White Center Now: The blog about White Center

From the White Center Food Bank:

If you’ve been waiting to do a food drive for the White Center Food Bank until you heard we really needed help, now is the time. Food donations are down 100,000 pounds in the first 5 months of this year. We are continuing to see record numbers of families. Won’t you help? Contact Audrey Zemke at audrey@whitecenterfoodbank.org or Rick Jump at rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org or 762-2848 to help. Most needed foods are canned meat, canned fruit, cereal, peanut butter and pinto beans. We can give you a complete list of suggested items.

Looks like lots of participation for yesterday’s GiveBIG – White Center Food Bank posted this via Facebook:

Grand Total: $2943! In 2011, our total was $940. Thank you everyone for helping to triple our amount this year. Thanks to Caffe Delia, Dubsea, Cafe Rozella, Proletariat and Zippy’s along with all of yesterday’s individual donors. You are all great!

If we find/receive other reports, we’ll share those too. And please support local nonprofits YEAR-ROUND … there are many ways to do it, and they don’t all cost money – volunteer help and materials donations are appreciated too, depending on the nonprofit.

Today’s the day for the Seattle Foundation‘s one-day-only GiveBIG donate-a-thon. The foundation is offering a “stretch pool” of partial matching funds, to be distributed proportionately depending on how much each participating nonprofit raises on this single day, by 11:59 pm tonight. One BIG catch: You **must** donate through the nonprofit’s special page on the foundation’s website, NOT via the nonprofit’s own website. So we have gone through the foundation’s directory to find all those special pages for participating locally based or founded nonprofits (and a couple parent organizations). You can also use the special “go here” links below to find out more about any of these organizations – the links take you to pages on the Seattle Foundation website with background information and links to the organizations’ own sites, as well as the donation links to use for this one-day event. (P.S. Please let us know if we missed a WC-based organization – post a comment!)

NEW FUTURES – go here

SAFEFUTURES YOUTH CENTER – go here

SOUTHWEST YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES – go here

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS FOUNDATION – go here

THE VILLAGE OF HOPE – go here

WESTSIDE BABY – go here

WHITE CENTER COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION – go here

(Added 9 am – WCFB executive director Rick Jump at Dubsea)
WHITE CENTER FOOD BANK – go here – and note, WCFB has added events today, as previously reported here, including a portion of proceeds donated tonight if you dine at Proletariat Pizza or Zippy’s Giant Burgers in WC.

YES FOUNDATION OF WHITE CENTER – go here

YMCA OF GREATER SEATTLE – go here

YWCA OF SEATTLE – go here

Here’s their announcement about what they’re doing in connection with the Seattle Foundation‘s “Give BIG“ multi-organization donation drive on May 2nd:

May 2 is Give Big with the Seattle Foundation, and White Center Food Bank has set up several ways to make giving easier – and tastier. Give Big is a one day, online charitable giving event when your donation will be stretched by the Seattle Foundation. This year we will have board members and volunteers at several sites in the morning with laptops to make donating easier if you’re stopping for coffee on the way to work, and in the evening Proletariat Pizza will help you “dine out for hunger” by donating a portion of sales for the evening.

Here is how Give Big works:

All donations must be made on May 2 between 12:01 am and midnight via the Seattle Foundation’s website – this can be done from your home, one of our laptop stations or via mobile. Bookmark the site now: http://www.seattlefoundation.org/npos/Pages/WhiteCenterEmergencyFoodAssociation.aspx?bv=nposearch

WCFB Board members will be at Dubsea Coffee (9910 – 8th Ave SW), Caffe Delia (9622 – 16th Ave SW) and Cafe Rozella (9434 Delridge) in the morning between 7 and 10 am with laptops to make donating easier.

Proletariat Pizza (9622 – 16th Ave SW) will be donating 5% of sales to White Center Food Bank during the evening business hours. We will also have board members and a laptop on hand there if you’d like to make an extra donation in addition to your pizza purchase.

Note: we are listed as the White Center Emergency Food Association on the Seattle Foundation’s website. Only donations on May 2 count for the “stretch” dollars.

If any other restaurants would like to join in Dine Out for Hunger, please contact Ann Kendall at email:ann@whitecenterfoodbank.org or call 206-713-0031.

ADDED FRIDAY MORNING: WC Food Bank says Zippy’s Giant Burgers has joined “Dine Out for Hunger” too and will also donate 5 percent during dinnertime on May 2nd.

Just announced by the Southwest Boys and Girls Club in Greenbridge – a breakfast event providing a chance to come show your support:

Join us for our Celebration “Coming Home” which will honor our students, alumni and lifelong supporters of the Southwest Boys & Girls Club

Our Mission: Opening doors to GREAT futures

Why we need your support: It is so important to continue to provide experiences and investment in the future of the kids who rely on the Boys & Girls Club

Our challenge: With reduced state funding, tighter corporate budgets and now so many more families in need, we must rely on the support of people like you who can make a difference.

Thursday, May 10, 2012
7:00 – 8:30 AM
Program promptly begins at 7:30AM

Guest Speakers

Jack Thompson, former NFL quarterback
Evergreen High School Grad, WSU Grad, current banking consultant with Sterling Bank

Gene Woodard
Director of Facilities Services at UW, Club Kid from Portola Boys Club in San Francisco, Southwest Youth Hoops Coach 1998

Justin Cox
2007 Southwest Youth of the Year & King County Youth of the Year & 2011 WSU Grad

Southwest Boys & Girls Club Gymnasium
9800 8th Ave SW, Suite 105 – Seattle, WA

To reserve your seat call 206-436-1911 or email eslagle@positiveplace.org

(2011 White Center Spring Clean photo by Deanie Schwarz for WCN)
May 19th may sound like it’s a long ways off, but it’s time now to sign up to be part of this year’s White Center Spring Clean – the neighborhood’s signature annual cleanup-and-brighten-up event. The official website now has a registration form – find it here and get your name on the list to be one of hundreds of volunteers pitching in on May 19th!.

White Center and West Seattle establishments have been involved for the past almost-year in an ongoing fundraiser involving special beers brewed by WC’s own Big Al Brewing and sold, with a percentage of proceeds going to charity. The first two have had names that spoofed West Seattle landmarks – but the next one might have a White Center-centric name, depending on how the results of a contest come out. In case you hadn’t heard about it already, we wanted to let you know that today is the deadline to suggest a name. The full story, including how to make a suggestion and which WC establishments are participating, is on our partner site West Seattle Blog – see it here.

Another big delivery of diapers is news worth celebrating – but it also means WestSide Baby needs help! This Thursday, in White Center, it’s your chance to lend a hand … Here’s the announcement from WS Baby’s Maria Groen:

WestSide Baby has received a donation of nearly 100,000 diapers from Huggies through the National Diaper Bank Network. While it seems like a lot, it is just a little more than a two-month supply at the rate we distribute diapers to local children in need.

We’re inviting volunteers to a “Diaper Frenzy” this Thursday, 7-9 pm. Volunteers will be hauling and storing diapers in our operations facility. It will definitely be a mini workout, fun time with other caring community members and will help us tremendously. Interested volunteers must RSVP to whitney@westsidebaby.org as space is limited. We’re honored that the CoHo Team of Windermere Agents sponsors our After Hours Frenzies on the third Thursday of each month!

It’s not just a new month – it’s Feinstein Challenge time, which means a lot to the local folks who make sure that thousands of people in this area don’t go hungry. Here’s the announcement from the White Center Food Bank:

Today, the 2012 Feinstein Challenge begins and again this year the White Center Food Bank will be participating. For the past 14 years, the Feinstein Foundation has divided $1 million each year among over 3,000 hunger fighting agencies nationwide.

Here’s how the challenge works. For every donation the White Center Food Bank receives during March and April, the Feinstein Foundation will help contributions grow by adding to them. All cash and food donations count towards the stretch dollars.

At WCFB we continue our focus on healthy foods through our mission driven services. By actively working with our clients to minimize hunger, we nourish our community to make it stronger and healthier. We nurture self-reliance through our gardening, nutrition and Healthy Food Gift Certificate programs and embrace our rich cultural diversity each day through our bi-lingual in-take services and provision of culturally familiar foods. 2011 brought a record 66,682 individuals through our doors – and we expect 2012 to bring similar numbers of those in need through our doors.

Please help continue to ease the pain of hunger in our community and step up to the challenge by making a contribution to the White Center Food Bank today. To be eligible for the Feinstein Challenge, your gift must be received no later than April 30th. Online donations via our website: whitecenterfoodbank.org.

Help get White Center on two wheels! DubSea Bikes organizers invite you to their next planning meeting – tomorrow:

Please come to our planning meeting for DubSea Bikes at noon this Thursday, February 2nd, at Caffe Delia, 9622 16th Ave SW (in Proletariat Pizza). We’ll be talking about our four-month run at Full Tilt Ice Cream, looking forward to a partnership with the White Center Food Bank, and planning events in the Spring & Summer.

P.S. It’s already on our calendar, but another reminder, WC Food Bank is where you’ll find the next DubSea Bikes “bring yours to get it fixed up and on the road” event, 2-4 pm February 12th.

UPDATE: The teenage boy reported earlier as missing apparently had been safely found even before authorities put out the call for help – King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Sgt. John Urquhart says someone found him by a road late this morning and took him to Harborview Medical Center, and due to the communications challenges of his autism, it took a while before everyone realized who he was. Bottom line, he’s OK and safe. Our original story is after the jump: Read the rest of this entry »

Since Endolyne Joe’s is one of the southernmost restaurants in West Seattle, it’s not far from White Center if you’d like to venture that way for this event supporting the WC Food Bank (which serves not only WC and environs but also part of WS. Just announced this morning:

Endolyne Joe’s in West Seattle along with Sozo Wines announce their first Winemaker’s Dinner on January 14, 2012 at 7 pm. Space limited to first 20 reservations; $60 per person. This five course meal will feature Endolyne Joe’s New England-themed winter menu paired with wines from Sozo Wines‘ collection. In addition to a fabulous meal, paired wines will be available for purchase to benefit the White Center Food Bank. Representatives from Sozo will be at the dinner to introduce each wine; current varieties include Compassion Cabernet, Bountiful Bordeaux and Humanity Riesling.

From the Sozo Wines website, “The goal of Sozo is to produce and deliver artisan crafted wine and gourmet food for our friends to enjoy and at the same time feed a substantial number of people who live in poverty.” Each bottle of Sozo Wine (now available at Endoyne Joe’s as part of their regular wine list) has a medallion which indicates how many meals are provided with the purchase of the bottle. Bottles sold at Endolyne Joe’s benefit White Center Food Bank on an ongoing basis as well as those sold the evening of the Winemaker’s Dinner.

Part of Sozo’s goal is to build community around pressing issues such as hunger; Endolyne Joe’s is a hub of the Fauntleroy community while White Center Food Bank serves the hungry in our community. The Winemaker’s Dinner brings together these elements of community – working together on one of our community’s ongoing needs.

For reservations, contact Endolyne Joe’s at 206–937-5637.

Received this note that might be of interest to you, since White Center is mentioned prominently:

The Seattle Foundation recently announced new neighbor to neighbor funding for South Seattle, White Center and Kent communities. To qualify for the N2N Small Grants Program, an applicant must:

· be a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization, or be fiscally sponsored by one;

· have a small budget (generally under $100,000);

· have a presence in South Seattle(South Seattle is defined as areas south of Interstate 90, west of Lake Washington, and north of Seattle’s southern border) White Center or Kent, and engage diverse, low-income community members to address disparities in these neighborhoods. South Seattle is defined as areas south of Interstate 90, west of Lake Washington, and north of Seattle’s southern border. White Center is defined as the unincorporated area between the cities of Burien and Seattle.

More details here.

That’s our video (by visual journalist Cliff DesPeaux) from last year’s White Center Christmas Tree Lighting. As reported here earlier this week, we’re now just one week away from this year’s ceremony, 5 pm Sunday, December 11th. And we have new details tonight of help that’s needed, plus a few other fun events ahead: Aileen Sison of WC B.O.S.S. says the organizations coordinating the tree lighting (also including the White Center Chamber of Commerce and White Center Merchants Alliance) are calling for artists to help with a tree topper and other decor; they’re also looking for musicians, singers, and choirs for the event. An organizational meeting is planned for Tuesday night, 6 pm, at Uncle Mike’s Superlicious BBQ; tree installation/trimming is expected to happen around 10 next Friday morning. Also next weekend, an Ugly Sweater Party/Contest is planned at Company, 7 pm. And a door-decorating contest is under way in the White Center business district – get those doors decorated by December 23rd!

The White Center Food Bank has two holiday requests for you, received today as a news release:

On November 19 from 9 am until 7 pm, White Center Food Bank will be holding a Turkey Drive to collect donated frozen turkeys and chickens for their upcoming Thanksgiving holiday distribution. White Center Food bank expects to serve over 1,000 families for the holiday. This year’s turkey shortage combined with high wholesale prices (currently $1.25 a pound) make it difficult for the food bank to purchase turkeys at normally deep discounts. Starting (today), local sales and deals on turkeys will be posted on the White Center Food Bank’s Facebook page. Other meal items that are needed include: olives, cranberry sauce, pickles, cookie or cake mixes, cool whip or whipping cream, pumpkin, any type of canned milk, muffin mixes and pie crust mixes.

To donate, any turkey or chicken should be frozen. White Center Food Bank located at 10829 8th Avenue SW will be open November 19 until 7 pm to accept any donation. Other times to drop off are available; please call 206-762-2848. Volunteers are still needed to assist with holiday distribution as well including Monday through Wednesday, November 21-23 from 12:30-3:30 pm.

Here’s the WC Food Bank’s post this morning about turkey deals (if you have one to add, let ’em know!).

At a time of year when those in need are most at risk, a benefit to help fight hunger and homelessness is planned for this Sunday. Here’s the announcement we received:

Light Under the Bridge, a Homeless Christian Ministry (non-profit), is joining Union Gospel Mission and the White Center Food Bank’s fundraiser for the hungry and homeless. Featuring “A Night of Giving with Joe Arrants,” November 13th from 5:30-8 pm, at Westside Foursquare Church, 11452 26th Ave SW. We will be serving soups, salad, & bread. Hurry and buy your tickets and invite family, friends, neighbors, etc. Tickets can be bought from Jon 206-941-4301 or at the door.

Got word from Joleen of a benefit event at the White Center Eagles this Saturday:

Lung research charity dinner, comedy show & auction
Dinner at 6 pm, Comedy show at 7:30 pm
Silent Auctions – throughout the night.
Dinner & Show – $25
Dinner only – $12
Show only – $15

Chef Darrell’s cod dinner with all the trimmings.
Guest Speakers – Dr. John Olson, MD & Dr. David Mulligan, UW Lung Transplant Division
Profits go to the University of Washington Lung Research Division.

Comedians: Andy Kern and Vince Valenzuela

Just in – a reminder about this big event ahead:

1971 was a bleak year in Seattle – large numbers of lay-offs, shuttered storefronts and billboards proclaiming “turn out the lights” if you were the last person to leave town. To address the immediate hunger needs in their community, members of several congregations quietly began food distributions – often on Mondays after congregation members brought their donations to services on Sundays. At first, just a few came – but as news of the food service grew – more people arrived to look for help. This humble service grew into the White Center Food Bank, as the community continued to reel from persistent economic challenges. Today’s services surpass what the original founders of the food bank could’ve imagined; in August 2011, 1753 families received service.

On October 15, White Center Food Bank will celebrate 40 years of service to the community at its annual Harvest Dinner and Auction at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center. Tickets and details are available online at www.whitecenterfoodbank.org, at $62 per person if purchased online. A great variety of auction items are available, and a great way to meet others in the community that care about hunger. White Center Food Bank serves a 12 square mile area of SW Seattle and into Burien serving over 64,000 individuals in 2010.

For more information on White Center Food Bank including how to volunteer or donate: www.whitecenterfoodbank.org.

The White Center Albertsons will be a site for donating food during this Saturday’s “Global Volunteer Day” efforts by Prudential Northwest real-estate brokers. You can also donate cash, if you don’t have food items to offer. You’ll find them there from 10 am-2 pm (and if you are in West Seattle, look for them at West Seattle PCC as well as West Seattle Thriftway). “One can or one dollar is all we ask,” the official announcement quotes event coordinator Shari Kruse as saying. “It really takes very little from each person to make a big impact.” Area beneficiaries include the White Center Food Bank and its West Seattle counterpart.

(Photos by Deanie Schwarz for WCN)
Yes, you can have a prom on rollerskates – check out Blair and Dina Lydia Johnson from neighboring Highland Park, at tonight’s Rat City Roller Prom, raising money for the White Center Food Bank at Southgate Roller Rink.

MORE PHOTOS ADDED EARLY THURSDAY:
Some of the scenes, also photographed and reported by Deanie:

Davin Kim, raised in White Center and now living in West Seattle, and Maricris Mende of Beacon Hill were getting ready to meet the beat on the floor – with some punchy punch.

That’s Steven Hensyel, Rat City Roller Prom organizer, with his prom date, getting their picture taken by RJB Photo. Steve conjured up this roller prom featuring three hours of skating, free skates, PBR on tap, spiked punch and prom photos. This was the first time Steve has organized an event like this and he told WCN that next year will be even better. So, if you couldn’t make it this time, you’ve got a chance next year to support a great cause.

Lots of tuxedos (pale blue and peach were faves) were rented for the night, but few were donning top hat and tails like this guy – spinning with his baton in his mouth.

Above and below, it wasn’t all tuxedos – name the fashion trend of decades gone by and chances are someone at the prom was representing it …

Promgoers also were invited to a pre-func at Company and an afterparty at Mac’s Triangle Pub.