Community news! October 2023
How to Advance a Regenerative Economy
“Building a just transition from our present unsustainable, extractive economy to one that is regenerative (and therefore sustainable) is deeply relational and must be anchored in values of solidarity. In the nonprofit sector, it requires transcending the standard hierarchical funder-nonprofit dynamics and replacing them with norms of power sharing and reciprocity.
To transform our economy, we need to network, learn, ideate, iterate, and resource the work together as nonprofits, for-profits, community leaders and members, philanthropic institutions, governments, donors, and investors.
Our organizations have started to map and build these networks in the Seattle area and Washington state. Along with local communal food systems infrastructure, this work includes a range of forms such as cooperative housing, community land trusts, community-controlled real estate and capital, gig worker unions, worker-owned cooperatives, artist collectives, businesses creating products with recycled materials, community gardens, community gathering spaces, and more. “
Building Community through Holistic Strategy: A Story from a Seattle Immigrant Suburb
“Community organizing is more than solving problems. It is, fundamentally, about being together—and thriving together. It is about both building and preserving the good things we have.
The White Center Community Development Association (White Center CDA), where I work, is deeply engaged in this community building work. The organization was formed a little over 20 years ago, in February 2002, when resident leaders came together to support their unique and culturally diverse neighborhood: White Center, WA. Our work has recently become even more critical, supporting community strength and solutions through the challenges of poverty, pandemic, and vandalism.”
Friends of Little Sài Gòn greenlighted to develop Vietnamese cultural, economic center
“On September 11, Friends of Little Sài Gòn (FLS) reached an agreement to buy a 16,500-square-foot parcel on South Jackson Street to develop into the region’s first Vietnamese cultural and economic center.
This milestone comes after more than a full decade of planning, advocacy, and fundraising by FLS and its allies. Tam Dinh, professor of social work at Seattle University and FLS board president, said, “We are here today because of the hard work, sacrifices and dreams of those who came before us, and we are excited to continue this work for the next generation.”
…In 2011, Vietnamese activists and small business owners formed FLS out of a deep concern that Little Saigon, a cultural and economic hub established by refugee leaders in the early 1980s, might perish because of the lack of diverse housing options, crime and displacement. A 2012 community action plan, which identified community ownership and control as critical for turning conditions around, identified three key levers: a cultural center, more retail-commercial space and affordable housing.
“The vision is to provide a community-controlled physical presence for Little Saigon and for our entrepreneurs,” she said.”
Read the full article here in the International Examiner.
We are family, too
“A 2020 survey by the Center for American Progress found that one in three LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. report having experienced discrimination in the year prior to being surveyed. The survey also revealed what we already know: LGBTQ+ people of color are more likely to experience discrimination of any kind when compared to our white counterparts. The situation becomes even more dire for transgender and gender diverse people specifically. From January 2013 to mid-2022, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation and other advocates recorded at least 304 transgender and gender non-conforming individuals who were victims of fatal violence in the U.S. Two-thirds (63%) of those murdered were Black transgender women, and 85% were people of color… Through the “We are family, too.” PSA, we are calling the Black community into a kinship that acknowledges and holds our shared struggle against misogyny, patriarchy, anti-Blackness and white supremacy. Gender-based violence universally harms all Black women, cis and trans, and denies us our right to thrive. Our freedom is deeply tied to one another and by building power together. We can bring about liberation for the entire Black community.”
We are family, too — A love letter to the Black community from your trans family
Seattle Nonprofit Launches First Indigenous Guaranteed Income Program in the U.S.
”Earlier this year, a State Department of Health panel submitted a report showing that American Indian and Alaska Natives who give birth continue to have a higher maternal mortality ratio than any other ethnic group — eight times greater than white people and twice as large as Black people. As alarmingly, the report found that 80% of these pregnancy-related deaths were preventable.
To address this wide disparity, a nonprofit organization called Hummingbird Indigenous Family Services plans to pilot the first guaranteed income program in the United States to exclusively serve Indigenous communities.”
Read the full South Seattle Emerald article here.
Are ‘overburdened’ communities getting fair share of WA climate funds?
“So far, Washington’s carbon-pricing market has raised more money than initially expected, nearly $1.5 billion. And more is rolling in every quarter. Kelley said an estimated 43% ($924 million) will go to overburdened communities. Another 7.3% ($155 million) will go to tribes, which are eligible to apply for even more in grant funding and will benefit from other projects in the budget as well, she said.
But an analysis published last month by the environmental justice group Front and Centered is far less generous.
Up to 10.6% of the money budgeted (about $221 million) is allocated specifically or loosely to overburdened communities and 6.2% is allocated to the tribes, the nonprofit’s analysis indicates.
One of the reasons for the more than $700 million discrepancy is the way the budget lines are phrased, said Davin Diaz, policy coordinator for Front and Centered. Line items not specifically designated for overburdened communities or tribes were not counted. Other budget items merely indicate that 40% of the funds will be “assumed” to benefit overburdened communities, he noted.
“Based on historic injustices, it’s hard for us to assume those monies would flow,” Diaz said.”
Opinion: Creating an ecosystem for Black homeownership in WA
“Enter Black Home Initiative, an effort to generate 1,500 new homebuyers from low- and moderate-income Black households within the next five years. Earlier this year, BHI’s policy arm was instrumental in working with Puget Sound-area community leaders, housing advocates and Washington’s elected officials to pass the Covenant Homeownership Act. This legislation is a tangible solution that’s aligned with the Rothsteins’ new book, “Just Action.” As Leah puts it, CHA provides “homebuying assistance to nonwhite households to redress the segregation and inequality that these deeds (often governmentally sponsored) and other public policies had created.””
Read more here!
City of Seattle offers new funding options to battle rising commercial rent
“It’s no secret that Seattle, like many other major metropolitan areas in the country, is becoming less and less affordable to live and work. For small business owners and entrepreneurs looking to launch their ventures, this reality can be especially tough if they are looking to move into a brick and mortar space. But today, help may be on the horizon in the way of something called the Business Community Ownership (BCO) Fund.
“The BCO Fund is addressing commercial displacement, and empowering small businesses with long-term affordability and ownership of their commercial spaces to keep them rooted in our neighborhoods,” said Heidi Hall, Community Wealth Building Manager, Seattle Office of Economic Development. “Business ownership is one path to build generational wealth, and this stability helps business owners invest in their business growth and serve their community.””
CVA 2023: Restaurant 2 Garden receives ‘Leadership in Community’ award
“Sustainability and community are two concepts critical to the Chinatown International District (CID). Without the neighborhood’s dedication and thoughtfulness for the coming years, policy regarding the district may spiral outside of it rather than remain within.
Those two concepts are invariably linked for the members of Restaurant 2 Garden (R2G), a community composting organization dedicated to reimagining food waste management within the CID.
“We’re cutting out the middle man, in a sense,” said Lizzy Baskerville, co-founder and former R2G Operations Manager. “By keeping our resources local, we also are trying to prevent restaurants from having to pay the waste hauler to take away their food scraps, and then preventing the gardeners from paying to buy that compost back.””
Phenomenal She and Game of Life Mentoring win Community Partnership Awards
“Phenomenal She (PS) is a community based nonprofit organization that has a mission to provide mentorship, encouragement, and empowerment to young women of color by building confidence around education, social awareness, and self-esteem. PS has partnered with King County’s Best Starts for Kids Grant and will be able to intervene/interrupt the School-to-Prison Pipeline by meeting with young women three times a week, offering, Life Skills and Development Workshops, Academic Support and Engagement, and group Mental and/or Behavioral Health Counseling sessions in both Federal Way and Des Moines.”
Finding Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Honolulu
“To my great surprise, this Honolulu truck is the first Jackson’s Catfish Corner franchise. I stopped in enough times during my visit to attest that the catfish, hush puppies, and sauce are the same recipes and same great quality as the Seattle original! The first Catfish Corner was run by Jackson’s grandparents, Woody and Rosemary Jackson, from its original location on MLK and Cherry. Over time, they retired, and the family continued the tradition in various sites around South Seattle. When the new building on 23rd and Jackson was in development, Jackson jumped at the chance to locate on his namesake street and not have to deal with the vagaries of relocating again and again. After having followed the family through all of their locations, I was delighted to be walking distance from their permanent location. Their catfish is tender and juicy on the inside and crisp on the outside without any excess batter. But, little did I expect to find my favorite catfish in Honolulu.”
Read the full South Seattle Emerald Article here on one of COO’s Commercial Affordability pilot project partners!