families.

In partnership with The Fremont Outdoor movies, CoHo Team of Windermere Agents is hosting what could be a world record Zombie walk in conjunction with a food drive to support hungry folks.

Bloody Zombies photo by Hank Graham

It all happens Saturday, July 3 at 3501 Phinney Ave N. Festivities begin at noon and culminate at 9:30 pm with a screening of the classic Zombie film “Dawn of the Dead.”  The day-long “Red, White and Dead Block Party” hopes to attract 10,000 of the fun-loving undead to Fremont in an attempt to reclaim Fremont’s Zombie world record. See all the gory details here.

Zombies and spectators are asked to bring nonperishable food items to support Solid Ground’s Partners in Caring Program, which distributes food to elderly folks and people living with disabilities in Seattle Public Housing. Tickets can be purchased online.

Then on Saturday, July 10, the CoHo team will try to bust its own record of donations to Solid Ground by matching all gate fees and donations for that night’s film, “Ghost Busters.” Donations will be taken at the gate, or before the event online (type “CoHo Team” in the comments section). And while the suggested donation is $5, there’s no limit to what you can give! So come and join the legendary Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver in this ghost and gut busting film. Donations will support Solid Ground’s Family Shelter program.

Words from the Front: Maggie McKelvy of HomeStreet Bank reports on Solid Ground’s Building Community Luncheon

Our good friend Maggie McKelvy of the Crown Hill branch of HomeStreet Bank hosted a table at Solid Ground’s Annual Building Community Luncheon last week. Here is her report on the event:

I had the pleasure of attending Solid Ground’s Annual luncheon this past Friday and what a great event it was! I was joined by a group of fellow bank employees, customers, and community partners.

Maggie McKelvy, Solid Ground Luncheon table host and Manager of HomeStreet Bank's Crown Hill branch

The highlight of the luncheon, for our table, was truly the keynote speaker, Bryant Terry. Mr. Terry has obvious passion for his work and as he sang to us, holding a cooking spoon as a microphone, told tales of his grandparents and talked about his personal journey, I watched the faces around our table light up. I saw some smiles and nods when he demonstrated his technique for preparing collard greens. I, personally, was feeling flashbacks from my childhood, spent watching my dad cook the foods enjoyed during his childhood years in the South.

I bought Bryant Terry’s cookbook on the way out and test drove several of his recipes over the weekend, including his collard greens. The coconut rice was awesome, by the way, and there are some great tips for cooking with alternatives to milk. Apparently, I was not alone!  My coworker, who also sat at our table, told me that he too spent the weekend in the kitchen, freshly inspired to enjoy whole foods, good health and quality time with his family.

Even if you missed the Solid Ground Luncheon, you can still get Bryant's recipes.

I think that Bryant Terry’s message about connecting through food, looking back in time, and respecting the wisdom of our grandparents and bringing joy, bringing “soul” to the kitchen are at the core of much of the work that Solid Ground does. I am so happy that I was a part of a wonderful event!

Baby Boost Information Fairs connect parents to valuable community resources

How do I know when my child has outgrown his car seat? Which household cleaning products are safe to use around my kids? What childcare options are available to me while I’m job hunting?

These are questions that all parents struggle to answer from time to time. But for mothers with young children living in emergency transitional housing and coping with the trauma of domestic violence, finding answers to some of life’s everyday parenting questions can often feel overwhelming—if not impossible.

Families connect to valuable health and safety resources at a previous Baby Boost Fair.

Residents of Solid Ground’s Broadview Emergency Shelter recently found the answers to some of these questions, as well as many more, when representatives from several local health, legal, environmental and children’s organizations gathered at the shelter last week for a Baby Boost Information Fair.

Baby Boost Information Fairs are “one-stop shops” that give parents—many of whom are facing hunger, homelessness or abuse—opportunities to connect one-on-one with dozens of service providers and free community resources for their children. Solid Ground’s Food Security for Children program partners with local food banks, community centers, transitional housing shelters and substance abuse treatment centers to put on about 10 Baby Boost Fairs each year.

Last week, Broadview residents were able to connect with representatives from the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle, Legal Voice, King County Public Health, Washington State Safety Restraint Coalition, Child Care Resources and Lettuce Link and learn more about programs and services available to them.

One Broadview mother came to the fair to find out when she should move her 2 ½-year-old son out of his car seat and into a booster seat. Another young mother was thrilled to learn about safe alternatives to harmful cleansers and detergents she had been using around her daughter. Another mom left with a new packet of cucumber seeds for the garden that she and some other residents have started out back.

Callista Kennedy, outreach specialist for King County Public Health, has been a presenter at five Baby Boost Fairs. She thinks the fairs are a great opportunity to make initial connections with families and put a face to the services offered.

“A lot of women here are in transition, so they may not need us at this exact moment,” she said. “But when their circumstances change, that’s when they remember us. We’ve already made the connection. The Baby Boost Fairs let them know we’re here when they’re ready for us.”

Fremont Fair seeks volunteers

The only way to make the solstice weekend in Fremont even better than just attending the legendary Fremont Fair and Solstice Parade is to volunteer to help make it all happen! (The Fair is Saturday and Sunday June 19 & 20, 2010.)

The Fair has a nifty web interface to sign up. Click on over and become a part of Seattle’s most well-loved summer event!

Solid Ground no longer produces the Fair, having transitioned it to our good friends at the Fremont Chamber of Commerce. Still, the event helps raise money to support our programs!

Kwanchai Syttende Mai Event Benefiting JourneyHome

Hei! May 17^th, the Norwegian Constitution Day, is Ballard’s biggest day of the year with one of the largest parades outside of Norway. Syttende Gay returns also, this time as a benefit for Solid Ground’s JourneyHome program!

Syttende Gay came into existence in 2006 as an event combining Seattle’s Scandinavian GLBT community and the annual celebration of  Syttende Mai. This event has evolved into an internationally-promoted occasion with the help of local and international blogs such as Ballard Gossip Girl, Seattle Gay Scene, Out Traveler Magazine and Orbitz Travel. Syttende Gay is one of the many events under the auspices of Kwanchai.

In line with the last few years, Kwanchai will have the pleasure of hosting Syttende Gay 2010 at BalMar (5449 Ballard Ave NW off NW Market St) with spectacular views of the parade.

DJ JessE (whom you might remember from Kwanchai’s Ref. 71 Benefit) will be spinning a blend of Scandinavian and current energy club mixes in BalMar’s new dance space.

JourneyHome provides transitional housing, case management, housing search and other supportive services to get homeless families back to stable housing. There will be two ways to raise funds, with a VIP Pass and the Event Raffle.

The VIP Pass ($7) offers exclusive patio access for panoramic views of the parade, 10% off of inspired appetizers and cocktail specials, live DJ and private bar.

Event Date: Monday, May 17, 2010

Event Time: 5:00 pm – 8:oo pm

Norwegian Constitution Day Parade at 6:00 pm

Kwanchai events are always open to everyone of interest as our mission aligns with celebrating inclusiveness and diversity.