Four projects in the neighborhood have received funding from the city’s Department of Neighborhoods, ranging in goals from food access to park restoration to a new park at 19th and Madison. The money comes from the department’s Small and Simple Projects Fund, which allocates up to $20,000 for selected projects, all of which must provide a volunteer match amount equal to or greater in value than the grant.
So if you like any these ideas, get involved. All the organizations have volunteer hours they need filled in order to bring the projects to life.
Clean Greens
Clean Greens received $20,000 to provide healthy produce to the neighborhood at an affordable price (full disclosure, as a member of Fork + Frame, I biked Clean Greens CSAs around the neighborhood last year and will likely do it again this year). Clean Greens has a farm in Duvall operated with the help of CD volunteers. The produce is sold at stands around the neighborhood during the summer and as part of their neighborhood CSA program. Their project description:
Provide non-chemical produce by Green Market Stands to low income, inner city residents so that they may eat healthy food at an affordable price. It will supply the types of vegetables relevant to African Americans and African immigrants which is lacking in the area. Neighborhood volunteers will distribute the produce. The project includes the purchase of equipment and community education.
Madrona Woods SE area restoration
The Friends of Madrona Woods received nearly $20,000 to restore an acre or so of the woods and add new signage.
Restore .5 – 1.5 acres in the southeast corner of Madrona Woods by removing invasive plants and planting native plants. The project would include Improvements to the safety of the trailhead entrance across from the Spectrum Dance Studio and add a kiosk and interpretive signage.
19th and Madison park
The Hearing, Speech & Deafness Center received $15,300 to create a new accessible, art-filled neighborhood park at 19th and Madison. The HSDC has been working on the park idea there for years.
Begin process to develop a fully accessible, art-filled, sustainable park for all ages and abilities involving local residents, affordable and transitional housing residents, nonprofit neighbors, and members of the Deaf and Deaf- Blind communities who receive services and work at 19th & Madison. The vision is to create a place for education, reflection and respect for residents and clients who are part of this neighborhood.
Work-It-Out job fair
The People’s Family Life Center and Work-It-Out Seattle received $20,000 to host a job fair in the community. Work-It-Out is the current tenant at the old Horace Mann School building on Cherry.
Host a community-wide WIO (Work-It-Out) Job Fair for unemployed and underemployed people reflective of the community demographics including veterans, seniors, young adults, and teens to meet diverse employers. A follow-up survey will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the event.
Capitol Hill Seattle has the details on nearby projects in that neighborhood. Here’s the list of all the project awards in the city: