In January, Pat Thompson of YES Foundation connected the White Center CDA to the Union Gospel Mission’s (UGM) Department of Volunteer Outreach Services. UGM visited the White Center CDA office shortly after to discuss possible opportunities for UGM’s volunteer base. It’s no news that UGM is eager to get involved in White Center, so when they came to us we were happy to connect them with events and other faith-based organizations. We are excited to work with UGM in the next few months and look forward to partnering with them in the future. Here is a short list of activities that UGM will be involved in:

What: White Center Search and Rescue
Where: Westwood Assembly Church, White Center
When: Saturday Nights, 6:30-9:30pm

What: White Center Spring Clean
Where: White Center Community Development Association
When: Saturday, May 14th 8:30am-2:30pm

What: Mt. View Elementary PTA’s Multicultural Night Dinner (courtesy of Family Connections, a White Center CDA program)
Where: Mt. View Elementary School, White Center
When: Thursday, March 31st 5-9pm

What: Habitat for Humanity/White Center CDA Housing Repair Project Surveys/Outreach
Where: TBA (various local businesses and groceries)
When: April 2-3, various shifts

For more information about Union Gospel Mission, please visit www.ugm.org.

The CDA received this announcement about this Day of the Dead event at the WCCCC! Read on for more information…

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As of Friday, April 16, 2010, over 500 volunteers have signed up. We’re looking forward to a people-powered event at which last year, we painted one block-long mural previously plagued with graffiti, cleaned and painted art on 21 trash cans for the business district, removed invasive plant species at six parks, and hauled away two tons of garbage. Volunteers covered 70 neighborhood blocks, picking up litter and completing 19 individual beautification projects developed by local residents and groups.

This year, besides a complementary BBQ/burger lunch at the KCHA’s Greenbridge Plaza, you and your family will be treated to a host of family-oriented events:

1. Entertainment by the Suns and Stars Dance Troupe & Drumline Company.
2. Learn how to make spring rolls with Chef Nicki Nguyen (Banh 88 Restaurant) and buy ingredients from WC’s produce markets!
3. Participate in “pancake flipping race” - an old-time tradition in White Center: http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=8616
4. Swim for free at the Evergreen Swimming Pool from 3pm-5pm.
5. Buy delicious ice cream at discount from Full Tilt Ice Cream’s bicycles
6. 10% discount at DubSea coffee for volunteers
7. We will award the Clean & Safe award to a dedicated White Center resident/business/etc.

Registration for this event is now closed. For questions, please contact Nhan Nguyen, Neighborhood Revitalization Program Manager at (206) 694-1082 or at whitecenterspringclean@gmail.com.

Click on “Read the rest of this entry” below for more information about the White Center Spring Clean!

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Hello, my name is Sean Healy and I am a White Center resident. I have lived in the White Center area for about 3 years, although my involvement in this community extends farther back. I first got involved when I joined a local church (New Generation Ministries) about 6 years ago. As I would travel through the neighborhood I noticed that the neighborhood was in desperate need of help and its residents in need of hope and so from that day forward I made it my goal to become apart of the White Center community and to help make it a better place to live.

About the photo above:

In spring 2009, Sean was one of four people elected to the newly forming Executive Committee of the White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition. During the year before that he had been a tremendous asset to the Community Safety Coalition through his participation at most every sustainability meeting. In addition, Sean has stepped up to facilitate the monthly and public White Center/South Delridge Community Safety Coalition meetings. He has also helped organize annual Night Out Against Crime parties. When something needs to be done, Sean will almost always say “I can help with that”. Thank you Sean for your countless volunteer hours and your commitment to the community.

The Seattle Neighborhood Group’s Community Builder Award was given to Sean on October 28, 2009. Congrats, Sean! At the White Center CDA, Sean works with the Community Building team with promoting and conducting outreach for our CDA Membership program.

About our Fellows Program:

The White Center CDA Fellowship Program are  part-time positions that help resident leaders develop skills and capacities to be community change agents in the White Center/Boulevard Park community. The Fellowship program is envisioned as a way for White Center residents to get started in community work, develop professional skills and influence the work of the White Center CDA and its 3 departments: Family Development, Community Building and Neighborhood Revitalization. Each Fellow will has individual responsibilities but will also work in a cohort to support cross-training, holistic program interventions and team building. Each Fellow is supervised by a department representative to provide training, guidance and direction.

Check out our blog in the future for more profiles on our CDA Resident Fellows!

Through Project Empower, the Nonprofit Assistance Center (NAC) in partnership with the National Community Development Institute and the White Center Community Development Association will be releasing a Request for Investment (RFI) targeting grassroots faith and community based organizations:

• With budgets of $500,000 or less
• Based and serving targeted low income communities in and bordering SE and SW Seattle (including White Center, Boulevard Park, Skyway, Renton, SeaTac, Tukwila, and Burien.)
• that provide services to assist:

a.    Low income individuals gain greater access to state and federal benefits and tax credits.

b.    Low income individuals find and retain employment, earn higher wages, and better quality jobs.

c.     Low income individuals in need of financial assistance or credit counseling and help them access Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) and other asset building strategies.

d.      The Homeless

e.      Elders in need

f.        At risk youth including Native American Youth; and/or

g.       Families in transition from welfare to work.

The Request for Investment (RFI) will have more detail and specifics regarding eligibility and minimum requirements to participate.

Project Empower is a 12 month collaborative project designed to strengthen the infrastructure and program delivery capacity of 15 faith and community based organizations selected through a competitive process.  Organizational selected will receive a package of on-site, individualized, culturally competent capacity building support that builds on existing assets while addressing the four core areas of 1) Leadership Development; 2) Organizational Development; 3) Program Development; and 4) Community Engagement.

NAC is planning to release the RFI between December 1 and 15, 2009.  Fifteen faith and community based organizations selected through the RFI will receive an array of capacity building support and a grant of $10,000 - $15,000 to address specific capacity building needs.  Each organization must designate staff and board members to participate in individual technical assistance as well as group training and peer-learning activities.  The RFI will be posted on the NAC website at www.nacseattle.org.  For an electronic copy, please email info@nacseattle.org and write in Project Empower RFI in the subject line.

Project Empower is funded by a Compassion Capital Fund (CCF) grant award from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Administration of Children and Families’ Office of Community Services.

Recently, the Samoan Islands were affected by large Tsunamis as a result of high magnitude earthquakes in the Pacific Ocean. Please attend this event, sponsored by World Vision.

Hearts United for the Samoan Islands

Saturday, October 24

Evergreen High School, 9:00am - 1:00pm

World Vision is also having Youth Volunteer Sorting Project for donated goods on Saturday, October 10 at the World Vision Storehouse in Fife. The address is 4200 Industry Drive East Suite D, Fife, WA 98424. For more information about this youth event, contact Reed Slattery at ReSlatte@worldvision.org.

Below is a list of acceptable items to donate: