newrainiervista.com

Come out and help make our neighborhood look good. Mingle with your neighbors, too. This is a great way for students to earn their community service hours. And Free Coffee and Donuts!

Saturday 03/6/2010
10:00 A.M.
Central Park

Please bring gloves, other supplies will be provided. Everyone Welcome!

Are you a retired teacher? Are you currently pursuing a degree in education and would like to increase your teaching experience in a culturally diverse setting? Are you a previous camp counselor or someone who has worked with elementary-school students and knows how to effectively work with them? An hour a week could do wonders for our local students and their academic success.

Neighborhood House has an immediate need for reliable, patient volunteer after-school tutors at Aki Kurose Middle School (3928 South Graham Street). You’ll be working with middle-school students helping them finish their homework as well as improve their academic skills. Orientation and training will be provided.

We’re looking for people who are available from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. once a week for at least three months.

If you (or anyone you know) are interested in becoming an after-school tutor, please e-mail RominaR@nhwa.org for more information on how to get started as an after-school tutor.

There’s a Technology Center at the Neighborhood House that provides computer/internet time to anyone who needs it. The Center needs volunteers!

Help is needed during Open Lab time (10am - noon Tues - Thurs and 10am - 4pm Mon & Fri for General Open Lab; 4pm- 6pm Tues - Thurs and 4pm - 5pm Fri for Youth Open Lab). During this time, volunteers will help with administrative upkeep and assist people using computers with tasks such as homework research and job applications. Volunteers during these times are great because it allows the Technology Center to assist even more individuals!

There are also various classes provided at the Technology Center (Basic Computer Skills, MS Word, Tax Prep). Students in these classes benefit from the one-on-one attention a volunteer can give.

Volunteers do not need to be computer experts to make our classes even more successful and enriching for participants! Anyone with basic computer skills can volunteer. A willingness to encourage and learn along with students is all that’s needed! Adults, senior citizens, and even youth have volunteered in the past and made a tremendous addition to our program. The time commitment of volunteering at Tech Center is very flexible and can be as little as an hour a week or be assisting a monthly workshop.

If you are interested in volunteering or in more information, please contact the Technology Center at 206-461-4568 x 202 or email Kate Farmer at katef@nhwa.org.

The NRV Neighborhood house has been looking to address the needs of our community’s youth. They’ve been holding conversations with the youth to discuss possible enrichment activities. Suggestions have included cooking events, movie nights, cultural shows, as well as a Black History Month event.

This is a great volunteer opportunity and a way to get to know more of our community. For more information, please contact Kate Farmer at katef@nhwa.org.

The January sky lightens up a bit, and thoughts turn toward spring. With the help of the Department of Neighborhoods, the Seattle Housing Authority, and other community partners, LettuceLink is working to transform half an acre in the New Rainier Vista neighborhood into a giving and teaching garden. This garden will be located at the north end of NRV, between Andover and Yancey and next to the Habitat site.

click on the image above to see a larger version.

Modeled after Marra Farm, the Seattle Community Farm will be a space for low-income residents of Rainier Valley to grow food for themselves and to share with the Rainier Valley Food Bank. While the garden will focus on food production, there will be many chances for gathering, celebrating, and learning. Garden education opportunities will be available throughout the growing season—seed saving, children’s gardening, and food preparation workshops are all being considered.

Jamie Robinson and Leslie Heimer of Solid Ground and Lettuce Link are coordinating outreach activities in and around New Rainier Vista: asking neighbors what they would like to grow, how they would like the garden to look, and how they will be involved. They are particularly interested in hearing ideas for celebrations and community gatherings that can take place in the garden. When neighbors come together to break bread (or chard or broccoli for that matter), strong communities can take shape.

If you are interested in being involved in the Seattle Community Farm, please contact Jamie Robinson at jamier@solid-ground.org, or Leslie Heimer at leslieh@solid-ground.org. There will be many opportunities to share your ideas, or just get your hands dirty.

The Refugee Women’s Alliance (ReWA) After School Program at Rainier Vista participates in P-Patch Community Garden activities at the Senior Snoqualmie Garden. Gregory Schaffer, a ReWA staff member in the after school program, has been involved in gardening with children and in doing garden-based activities.

Gregory needs the help of a few adult gardeners during program hours, weekdays between 4:30-6pm. Volunteers will help create and guide gardening activities and help with garden planning, planting and maintenance.

For more information and to volunteer, call Gregory Schaffer at 206-721-1178 or Julie Bryan at 206-684-0540 or 206-257-8257.

The Neighborhood House Technology Center offers adult open lab time and youth open lab time Monday – Saturday. Come use a computer and/or access the Internet. Basic Word classes are offered and Job Search skills and Resume Writing and other classes for free! Call 461-4568 ext 202 for more info on the Tech Center!

Also, the Tech Center is in need of volunteers. The time commitment is minimal. If you know how to use Word or Internet Explorer and have an hour to donate, please call the Tech Center.

January is National Mentoring Month. To celebrate, Neighborhood House is launching the Recruit-A-Mentor Challenge, and they are trying to double the number of our CASASTART volunteer mentors .

Mentors are an important component of CASASTART. Each month, mentors join our students in various activities during after-school hours. These activities range from educational to simply hanging out. By being present each month, mentors become positive adult role models to our students which they may not otherwise have if it were not for the CASASTART program.

The time commitment is two hours per month with the students plus some planning time with the other mentors. We ask that mentors commit at least six months to the program.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Kate Farmer (katef@nhwa.org) for additional information.

Come celebrate the Winter Solstice and the (very slow) return of the sun with the Columbia City Solstice Festival, Sunday, December 20, 2009. Be there with bells on - Rain, snow or shine!

Festivities start at 4:20pm with sunset procession. Light up the night with candles, lanterns, bike lights, and glow sticks and join the procession to the Solstice Festival! Bring bells and noisemakers to create a joyful sound as you gather with your neighbors and friends to celebrate the (almost) darkest day of the year. The procession will begin at multiple locations and will pick up other groups along the route at:

• SW corner of Rainier Ave S & S Hudson St (near tree)
• MLK/Hudson from Light Rail
• Volunteer to lead a group from your neighborhood!

At 5:00pm, meet at the Southside Commons (3518 S Edmunds St, Seattle 98118) for a Sing-a-long with Columbia City Choir and area musicians. Light candles, walk the labyrinth, and enjoy refreshments and mingling with neighbors and friends.

Become a part of the Solstice Festival planning committee and share your ideas on how to make this a great tradition for SE Seattle! Email anorris@seedseattle.org to be added to the mailing list or to sign up for a volunteer position listed below.

• Distribute posters/flyers (Available at SEED office - 5117 Rainier Ave S)
• Solicit in-kind donations from businesses (refreshments, lantern-making supplies)
• Assist with lantern-making workshop (set-up, help make lanterns, clean-up)
• Organize groups to walk to solstice
• Solstice event set-up/clean-up

This event is supported by SEEDArts, along with the Rainier Valley Post.