Partner News and Partners in the News! (May 2023)

Partners in the News

West Seattle’s Khmer Friendship Garden bridges generations

“We [KCSKC] see a lot of understanding going both ways between generations, where elders are more expressive of how happy they are to see youth,” Ung said “There’s a lot of gratitude exchanged nonverbally but you know, elders will bring food to the garden to feed the youth when they know they’ll be there.”

Ung acknowledged that Khmer culture and history is not mainstream, and that youth often struggle with identifying a sense of belonging.

2023 Community Wealth Building Pilots: A Small Business Incubator for Latinx Creatives

This small business incubator is part of the Generational Wealth Initiative funded by the City of Seattle’s Department of Neighborhoods (DON). In 2023, DON is supporting BIPOC entrepreneurs and community-based organizations to pilot community wealth-building strategies as part of a long-term effort to close the racial wealth gap in Seattle. The community wealth-building strategies include:

  • Broad-based Worker Ownership 

  • Community Controlled Capital 

  • Community Ownership of Real Estate 

  • Progressive Procurement

  • Equitable Small Business Ecosystems 

  • Wealth Retention and Asset Protection Programs 

PHOTO ESSAY | Africatown Community Land Trust’s ‘Honoring Our Black Wall Streets’ Celebrates Local Black Businesses

“Research has shown Black business ownership is a proven path to closing wealth gaps, as Black business owners were 12 times wealthier than their peers, and if just 15% of Black-owned businesses are able to hire one more employee, the American economy could grow by $55 billion and 600,000 jobs,” said ACLT President and CEO Wyking Garrett.

South King County Community Impact Fund Supports Land Restoration Projects

“The multicultural expertise of many of the organizations funded by the Port of Seattle also allows for unique community solutions. Serve Ethiopians Washington, for instance, has spearheaded a campaign at Angle Lake Park to create multilingual signage in Amharic, Somali, and Spanish, to reflect the communities around SeaTac and convey to them the ways they can better take care of the environment…

The Port of Seattle’s work also extends to efforts outside of grantmaking and builds in line with the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan. Register for the South King County Environmental & Jobs Symposium on Saturday, June 3, 2023, at Highline College in Des Moines, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.”

Rainier Beach’s ‘unofficial mayor’ aims to strengthen community for future generations

“When there is no one to hold them accountable,” Davis said, “they will come and go amidst the creation of good or bad policy, and neighborhoods are left to make sense of things and are forced to start over again in advocating, educating and holding account.” 

The Rainier Beach Neighborhood Plan was one of 38 such plans created in the 1990s to reflect the area’s rich history and values, while strategizing for future housing, transit and community needs. With more than a decade left to complete what’s outlined in the plan, Davis is hiring young people in the neighborhood to work with the coalition and carry on the document’s legacy. Davis said he wants Rainier Beach to become a place where families can afford to stay, and where youth have access to jobs and training that support their professional development.

South King County communities unite to tackle pandemic challenges

Check out the Renton Regional Community Foundation video series here, including conversations with business and community leaders, including Alimentando al Pueblo, Utopia WA, Multi-Service Center, The Silent Task Force, FW Black Collective, and Boon Boona Coffee. Together: Stories of South King County is a community-led effort to lift up and celebrate the powerful stories and the people of this region — often untold and overlooked. Learn more and view all conversations at https://www.togetherskc.org

“The people who are the funders, how do you have access to these people?” continued Hudson. “Where do you even meet them? They don’t live in my neighborhood [...]. They’re not going to the same church. They’re not going to the same community events that we all go to within our community. They’re not there. And they’re not reaching out to us. Please come out to our events. We want you there. We want you to see us.”

Advocates Say Housing Levy Is Critical to Keeping Seattle Affordable and Inclusive

“The simple reality is that the need for affordable housing in Seattle is greater than ever, and we need to do everything we can to increase the city’s supply of affordable homes,” Patience Malaba, executive director of the Housing Development Consortium (HDC), told the Emerald. She said the housing levy is the centerpiece of a package of reforms aimed at keeping Seattle affordable and inclusive.

Skyway Community Receives Funding for Affordable Housing and Early Learning Center

“The cost of housing in Seattle is just astronomical. When it comes to what you have to do to buy and rent, the rates are really comparable, and you’re not even gaining an asset or building generational wealth,” explained Rebecca Berry, executive director of Skyway Coalition, an organization that supports community-led development. “Having access to a spectrum of affordable housing options is something that we’re really big champions of in Skyway, because we want to make sure that we’re addressing all the types of families’ situations.”

PHOTO ESSAY | Year of the Rabbit: Celebrating Cambodian New Year in White Center

...April 29, community members unified for the 20th Annual White Center Cambodian New Year Street Festival. The event was organized by the Cambodian Cultural Alliance of Washington, and featured live musical performances, delicious traditional cuisine, dancing, vendors, and plenty of smiles and laughter on a day where the sun shone brightly...

“This is our 20th annual street festival. It’s important to us because a majority of our members have been planning and celebrating for 20 years, since 2003,” Som said. “The longevity of it all is proof to the community and to us that with commitment, shared values and missions, anything can withstand time.”

Dream, Build, Play Workshop Helps Residents Reimagine A New South Park

On April 29, James Rojas, an urban planner and artist, held a “Dream, Build, Play” design workshop for South Park residents at the South Park Neighborhood Center. The goal was to use various objects to build and describe their hopes for the neighborhood. Families and neighbors from all backgrounds attended and provided feedback based on the facilitator’s prompts.

The Liberated Village Arts & Education Festival Celebrates School Without Walls

The Best Starts for Kids Liberation and Healing from Systemic Racism (“Liberated Village”) academy comprises 19 community-based grassroots organizations to offer youth educational resources, training, and cultural programs. Youth are also provided mentors, which the village refers to as subject matter experts (SME’s). Each of the 19 community-based grassroots organizations serve the youth with specialized programs, ranging from media training to Afro-Indigenous wellness curriculum. 

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