White Center Now: The blog about White Center

2009 will start with a big donation to the White Center Food Bank: Next week, a truckload of potatoes and apples is scheduled to arrive at WCFB, courtesy of the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association. Read full details here. (It’s been a month and a half since the big potato donation that arrived at WCFB; see our video coverage here.)

Wanted to point you to this report on our partner site West Seattle Blog – where we got e-mail from White Center Food Bank friends/volunteers mentioning the lengths WCFB boss Rick Jump went to, to be there for clients. So many great stories like this are emerging as we all thaw out; keep ’em coming.

11:20 AM UPDATE: Got another note from Rick, who says they’ve gotten LOTS of help thanks to folks who read about this on WCN and/or partner site West Seattle Blog. However, we have another request in the WSB Forums for some White Center area volunteer help – read about it here.

ORIGINAL 6:21 AM POST: From White Center Food Bank executive director Rick Jump:

The White Center Food Bank has 300 families scheduled to pick up their holiday baskets on Monday and another 300 scheduled for Tuesday. Our plan is to be open for those with appointments but I will probably need some additional volunteers to make this happen. A few of our loyal volunteers showed up last Friday and we served 144 families (out of the 300 scheduled that day). We will be open from 10am to 6pm. If there is anybody who lives within walking distance of the food bank OR has a 4 wheel drive vehicle and can safely get there we would greatly appreciate the extra help. I will also need help shoveling the sidewalks and part of the parking lot to make it safe for those who show up. Please help spread the word.

WCFB is at 10829 8th SW; here’s a map.

4 pm, holiday party and open house at Cafe Rozella – Ricardo wrote about it here. Remember, bring donations for the White Center Food Bank. After that, if you are still searching for holiday fun in the area, one of Seattle’s most popular Christmastime attractions will visit West Seattle tonight — the Argosy Christmas Ship (5:15 pm Seacrest Pier, 8:50 pm Lowman Beach north of Lincoln Park, 9:40 pm Alki Beach; here’s its full-season schedule – if you miss it tonight, it’s back in West Seattle at Don Armeni Boat Ramp Sunday night, and in the South Sound at Des Moines and Dash Point Monday night).

Next weekend, Mount View Presbyterian Church in White Center (map) is raising money for the White Center Food Bank by hosting a “holiday worship concert” — “The Covering” with Michelle Lang and Still Water (poster shown above). It’s happening at 6 pm Saturday and Sunday nights, and a $10 donation is requested at the door, with all proceeds to WCFB, according to Pat Thompson from the YES Foundation, who adds, “We are inviting people to bring canned foods and/or other non-perishables to be given to the Food Bank as well.”

Cafe Rozella is participating in the food drive for the White Center Food Bank.  Given current economic conditions, the food bank is experiencing a great demand for its services.  So next time you come by Cafe Rozella, pack some cans of food and drop them in the donation barrel at the cafe.  For your kind donation the cafe will give you a free pastry with your coffee order.  So do the right thing and get a nice reward.  Cafe Rozella is located at 9434 Delridge Way SW (phone 206.763.5805 – web:  www.caferozella.com).

Tomorrow morning, the White Center Food Bank gets a very special delivery at a time when it’s desperately needed: More than two tons of potatoes from Hirai Farms in Moses Lake will be delivered directly to WCFB, before another 15 tons are trucked over to a Kent warehouse that serves many other food banks in the area. Here are more details from a news release sent out by local legislators and shared by WCFB’s Rick Jump:

“Those in our community who are struggling to feed themselves and their families will get a break thanks to this generous donation. While these are hard times for everybody, the fact that the potatoes will be delivered just a week before Thanksgiving, makes it even more special,” said Rep. Bob Hasegawa (D-Seattle, 11th Legislative District), who was the liaison between the farm on the eastside and the food bank in western Washington. “It all began this summer when I was part of a business tour and Blaine Hirai and I got to talking about doing something to help folks in need on this side of the mountains.”

Blaine Hirai, a Washington State farmer who is active in several charitable causes and organizations, has done significant work to address issues involving the educational, nutritional and housing needs of minority and disadvantaged communities in Washington State. He has become a strong advocate of helping to provide the necessary elements and opportunities to those who have been deprived or have been placed in unfortunate circumstances.

“In today’s economic climate, it is getting increasingly difficult for many people to feed their families. When Rep. Bob Hasegawa told me that the White Center Food Bank needed food, I felt that as a farmer it was important I do something to help. I am happy to work with our state legislators to make this critical donation of potatoes,” said Hirai, whose strong family tradition of giving back to local communities in the Pacific Northwest is made possible through Hirai Farms and their non-profit charitable organization, Annie’s Fun.

“During these challenging economic times, more and more families in my district are turning to food banks to make ends meet. Meanwhile, it is harder for working families to make the charitable contributions to worthy organizations like the White Center Food Bank and Northwest Harvest,” said Rep. Sharon Nelson (D-West Seattle, 34th Legislative District). “I am extremely pleased that Hirai Farms has chosen to help meet this huge need in our community.”

Rick Jump, White Center Food Bank Executive Director said that in just one year there has been a 70 percent increase in the number of families they serve, “so this will make a huge impact in the community; a donation of this magnitude makes a serious difference and we’re very grateful.”

The White Center Food Bank’s mission is to minimize hunger while nourishing community, nurturing self-reliance and embracing the area’s rich cultural diversity. It has been helping out people in need for over three decades and currently serves more than 1,200 hungry families each month. In 2007, it provided enough food for more than 53,000 individuals including 21,000 children under the age of 18.

Northwest Harvest is Washington’s own statewide hunger relief agency. It secures 18 million pounds of nutritious food each year for distribution to nearly 300 food programs across the state, serving 36 of Washington State’s 39 counties.

You can help the White Center Food Bank any time with an online donation – follow the links on its website at whitecenterfoodbank.org.

Click pic to play video

That video shows harpist Mary Frank as she played to welcome guests to Saturday night’s White Center Food Bank Harvest Dinner and Auction. WCFB executive director Rick Jump says the final tally was 200 guests and more than $40,000 raised, and he wants to “thank all the White Center and West Seattle businesses who donated so generously to make this possible.” Among the sponsors, BECU, whose Claudia Martinez and John Webb were there as we made the round with our camera:

We also caught up with Steve Fisher from the King County Housing Authority (photo left) in the early going at the gala event at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center. Guests perused, and bid on, silent-auction items before the Harvest Dinner — among the more unusual ones, an authentic fire hydrant. Meantime, regardless of whether you made it to the benefit on Saturday night, there are myriad ways you can give to the White Center Food Bank right now, including the purchase of a beautiful glass apple from Avalon Glassworks in West Seattle (half the $80 purchase price goes to WCFB) – we’ve told you about it before, and Rick tells WCN they’re still available. You can also donate $ online by going here.

Checking with Audrey at White Center Food Bank, we found out (also posted at partner site WSB) that reservations for this Saturday’s annual Harvest Dinner and Auction for WCFB need to be in by 5 pm today so they can get the catering order in. The Saturday event starts with the silent auction @ 5:30 pm, SSCC’s Brockey Center. Full details here; $60/person, 206/762-2848, or rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org. (A week later, on 10/25, it’s the White Center Community Development Association five-year-anniversary gala – details and ticket info are on the WCCDA site.)

Another reminder, 5 days till the White Center Food Bank‘s annual Harvest Dinner and Auction this Saturday @ SSCC – but don’t wait to make a reservation – call or e-mail now. 206/762-2848, rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org – see the full invitation here!

Click pic to play vid

We first told you here at White Center Now (Monday report here) and at partner site West Seattle Blog (Monday report here) two days ago about an urgent call for help from the White Center Food Bank. Executive director Rick Jump says thanks to WCN/WSB readers for stepping up – hundreds of dollars in donated $, plus food donations, have come in as a result, and citywide media have come by to do reports – but much more help is still needed. While we visited Jump at WCFB earlier this afternoon for a followup, he gave us the newest statistics — the number of people seeking help from WCFB this September was 50% greater than last year, almost 1,000 in ’07, almost 1,500 in ’08. And as commenters pointed out on both sites, WCFB has a unique challenge – since it is not within the boundaries of a city, it doesn’t get any kind of city funding, as do its fellow food banks in incorporated areas. You can help WCFB right now by donating $ online, right from this page. While we were at the food bank this afternoon, a steady stream of people came in – Rick explained, it’s the first of the month, and food stamps are still days away; we didn’t photograph the clients because we believe they’re entitled to dignity as they seek help, but trust us (and listen to the sound as we shot the video you see above), the volunteers were working hard to distribute what they had. P.S. One more way you can help – the WCFB annual fundraising auction/dinner is coming up October 18th, 5:30 pm at South Seattle Community College’s Brockey Center; this event raises up to half the WCFB’s annual budget funds – check out the invitation here and RSVP by October 10th (read more in this previous WCN post).

This is also posted at our partner site West Seattle Blog; we don’t make a habit out of crossposting verbatim (instead, we will link back and forth occasionally when warranted), but this is urgent – White Center Food Bank serves both areas – so here’s the note we just got from WCFB executive director Rick Jump:

Our numbers are up (way up) and donations are down. We are currently experiencing critical shortages of food which will begin to impact services in the next week or two. Our inventories are shrinking fast and we need almost all types of non-perishable food. Canned fruits and vegetables, soups, tuna, cereal, dry variety foods such as Hamburger Helper, Rice-a-Roni and Mac & Cheese are especially needed at this time.

A reminder from the fine folks at the White Center Food Bank:

The White Center Food Bank invites all community members to join together to minimize hunger through the 4th Annual Harvest Dinner and Auction, Saturday, October 18th at South Seattle Community College Brockey Center. Wonderful gifts, goods, getaways, and services have been donated for the silent and live auctions. Enrique Cerna, Executive Director of Production of KCTS 9, will emcee. Social hour begins at 5:30 pm, dinner at 7:00 pm, $60 per person, adults only please. Free parking available. Please call 206.726.2848 to reserve seats or send an e-mail to rick@whitecenterfoodbank.org

Personal voucher: I worked with Enrique years ago at KOMO TV, and have encountered him a few times since, including events he emceed; he’s got a great personality and a dry sense of humor. Sounds like an event not to be missed.

Community Harvest of Southwest Seattle is inviting area gardeners to bring extra vegetables/fruit to the West Seattle Farmers’ Market tomorrow for a fresh-food collection drive they’re calling “Share the Bounty” – the White Center Food Bank will get everything that’s gathered, says CHoSS. Here’s more info on the CHoSS website; if you haven’t been to the Farmers’ Market before, it’s in the West Seattle Junction, at 44th SW/Alaska (map), 10 am-2 pm tomorrow (and every Sunday, year-round).

UPDATED FROM ORIGINAL FRIDAY MORNING VERSION: MagnoliaVoice.com covered a Magnolia meeting Thursday night regarding the proposed jail site in Interbay. That site’s original report said that Burgess thought the Interbay and “South Seattle” sites were the most likely ones of the “final four” — since there is no “South Seattle” site, but rather two West Seattle sites (Highland Park Way SW/West Marginal Way and Myers Way South), we contacted the Magnolia Voice editor (a veteran journalist who I worked with for years in Seattle citywide media), who reported he’d said Myers Way (which she confirmed when we checked with her again just now). However, Councilmember Burgess left a comment on this post saying he had mentioned the “First Avenue South Bridge” site, and pointing to a post on his own blog from early August in which he said Interbay and “First Avenue South Bridge” were the sites most likely to meet the criteria. No site is identified as “First Avenue South Bridge” on the city list; the Highland Park Way SW/West Marginal Way site is the closest to that bridge. We have a message out to Councilmember Burgess to clarify that’s the one he describes as “First Avenue South Bridge.” and will update this again if/when we hear back. *Note that we have not amended the comment thread below, so it refers to the original version of this post, up through my response to Councilmember Burgess’s comment; anything after that would be responding to this updated post.* UPDATED SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Councilmember Burgess’ reply to our request for clarification of which site he meant:

Correct, the West Marginal site which is about 1.5 blocks off the southwest corner of the bridge. The site is partially owned by the city and partially owned by WSDOT which used it as a staging location when the bridge was repaired a few years back. I refer to it as the First Avenue South Bridge site because that helps people understand the geographic location better than the intersection.

Just posted at our partner site WSB because it’s happening at a West Seattle business: Art-glass apples on sale, with half the purchase price going straight to the White Center Food Bank. To see the story (including a photo of the art-glass apple), click here.