#SWDay Update and Packing Party! May 15, 2012

It was a party up in here today… a packing party that is!  We had shirts and KIND snacks galore delivered last week so today the Seattle Works team went to work!  We printed and counted and sorted like crazy – but now we are SO READY for OMG SWD this Saturday.

All 33 project sites have plenty of SWD event shirts, delicious KIND bars, name tags, markers, sign-in sheets, directions to the AfterParty, waivers and all the good things a volunteer project needs to make sure the experience is an amazing one.

Bring it on.

If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late.  Don’t worry, we threw in a ton of extra stuff for each site just in case you signed up!

You’re not going to want to miss out on this day – sign up now: http://www.seattleworks.org/signup

Seattle Works team members Tyler, Percival and Ellen lend helpful hands (and hoofs) to the packing extravaganza.

Seattle Works Day Countdown Begins! #SWDay March 27, 2012

And what better way than a funny photo to kick things off?

Say hello to Tyler, our Operations Coordinator and Andy, our Data Coordinator – also known as coloring phenoms!  Every week we’ll be posting updates and coloring in our white board wall to show a progress update on how many people and teams are signed up to join our largest day of service on Saturday May 19th!

Seattle Works Day fun has only just begun.

Form a team and sign up today! http://www.seattleworks.org/swd

What makes planning fun? Post-its, red dots and Gaga! November 17, 2011

It was all hands on deck this week, which for Seattle Works means three full -time AmeriCorps team members (Jenna, Page and Ellen), two full-time staff (Tara and Bevin) and two part-time staff (Tyler and Andy) and for a 12 month planning session.

We call it the Great Calendaring Session of 2012 and it happens with background beats from Gaga.

 

Everyone is responsible for identifying their own programs, events, meetings, grant deadlines, what have you dates on post-its and then placing them on the ginormous calendar sheets.  Once that happens we looks at the year quarter by quarter as a team and see how the dates overlap/intersect.  It was seriously the most productive two-hour discussion we’ve ever had around our calendar!

You might be asking yourself, “Why should l care about your calendar?” Because it’s going to make hanging out with Seattle Works easier on you!  Team Works rounds will be kicking off consistently, year after year in the same months, we’ll have one training course, either The Bridge or HandsOn Leadership, offered every month (for the first six months of the year) and major events like Seattle Works Day is already set (mark your calendars – Sat 5/19/12).  Plus we’ll be publishing all these dates for you at the beginning of the year in case you’re a planner.

You. are. welcome.

Rally with us to Restore Summer! June 7, 2011

Here at Seattle Works we absolutely refuse to believe that it isn’t summer.

  

When summer actually does get here (in August), we’re going to throw an ice cream party for all those cool folks that sign up to spend some time with us this summer!

Will you be one of these elite/extra-special/uber amazing types?

What qualifies you for the ice cream shindig in August? Any/all of the following:

*The Bridge – starts Tues 6/14

Our training class in nonprofit and government board service. Starts ONE WEEK from today, so jump on it before we run out of room. http://www.seattleworks.org/AboutUs/index.php/bridge.html

*Team Works – kickoff Tues 6/14; first project Sat 6/18

Volunteer with a team of 15 people one Saturday a month, for the next four months.  You’ll get a chance to meet some cool people, and volunteer at four different projects. And we throw in a party at the beginning and end – pretty sweet deal (kinda like ice cream).  http://www.seattleworks.org/AboutUs/index.php/TW/tw_intro.html

*HandsOn Leadership – starts Wed 6/29

Get trained in project management (and many other areas) and then work with a local nonprofit partner to help them create, develop and implement a project that they really need your help with.  This is your opportunity to help out at a different level. http://seattleworks.org/AboutUs/index.php/handsonleadership.html

*Join a Committee!

We need help with our Swank Procurement Committee! Swank is our annual gala and an incredible event. Help us plan, execute and procure the items that makes this gala awesome. Email Rachel: rachel@seattleworks.org

Elections Committee! Do you care about the upcoming election? Want to help make sure your peers make an informed vote? Join our Elections committee and be an integral part of how we decide to make the elections exciting, relevant and engaging. Email Bevin: bevin@seattleworks.org

*Hot Projects - two or three projects offered every week ALL summer long

One-time volunteer opportunities at Seattle Marathon Association, Hamlin-Robinson School, MEOW Cat Rescue, Food Bank at St. Mary’s, Communities in Schools, etc. http://www.seattleworks.org/AboutUs/index.php/TW/tw_intro.html

*Project Coordinator

Take the Hot Projects one step further: lead a project! We’ll train and support you, and you’ll work as the liaison between the nonprofit that’s hosting the Hot Project and the volunteers that have signed up. Email Kym: volunteer@seattleworks.org

  

C’mon – who’s with us?

Painting the town February 28, 2011

Last Friday we had ourselves some team fun!  We try to all get together in the same place for some fun once a month, but the last few months we’ve run into some scheduling trouble. 

Randi was in charge of this month’s fun and we headed to Paint the Town in U Village to put our creativity and artistic skills to the test.

Tegan was very focused on her sweet mug:

Tara making a lovely votive holder that matches her upstairs bathroom. 

Kathleen, Jan and Randi. Between them they painted two butter dishes and a precious dog dish for Jan’s new puppy.

The team and their pre-fired pieces.

We definitely made up for lost time!

Board Retreat March 20, 2010

The Seattle Works Board of Directors is meeting this weekend to work on the 2010-2015 Strategic Plan. We have six new (or relatively new) board members joining us for this work — new faces and perspectives! We’re thinking about the goals and objectives Seattle Works will be tackling over the next half-decade, rethinking and tuning the four current pillars of the work Seattle Works does: Lead, Volunteer, Influence, and Invest. Thank you, Board of Directors for your dedication and hard work!

- Tyler

Gulf Coast November 3, 2008

Seattle Works recently sent its fifth (or sixth?) delegation of volunteers down to the Gulf Coast area to help with the continuing relief from Hurricane Katrina. It was an amazing trip…

Saturday, October 11: Eight eclectic and fearless Seattle Works volunteers left for New Orleans to volunteer with a group called Katrina Corps. After a day of travel, we spent Saturday evening getting to know our Katrina Corps hosts, Ray and Marshall, and went to a place called Bacchanal for an evening of wine and performances by New Orleans artists (blues, jazz, spoken word, etc). Sunday was devoted to getting the tourist-ish inclinations out of our systems, and we spent the day downtown: walking along the Mississippi, having beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde, watching some fantastic street performers, taking in the amazing architecture, buying souvenirs, and doing general sightseeing.

Work started Monday morning — we spent most of our volunteer hours that week working on a school in the Bywater (Upper 9th) District. The school had been abandoned since Katrina, and was being converted into a community arts center. We moved furniture, painted, scraped paint and grime off the floor, moved carpet tiles, swept, mopped, installed ceiling tiles and fans, and generally did what we could to move the building toward being ready for opening day, November 1. The work portions of our days were tough, but satisfying, and our group bonded over blue paint, grime-covered floors, inside jokes, and hastily-devoured lunches.

 

 

Marshall talked about how folks in New Orleans work hard and play hard… While the work we did on the school down there was the reason for our trip, we also took time to partake in culture and have FUN. Ray and Marshall were fantastic hosts, and took us to great spots in town we never would’ve found on our own. We had a fantastic dinner at Bennachin (a great West African restaurant), saw the Rebirth Brass Band (awesome show) at Preservation Hall, watched the third presidential debate at Miss Mae’s (one-dollar well drinks!), and had a crazy-fun evening eating crawdads and po’ boys at the Mother-in-Law Lounge (where we learned about Ernie K-Doe). We danced and drank and heard some fantastic music on Frenchman Street, center of New Orleans’ local music scene.

DEBATE WATCHING AT MISS MAE’S

PRESERVATION HALL

CAFE DU MONDE

We also had some amazing food-for-thought moments. I’m going to cut and paste from the blog of Patrick, our amazing and fearless team leader:

After we left our project today, we took a tour of the Lower 9th. I obviously have been there before, seen it, done it…but please don’t think I’m playing the drama card when I say that I was distressed by what I saw. It’s been over 3 years. 3 YEARS! Why aren’t these people back in their homes??? What is preventing us from accomplishing here what we are able to accomplish in Iowa after a flood, or in California after a wildfire? Why does an organization like this have to go out and cut the grass at a particular residence just to keep the city of New Orleans from serving a lien notice on the property? How is that right? And more significantly, why are we allowing that to happen? We have forgotten what is happening down here. Not what DID happen. What IS happening. When was the last time you heard a non-anniversary report about the recovery efforts? People like us are still needed. Desperately. People like us still have to take this story back, and tell people in our home towns that things are still not right in New Orleans. But don’t take our word for it. Come down and see for yourselves.

Through the week, there were hilarious and fun moments, and difficult and poignant moments. But I think we all left feeling the need for more. More for the people of New Orleans. More for those whose lives were turned upside down by a storm more than three years ago, and who are still living in limbo. I encourage anybody who has the chance to take a trip to New Orleans to do it. See what’s going on down there now. You’ll feel compelled to get involved, I promise.

Now for thank yous… Thank you to Jan for helping organize this trip. I know it’s a lot of work, but we are a better country for volunteer efforts like this, I’m convinced. Cheers to Seattle Works.

And thank you to an AWESOME team: Anna, Ashley, Beth, Bill, Erick, Kaitlin, Nia, Pam, Patrick, Ryan, & Scott. It was great getting to know all of you guys, and awesome working and playing hard, side by side with all of you, for the week.

And last, but not least… Thanks to Marshall and Ray for taking care of us, showing us around, and giving us information and experiences to help us absorb the profound-ness of what we experienced that week. It’s changed the way I see the world. And you guys rock.