Washingtonians love to volunteer!

This post was contributed by Chelsey Loeffers, Solid Ground’s Volunteer Coordinator.

Community volunteers and Solid Ground Board Members at a Seattle Community Farm volunteer work party

Volunteerism in our country has hit a five year high, says the recent Volunteering and Civic Life in America report from the Corporation for National & Community Service. In 2011, over 64 million Americans donated almost eight billion hours of volunteer service to organizations nationwide!

Washington ranked 9th out of all 50 states in volunteerism rates; 34.4% of our residents volunteer! Our region specifically also came out on top – the Seattle-Metro area ranks 3rd in volunteerism out of the 51 major metropolitan areas in the country. That’s over 936,000 volunteers!

Solid Ground depends on its volunteer force to create positive change in our community, and we are so lucky to live in a community, state and country that values volunteerism. Congratulations to each one of you for being a part of such a positive big picture.

For more information about volunteer opportunities at Solid Ground, please contact our Volunteer Coordinator at volunteers@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6825. Find more information about volunteerism in the United States at www.volunteeringinamerica.gov.

Pouring on the support

Executive Chef Augi and General Manager Tino in the kitchen

For many years, the Nickerson Street Saloon has come up with creative ways to support Solid Ground. With the support of their suppliers, they have a tasty history of donating a portion of their holiday beer revenues to Solid Ground.

This year is no exception: Through the end of the year, they will donate a portion of the sales of every glass of New Belgium’s Shift Pale Lager to Solid Ground. Stop on by for a fine brew to support a fine cause!

Also, last week Nickerson Street Saloon hosted its second annual Thanksgiving feast for clients of Solid Ground and the FamilyWorks food bank.

“Our involvement with Solid Ground started through Kira Zylstra [who manages Solid Ground’s Homeless Prevention Programs],” explains Chris “Tino” Martino, General Manager.

“She worked for me for a number of years and it was a natural fit. I think our goal as a business has always been to be partner with our community. We have always thought of ourselves as a neighborhood restaurant and part of that includes trying to help out and give something back. Fortunately we have been successful enough to be able to host these types of things and have always had great support from our vendors like Georgetown Brewing, New Belgium Brewery and Columbia Distributing.”

Tino adds, “Our Thanksgiving meal was something we started last year. We had talked about it for a number of years and last year it just sort of came together. Kira pointed me towards Jake Weber at FamilyWorks, and we just went with it. I’m really looking forward to this year. I was really struck by how grateful and thankful all the people we had last year were. I thought it was nice that we were able to serve people in the context of our restaurant; I think our guests enjoyed it. It’s something we plan to continue to do as long as we can.”

Kira volunteered on Thanksgiving, helping to serve the 75 guests. “This wasn’t a buffet: We served our guests and got them what they wanted,” she said. “It was a really welcoming environment.”

“Chris Gerke is the owner of the Nick and he has always been the reason we try to do what we do,” Tino says. “Giving back and trying to leave things better than you found them is something he has always preached and I have embraced as well. In the end, helping to care for each other is something I believe we are all responsible for and a great reminder of how fortunate I have been in my own life. Perspective is always a good thing.”

Youth in action: Jackie’s Volunteer Network

Jackie contacted Solid Ground about adding us to her great website, Jackie’s Volunteer Network, which connects high school students with volunteer opportunities in the Seattle/Tacoma area. We think it’s great and wanted to help get the word out!

Hello! My name is Jackie and I’m in ninth grade. I began creating this website (http://jackiesvolunteernetwork.com/) because I wanted to find volunteer opportunities but found that difficult since most volunteer opportunities are only for adults. As a result, I decided to create this website to help other teens find volunteer opportunities as well.

Visit jackiesvolunteernetwork.com for youth volunteer opportunities in Seattle/Tacoma!

My parents kindly offered to pay for the website, and I have been building it ever since. My goal is to keep this project going and to always help teens find meaningful volunteer work. I have personally found that helping others find volunteer work is just as rewarding as volunteering myself.

Over time, I have also volunteered for a few of these organizations myself. These volunteer experiences have given me the goal to continue working with nonprofit organizations. For all the teens that use my website, I hope you find these opportunities exciting and meaningful. For all the organizations who have helped me build this site, I hope you find some wonderful volunteers!

If your organization has volunteer opportunities for youth, Jackie would love to hear from you! She can be contacted at jackiesvolunteernetwork@hotmail.com.

How health care ruling impacts low-income folks in Washington State

With all the excitement over the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Affordable Care Act, we asked some of Solid Ground’s experts: What does it mean for low-income folks in Washington State? We present the following report thanks to Kate Baber of the Statewide Poverty Action Network and Stephanie Earhart, lead Benefits Attorney with Solid Ground’s Family Assistance program.

Photo from the Christian Science Monitor

Yesterday, the Supreme Court upheld the 2010 federal health care reform law, known as the Affordable Care Act. This landmark decision allows the imple-mentation of the Affordable Care Act to move forward and will greatly expand low- and middle-income Americans’ quality and access to health care.

The Affordable Care Act will bring much needed relief to low-income communities across Washington. Since the onset of the Great Recession, access to health care coverage has become further out of reach for families and individuals due to economic hardship resulting from job loss, debt and foreclosure, cuts to employer-sponsored health coverage, and reductions in state-funded health care programs. As the economy recovers, health care reform will ensure Washington has a healthy workforce, children and students are better able to learn, and seniors and adults living with disabilities can survive.

Beginning in 2014, 800,000 of Washington’s 1 million uninsured people will be able to access health insurance. In addition to expanding access to coverage, the Affordable Care Act includes consumer protections that will greatly improve the quality and lower the cost of health care coverage for the 5.8 million Washingtonians who are currently insured.

Here’s how health care reform will benefit your community:

Reforms Already in Place:

• Insurance providers are barred from imposing lifetime benefit limits on people who are sick and need expensive care to get better.
• Insurance providers cannot deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
• Adults with pre-existing conditions can access care through a Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan.
• Children can stay on their parents’ health care plan until the age of 26.

Reforms to Be Implemented in 2014:

• Medicaid will be expanded to cover an additional 333,000 low-income Washingtonians. In Washington State, everyone at or below 133% of the Federal Poverty Level will be covered by Medicaid beginning in 2014.
• Overall, 477,000 low- and moderate-income people will become eligible for subsidized care in the new health insurance exchange program.
• Insurance providers cannot deny coverage to adults with pre-existing conditions and can’t impose limitations on enrollment.
• Insurance providers cannot charge higher premiums to women or sicker people and have new restrictions on how much they can charge seniors.
• Prescription drugs will be more affordable for 1 million seniors and people living with disabilities in Washington as the gap in Medicare drug coverage begins to close until it is eliminated by 2020.
• Seniors will be able to access free preventative care.
• Deductibles and co-payments for preventative services will be eliminated for everyone.
• Coverage will be expanded for early retirees who are too young to qualify for Medicare, but no longer receive employer-sponsored coverage.

State subsidized health care programs that Poverty Action has worked hard to protect from budget cuts and elimination during the Great Recession will receive new federal support and will be combined with Medicaid and expanded. These programs include: health care coverage for kids (Apple Health), coverage for people living with disabilities and mental health issues (Medical Care Services), optional Medicaid programs such as dental care and medical interpreters, and coverage for low-income, working families (Basic Health).

If you’d like to know more about Medicaid Expansion in Washington State, go to: http://www.hca.wa.gov/hcr/me.

Join us for a program assessment of Seattle Community Voice Mail

Solid Ground’s Community Voice Mail (CVM) program has been using voice mail technology to connect homeless and phoneless folks to employers, housing and family for more than 20 years. With the technology landscape rapidly changing, the program has been looking at how it can continue to help low-income people overcome barriers to communications and technology. Two graduate students from the University of Washington Evans School of Public Affairs undertook an in-depth program assessment this year and will be presenting their findings at Solid Ground on June 6. The event is also an ice cream social!

The project involved evaluating the CVM program, assessing the communications needs and barriers of the clients it serves, and strategizing to expand and evolve the CVM program to keep up with clients’ needs in the 21^st century. The findings and recommendations go beyond what CVM currently offers to examine the broader communications and technology needs of very low-income people in King County.

CVM Present & Future: Presentation
Wednesday, June 6, 4-5:30 pm
Solid Ground Headquarters, 1st Floor Main Conference Room
1501 North 45th Street, Seattle, WA 98103

At “CVM Present & Future” you will:

• Learn the findings from the Seattle CVM program assessment
• Understand the telecommunications needs of low-income people
• Consider recommendations for the future of Seattle CVM
• Discover new low-income telecommunications programs
• Hear the stories of CVM clients and agency partners
• Reveal CVM National’s new direction
• Enjoy free ice cream!

There will be brief comments from staff, program participants and CVM National, and then the UW interns will present the findings and recommendations of the CVM program assessment, followed by questions and answers.

Seattle Community Voice Mail Seattle is a partnership between Solid Ground and the Community Voice Mail National Office (which is unveiling a new name soon!).

To RSVP, or for more information, please email cvm@solid-ground.org.

Summertime done come and gone, my oh my

With the autumnal equinox upon us, we bid goodbye to summer 2011.

We remember this as the first summer of Brettler Family Place, where 120 young people and their parents are recovering from transitional phases in their lives, living in a park-like setting along Lake Washington.

These photos are a brief glimpse into how important this location is for these young people. Thanks to the good folks at Sail Sand Point for this fabulous day on the water!

Mohamed gets his balance

Bent gets ready for his first paddle

Marr relaxes on the lake

Chudier, Triniti, Ximena and Chris strike happy poses

Low-cost Internet for families receiving free school lunches

Editor’s Note: This article was originally written by Lambert Rochfort for the Seattle/King County Community Voice Mail Blog.

Would your family like to have high-speed Internet at home but can’t afford it? A new program from Comcast called Internet Essentials offers high-speed Internet for $10/month, a laptop computer for $150, and free Internet training, for families with children who receive free school lunches through the National School Lunch Program.

The Internet Essentials program was created because, when Comcast acquired NBC Universal in January, the Federal Communications Commission signed off on the merger so long as Comcast agreed to help low-income households get online.

Participants in the Internet Essentials program will receive:

• Fast home Internet for just $9.95 a month + tax.
• A low-cost netbook computer available at initial enrollment for just $149.99 + tax.
• Access to free Internet training, online, in print and/or in the classroom.
• Norton Security Suite online security software, with parental controls.

The computer is optional, you do not have to get the computer to receive discounted internet service. If you chose to buy the $150 computer, they will send you a computer coupon, a list of eligible computers and a list of local stores that sell those computers and accept Comcast vouchers.

Comcast promises that there will be no price increases, no activation fees, and no equipment rental fees.

With cable Internet like Comcast Internet Essentials, your family should be able to do all the things they want to do online, like email, homework, sharing photos, job searches, paying bills, watching videos, downloading music and more. The download speed is up to 1.5 Mb per second and upload speed is up to 384 Kb per second.

Your household is eligible to participate if it meets all of the following criteria:

• You are located where Comcast offers Internet service: Comcast does offer Internet in most of King County; when you apply for the program, they can tell you whether their Internet service is available at your address.
• You have not subscribed to Comcast Internet service within the last 90 days.
• You do not have an overdue Comcast bill or unreturned equipment.
• You have at least one child receiving free school lunches under the National School Lunch Program: Children are eligible to receive free school lunches if their household income is below 130% of Federal Poverty Level, which amounts to monthly income of $1,594 for a family of two, $2,008 a month for a family of three, $2,422 for a family of four, $2,836 for a family of five (and add $414 of monthly income for each additional family member).

Customers will be accepted into the program for three full school years. Any household that qualifies during the next three school years will remain eligible for the program as long as a child eligible for a free school lunch is still living in the household. To participate in Internet Essentials, you must verify that your child is currently certified to receive free school lunches by providing a copy of this year’s acceptance letter or other document from your child’s school or school district demonstrating free-lunch status at their school. You will need to re-certify your child’s school enrollment each year to continue to participate in Internet Essentials and receive a discounted Internet service rate.

Starting this school year, families may sign up for Internet Essentials by calling 1-855-8-INTERNET (1-855-846-8376). Note that an application is not available publicly, you must call Comcast to request an application. When you call, they will verify your eligibility and then mail you a customized application to your address, which only you can use. If your application is approved they will send you an acceptance letter with instructions on how to get your internet service set up. For more information call 1-855-846-8376 or visit their website InternetEssentials.com.

Note: Solid Ground does not yet have any experience with or feedback about this service. If you sign up, let us know how it goes for you! Thanks.

Brettler Family Place opening bash!

More than 150 people joined us at the Grand Opening for Brettler Family Place Thursday night! Thanks to Mayor Mike McGinn, Speaker Frank Chopp, Governor Mike Lowry, Dan and Cindy Brettler and others for contributing to the program. Of course, the most moving part of the evening was Joy Sparks’ speech about what living at Brettler Family Place means to her and her family. With about one month of residency, Joy is an “elder” in our new community here, and she speaks with wisdom about the journey she has undertaken and the value of safe, affordable housing. Following is a transcript of Joy’s comments. Before you read, get some tissues ready…

Joy Sparks

I would like to first thank Solid Ground for even considering my journey a success story. That’s validation for me, that I’ve worked hard to get to where I am, and that me and my family are more than deserving to be new residents of this beautiful community.

My daughters and I went through several different stages of homelessness – ranging from couch surfing, sleeping in cars, hotels, shelters and transitional housing. I think one of the reasons I was able to move forward and overcome my biggest barrier, which was homelessness, is because of the overwhelming support that I received from Solid Ground and all the other staff and organizations that embraced me during my time of need!

My caseworker Katie Showalter especially played a big part in keeping me grounded. She found out what my needs were on all levels! She was always there using her words to uplift me and motivate me!

She’d say to me, “Joy you are artistic and beautiful, smart and resilient.” She’d use all these powerful words describing characteristics that she’d seen in me that I hadn’t even seen in myself! Katie doesn’t know this, but whenever our meetings were over, I’d always pull out my dictionary and search for the definition to her words of choice, and I’d always feel so awakened and uplifted by their meaning!

There’s a quote that says, “The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.” And Katie has demonstrated just that with her words of comfort and encouragement. She was always there with her mirror telling me to look at myself and love the person I see, and that I am worthy.

I’m not sure if you all are fans of Deepak Chopra, but I’d like to share something he wrote about toxic relationships. He talks about the three kinds of people in your life: Those who leave you alone, those who help you, and those who hurt you.

People who leave you alone are dealing with your suffering as a nuisance or inconvenience; they prefer to keep their distance in order to feel better themselves.

Those who hurt you want your situation to be the same because they do not have your wellbeing at heart.

Those who help you have the strength and awareness to do more with your suffering than you are able to do by yourself. He also says having made a realistic count, take the following attitude:

1. I will no longer bring my problems to anyone who wants to leave me alone. It’s not good for them or me.
2. I will put a distance between myself and those who want to hurt me.
3. I will share my problems with those who want to help me. I will not reject genuine offers of assistance out of pride, insecurity or doubt. I will ask people to join me in my healing and make them a bigger part of my life.

Whenever I read this I feel so thankful for the people who’ve played a role in my life and who’ve found ways to help me overcome and move forward.

Creating my vision board was another thing that kept me focused. I made my vision board 1/29/2010; we had only been homeless three weeks. But the very first thing that you’re able to see on my vision board is a magazine clipping that reads “Homeless to Happiness.” That remained my vision and my # 1 goal.

On March 7, 2011 my vision became reality. I went from being homeless to being stable, and secure, which to me is happiness!

Brettler Place to me, means happiness. The beautiful scenery, the view of park, even the green grass and access to the beach have meaning to me. It means family and togetherness! The energy here feels good. There’s a peace of mind here!

I have peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to pack my bags in a few months and I don’t have to transfer my kids to another school again. I don’t have to sleep in a car again or call to put my name on a waiting list for shelter. I don’t have to expose my children to unhealthy living anymore!!!

One more quote before I go: “Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” I have that now and it’s all thanks to you, the Brettler Family, Solid Ground, Mercy Housing, Katie Sholwalter and all of you!!! Thank you so very much!!!

Here are additional images from the event:

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While Brettler Family Place ends homelessness for 51 families, we are not quite done with our housing development at Magnuson Park. Stage 2 of this project will include 20 additional housing units for families, as well as 34 units for single men and women, including veterans, seniors and people living with disabilities.

The overall cost of the entire project is in the neighborhood of $30 million. Thanks to many generous people and institutions in our community, we are very close to completing our fundraising. In fact, we have just $515,000 in private funding left to raise! If Joy’s speech moves you to help us close the gap, or if you would like more information on the project, contact Ali Friedman: alif@solid-ground.org.

Community radio supports community gardening

Cool: KBCS 91.3 FM Community Radio is teaming up again with Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program, this time for their Winter Fund Drive, which takes place through Sunday, February 20.

Donors who give at the $52 level and above can choose to have a portion of their gift passed on to Lettuce Link to support its efforts to get nutritious organic produce to hungry people. This past Spring and Fall, similar efforts raised some much-needed support for Lettuce Link and provided great exposure as well.

As the only community radio station in the Seattle area, KBCS aspires to be the radio of choice for adventurous listeners who are passionate about music, curious about our world, and value social justice.

To accomplish this mission, KBCS produces and broadcasts quality programming that supports more inclusive interdependent communities. KBCS is a non-commercial, listener-supported source for local, national and international music and information that draws from and reflects the diversity of our population. Operated as a public service by Bellevue College, KBCS trains and provides opportunities for community members to participate in all aspects of radio.

KBCS relies on donations from the community to support station operations. The KBCS Winter Fund Drive began Friday, February 11 and continues through Sunday, February 20. The goal for this important Fund Drive is $75,000. To donate securely today, please go online to KBCS’s website and click on the “Donate Now” tab.

Of course, you can also donate additional support directly to Lettuce Link!

Food justice starts with us!

Solid Ground has spent decades helping folks have adequate food and nutrition. Over time that work has shifted from giving people food through the food bank system to looking at ways to restructure our regional food system. With many community partners, we strive to connect people more closely to the bounty that comes from our own communities. This work is especially important in low-income communities that have had limited access to healthy fresh produce.

Clean Greens is one of the visionary organizations in this work. “Founded in 2007, Clean Greens is a food justice organization that is owned and operated by residents of Seattle’s Central District,” according to its website. Its mission is to “decrease the incidence of disease in our communities by increasing residents’ access to healthy, pesticide-free produce at affordable prices. We are committed to delivering clean produce to all people in our communities, which we grow on our 22-acre farm in Duvall, Washington, and distribute via our Central District farm stand and CSA program.”

This Saturday, January 29, I’ll be MCing a fundraising event for Clean Greens and I want you all to join me there!

The Food Justice Starts with Us dinner event will be held at the Garfield Community Center, 23rd and Cherry, from 6pm to 10pm. The event features a meal cooked with local, seasonal foods by members of the Clean Greens community. Tickets are $35 and available from Brown Paper Tickets.

Clean Greens welcomes Brahm Ahmadi, co-founder of People’s Grocery in Oakland, CA, who will be giving a keynote speech on Oakland’s food justice movement. Towards the end of dinner, a short film on Clean Greens’ ongoing food justice work will be premiered. After dinner, we will be having a dessert auction, and guests can enjoy their dessert while listening to a local jazz band perform.

The event promises to be an evening of inspiration, fun and fabulous food. When we build community like this, we can make meaningful steps to secure food justice in our community! I hope to see you there!

For more info on the event, call 206.324.3114.

Threats to food security for immigrants and refugees

(Editor: This post originally appeared on the Lettuce Link. blog, and was authored by our ace AmeriCorps member Amelia Swinton.)

Not Cool: Record numbers of Americans are going hungry. Forty-two million citizens and recent immigrants are currently receiving SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) due to persistent unemployment and rising food costs. And while $300 million in stimulus money has improved food security for those eligible for SNAP benefits, recent immigrants and refugees do not qualify for this crucial source of aid.

Thanks to the Washington’s State Food Assistance (SFA) program, those who meet the federal income criteria can receive look-alike benefits funded by the state. Formed in 1997 as a response to federal legislation that denied benefits to hungry people without permanent residency, SFA serves 14,000 people—including 1,300 children and 2,000 elders. Because immigrants must establish five years of residency before applying to SNAP, this important program tides them over while they build capacity and stability in a new place.

But this program is at risk. A dwindling state budget means severe cuts to all social service programs, and the Department of Social and Health Services has proposed that the Governor cut this program from her budget this spring. Without SFA, immigrant and refugee families would be stripped of their food security, further threatening the health and growth of their communities.

A coalition has developed that includes anti-poverty, anti-hunger, and immigrant rights organizations as well as community-based organizations of color. Leading this effort, the Children’s Alliance has made this issue one of their four legislative priorities during the upcoming session of the Washington legislature, which begins in early January. If you want to join the effort, contact their lobbyist, Jen Estroff. We’ll provide future opportunities to take a stance on this issue in support of healthy, food-full communities across our city.

Veterans’ Stand Down

Cool: Homeless Veterans’ Stand Down

• What: Sleeping bags, hats, gloves, pants, boots, etc. that have already been donated will be distributed to homeless Veterans. Solid Ground’s Community Voice Mail program will also be on hand to help homeless vets sign up for voice mailboxes.
• Where: Seattle Vet Center, 2030 9th Avenue
• When: Friday, November 12th starting at 8:30am

NOTE:  Items will be handed out on a first come, first served basis. In the past, most items have been distributed by noon.

good question

 

VISTA keeps on giving

Cool: Ben Han of the 2009-2010 Martin Luther King VISTA Corps has moved on, but his year of service keeps paying dividends for the International District community.

Schematic of the International Children's Park

Ben was serving with the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (SCIDpda) when he wrote a grant application to the King County Youth Sports Facilities Grant program to help fund the neighborhood effort to redevelop the International Children’s Park.

The SCIDpda website describes the project: “A beloved neighborhood children’s park will be renovated in 2010 thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the International Children’s Park. Since 2006, SCIDpda has been supporting the efforts of this community group to address concerns about safety and usability of the local park, assisting with design development, advocacy efforts and fundraising. IDEA Space, SCIDpda’s community development resource center, works closely with community residents and partners at Wing Luke Asian Museum, International District Housing Alliance, Denise Louie Education Center, International District Community Center, University of Washington, City of Seattle (Parks and Recreation and the Department of Neighborhoods) and InterIm CDA to ensure that the park renovation is a community-driven and owned project.

Recently, the County awarded SCIDpda $30,000 based on Ben’s proposal! Congrats to Ben and to the SCIDpda.

Even Mr. Money Bags supports Yes on 1098

Even one of the most famous monopolists of all time supports taxing the wealthy in WA state to raise revenue to fund education and health care! Vote YES on 1098!

Thanksgiving for Homeless People

A cool new event with a heartwarming back story is happening Nov. 10 to bring people together to support Thanksgiving for Homeless People. The event features bluegrass music, refreshments and comments from some very special guests. Proceeds will benefit Solid Ground and the outreach/meal work of the Mosiac Community Church and Bread of Life Mission, who will distribute turkey sandwich meals at the Mission following the event.

• What: Thanksgiving for Homeless People benefit
  
• When: November 10, 2010, 4:00-7:30pm
• Where: Labor Temple, 2800 1st Ave., Seattle
• Cost: Individual donations are $10.00 and canned food items.
• Hosted by: Tyler Accornero and Justin Simmons.
• Guest Speakers: Urban League Director James Kelly & Former Homeless Resident Don Augustin.
• Special Guest: Former Gov. Albert Rosellini.

Event co-host Tyler Accornero “grew up on food stamps for most of my young life,” he told Solid Ground in an email. “As i was growing up i made a promise to myself that if i ever made something of myself and became successful that i would help the part of the community that grew up like me or who were in harsher positions in life such as being homeless.

“Thanksgiving for The Homeless came about in the year 2009 when during Thanksgiving I delivered turkeys to local food banks in my Legislative District. I decided after thanksgiving of that year that i wanted to use my community involvement in the political arena and business world to make a bigger impact on the City of Seattle where i was born and help the city in the best way i knew i could, by the relationships I built over the past 7 years in the city.

“In June, I met with a good friend of mine Justin Simmons and we decided to organize and establish an annual event that would benefit the homeless and poor in which we could help the needy by raising money for shelters and also have a food drive for the local food banks on a holiday when there are currently 5,000 homeless on the streets each night in the city.

“When I was choosing a beneficiary for the event i started looking around at different non-profits in the area. Justin informed me that there was homeless advocate non-profit called Solid Ground. I looked more into the organization and found the community Solid Ground was building which will help more homeless families with their living situations. I decided that this would be the best suited  beneficiary for this newly established community event.”

The event is co-sponsored by:

• Church Council of Greater Seattle
• Metropolitan Democratic Club
• Sons of Italy Seattle Fedele Lodge
• Urban League of Seattle
• Mosaic Community Church
• Vietnamese Federation of the USA
• King County Labor Council
• Solid Ground
• People’s Place
• Bread of Life Mission
• Doug’s Quality Meats
• Big John’s PFI
• Delle Femmine Enterprises
• American Federation of Musicians Local 76
• and many more.

All financial proceeds benefit Solid Ground and all food items go to local food banks and missions.

CoinStar & Redbox executives hunt leads to Penny Harvest!

CoinStar and Redbox execs pose with Penny Harvest coordinator Mike Beebe (far right).

Cool: Executives attending the annual CoinStar/Redbox Leadership Summit got a little taste of what Penny Harvest does by participating in a scavenger hunt. These executives were not looking for coins though, rather they were learning about the good work of local nonprofits.

Participants were impressed with the fact that Seattle area students collected $78,836.45 – over 14 tons of pennies last year all to create positive change in their community. Read the write-up in the Puget Sound business Journal here.

Ground broken on new Seattle Community Farm

An earthmover in action

On Tuesday, September 28 at 7am, a long-awaited dream began to take shape as construction workers broke ground for the new Seattle Community Farm – tucked behind the Rainier Vista housing community on MLK Drive in South Seattle. To some, it may look like a big pile of dirt right now – but those who have been planning this farm for over a year know it’s future manna.

Seattle Community Farm is the latest project of Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program, which has engaged the South Park community in sustainable food production at Marra Farm since 1998. The new farm is primarily funded by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Community Food Project. The City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods also supports the project.

Construction worker at groundbreaking

Groundwork for the new Seattle Community Farm was carefully laid over the past year by Lettuce Link staff, VISTA volunteers Leslie Heimer and Jamie Robinson, and landscape designer Eric Higbee, in partnership with the Department of Neighborhoods. They conducted thorough outreach in the Rainier Vista community (representing seven different language groups). They gained valuable feedback and participation in finalizing the design for the new farm from the very people who will utilize and nurture it.

On Saturday prior to the groundbreaking, Lettuce Link joined a Rainier Vista Multicultural Celebration to bring the community together in anticipation of the new farm. Seattle Community Farm Coordinator, Scott Behmer, posted this story about the event on the Lettuce Link. blog.

The vision for the new farm is that it will turn unused urban land into an educational farm for local residents and volunteers. Produce grown at the farm will go to residents with lower incomes, the Rainier Valley food bank, and the children who participate in Lettuce Link programs. The farm will model a shared garden environment rather than individual plots, and will help teach children and youth about gardening and eating healthy foods.

Future Seattle Community Farm

The Seattle Community Farm is a partnership between Lettuce Link, Seattle Housing Authority, and the City of Seattle P-Patch Program. For more information, contact Farm Coordinator Scott Behmer at scottb@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6828, or Lettuce Link Manager Michelle Bates-Benetua at michelleb@solid-ground.org or 206.694.6754.

Nourish your ears, nourish hungry people

Cool: KBCS Community Radio is teaming up again with Solid Ground’s Lettuce Link program, this time for their Fall Fund Drive, which takes place October 1 through October 10.

Donors to the Fall Fund Drive who give at the $52 level and above can chose to have a portion of their gift passed on to Lettuce Link to support its efforts to get nutritious organic produce to hungry people. This past Spring, a similar effort raised some much-needed support for Lettuce Link and provided great exposure as well.

As the only community radio station in the Seattle area, KBCS aspires to be the radio station of choice for adventurous listeners who are passionate about music, curious about our world, and who value social justice, says their website. We love them for featuring local reporters like Martha Baskin’s Green A.C.R.E. Radio and Sable Verity Commentary as well as socially conscious local musicians, such as Jim Page and Bill Frisell. Plus KBCS is the local home of Amy Goodman and  Democracy Now!

For years, community-based media have used “premiums” to encourage donors to commit to giving at higher levels. These gifts to the donor typically include things like CDs or DVDs, T-shirts, tote bags, etc. KBCS wanted a way to move beyond just offering stuff to giving their members a way to make an impact in the community.

“One of the roles of community radio is to amplify what is working locally,” Sabrina Roach, the station’s Development and Outreach Director, told me. “This year we wanted to highlight a local program focused on urban food issues and farming in Seattle. Lettuce Link has a long track record of doing this, and of adding new programs that respond to the changing needs of our communities.” Honestly, we couldn’t have tooted that horn any better ourselves!

Fake farmers markets

Not Cool: Why can’t a good social trend just stay a good thing and not be co-opted for a profit? Looks the Localvore movement, which has spawned increased access to local food through expanded farmers markets, has a new twist. As reported in the Wall Street Journal, some mega grocery stores are putting produce outside and marketing it as a “Farmers Market” – even produce from many timezones away. You can read the whole rotten thing here.

And just in case anyone forgot what real local produce looks like, here are a few shots from Marra Farm, where Solid Ground uses community volunteers to grow organic veggies to feed hungry folks in the surrounding neighborhood.

The Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance has the scoop on real farmers markets around Seattle.

The WA State Farmers Market Association has info about markets statewide.

Marra Farm harvest, washed and ready for delivery to the Providence Regina Food Bank

Kale and chard, as nutrient dense and delicious as can be!

We got the beets!

Zucchini

Disability Lifeline appeals beyond August 2010

We want to clarify a recent post on this blog about how to appeal termination notices for Disability Lifeline benefits in Washington state.

While a first round of termination notices was mailed in August, 2010, termination notices will continue to be mailed to folks as they reach the 24-month limit.

Regardless of when you get a termination notice, you will have to register your appeal by the end of that month if you want to keep your benefits coming until your appeal is ruled upon.

You can appeal during a 90-day time frame, but if you do not appeal during the month you get your notification, your benefits will not continue during the time you are waiting for your fair hearing.

Please go back to the original post for details on how to appeal.