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Neighborhood House Celebrates 110 Years FREE EACH VOLUME 35 MONTH ISSUE 4 A community-based newspaper serving the Puget Sound area since 1981 April 2016 Articles translated into six languages The newspaperTheThe of Neighborhood House VoiceVoice — visit our website at voice.seattlehousing.net SHA resident emerges a Neighborhood House community leader and activist celebrates 110 years LYNN SEREDA lost her job and her home, along with mil- Section 8 resident lions of others. However, instead of letting these events take control of her, she took Violet Lavatai had the standing-room- action and carved a new life out of a six-year only crowd at Seattle City Hall pumping journey that has led to community leader- their fists in the air and cheering her on as ship as well as a new home as a Seattle she spoke about the failure of the city’s ten- Housing Authority (SHA) Scattered Site year plan to end homelessness. Lavatai was resident. a panelist at Seattle City Councilmember At first it was difficult. She pounded the Kshama Sawant’s Town Hall on housing pavement looking for a job (she had done held Feb. 27 and was chosen to speak due office work in the past), but found that no to her strong viewpoints and experience one was hiring. She had to move in with her navigating the system. sister in Skyway. She applied for housing "It’s time to stop talking about the lack of and was fortunate enough to get a spot on affordable and decent housing and it’s time the SHA Wait List before it was temporarily for our leaders to actually listen to us, take closed. She made sure to call the automated PHOTO BY NANCY GARDNER action and start doing something," Lavatai Wait List system monthly as directed in Seattle City Councilwoman Lorena González addressed a crowd of more than 400 told the audience. order to keep her place on the list. donors and business leaders at the nonprofit's 110th Anniversary Breakfast held Taking action is what Lavatai is all about. March 23. González described how, as a former migrant farm worker and child of When the great recession hit in 2009, she Mexican immigrants, she knows what it means to excape poverty. The event raised Please see “Violet” on Page 8 over $165,000, which will help some of our area’s most vulnerable people overcome economic challenges and achieve self-sufficiency. Pictured above is emcee Angela King. Rainier Vista, City of Seattle embark on traffic safety projects 'Pavement to Parks' $70,000 grant provides much-needed green space for community activities BY ADAM DODGE Special to The Voice on-the-ground changes took place. Tired of the situation, Rainier Vista neighbors The Seattle Department of Transportation organized together and formed the Rainier (SDOT) has selected Rainier Vista Vista Traffic Safety Committee to provide (RV)as the location of one of four a unified voice to advocate for a safer and new pilot projects for the Pavement more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood. to Parks program. This program takes an existing underused section of street and New traffic circle coming converts it into a park. Last year the Committee achieved its first major win with the city approving and Genesee Street's transformation funding the installation of a traffic circle at Residents have been asking for years to S Oregon Street and Renton Ave S—one close the loop around Rainier Vista’s Cen- of the most dangerous intersections in the tral Park to prevent speeding around the neighborhood. Funding for this project is park. Thanks to a $70,000 grant from the provided through the city’s Neighborhood city a short section of Genesee Street will be Park and Street Fund (NPSF), which is a opened up to people and transformed into a competitive grant program for community- place for the community to gather and play. proposed projects. The Rainier Vista Traffic Safety Com- Thanks to the neighborhood’s over- mittee and SDOT will be reaching out to whelming support during the NPSF com- nearby residents over the next few months petitive process, Rainier Vista’s applica- for design ideas for the park. Construction COURTESY OF ADAM DODGE tion sailed through and received the grant is planned for this summer. funding. The traffic circle is expected to be Rainier Vista neighbors are working with SDOT to transform the block of S. Genesee For years neighbors complained to the installed late this summer. Street between Jill Place S. and 29th Ave. S. into an extension of Central Park. city that the street was dangerous and needed to be made safer, however no Please see “RV Traffic” on Page 3 Neighborhood House Nonprofit org. The Weller Building U.S. postage PAID In this issue 1225 S. Weller St. Suite 510 Seattle, WA BE SAFE Page 2 Seattle, WA 98144 Permit #8887 Feeling safe around the homeless SHA NEWS Page 3 Kudos to two Lake City residents FEATURE Page 6 Visit Beacon Hill's Food Forest TRANSLATIONS Page 7 2 – THE VOICE APRIL 2016 Health Notes Be Safe A column devoted to your Safety is paramount for well-being all community members BY SEATTLE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP prepared to describe the location where the Is stress keeping you on pins and needles? Why encounter occurred, and other important Do you sympathize with the homeless, information such as what he or she was not take up a crafty hobby like sewing or knitting? but feel physically uncomfortable with their wearing or what condition the person was in. BY NEIGHBORCARE HEALTH growing presence on the streets of Seattle? If you have a concern regarding the Do they sometimes scare you? homeless in your area, call your Seattle April is National Stress Awareness Yes, there is a significant percentage of Police precinct and ask to speak to a Com- Month, a reminder we need to consider homeless who suffer from mental illnesses munity Police Team (CPT) officer. Precinct our stress level and learn tips for reducing and/or are drug-addicted. According to the contact information can be found at it (hint: knitting and crafting can help!). Interfaith Task Force on Homelessness, www.seattle.gov/police/contact/. Stress and its health effects a local nonprofit, 35 percent of homeless For some people, when directly asked by Stress isn’t always a bad thing. Our bod- people were found to have a mental illness, others for help, the natural inclination might ies have a natural stress response that can and about 25 percent are or have been ad- be to give whatever spare change you might protect us in times of danger. This is often dicted to drugs. have in your pocket or to ignore the person referred to as fight or flight. These reactions However, experts generally agree that and quickly walk away. should be short-term. When we experience most of the homeless are not a serious or It doesn’t take much on your part to po- too much stress for too long, it’s not only dangerous threat to society. Roughly 25 litely reply, "Sorry, I don’t have any change." inconvenient, but can affect our health and percent have committed a crime against a It’s your choice, but why not go the extra well-being. hoods, local organizations offer knitting and person or property, compared to 35 percent step by familiarizing yourself with organi- Part of that natural response to stress other crafting programs for residents. of the general population. zations that provide services for the home- is the release of hormones into the body. "The reason that the Yesler Terrace Keep in mind that being homeless isn’t less so that you can refer those who need These hormones can increase your heart Knitting Club is successful is because it is a crime. help to these resources. Organizations that rate and blood pressure, and raise the community-led," said Community Builder This isn’t an easy problem to tackle, but understand the needs of the homeless can do amount of sugar in your blood. This can Joy Bryngelson. "Neighbors of all ages and let’s consider a few very basic safety tips so much more with funds to help a person. increase your risk of developing health who speak different languages teach and that can help keep everybody secure. Remember, for many of us, homelessness problems, including the following: anxiety, learn from each other." First, allow practical, common sense might be just a paycheck away. Most who depression, heart disease, sleep problems, Check to see if there is already a group to be your guide if you are approached by find themselves in this unwanted situation weight gain and challenges focusing. near you or start a group yourself. You’ll someone who says he or she is homeless and struggle daily to survive. Ensuring one's A stitch in time can reduce stress be surprised how something so simple can asks for your help. personal safety is important to every human New research shows that crafting (such go a long way in lowering your stress and Think of how you would like to be being, regardless of socioeconomic status. as knitting and crocheting) reduces stress improving your health. treated under any circumstance. Treat all levels, improves depression and overall people with dignity. Be polite and avoid mental health, and helps exercise the mind. SHA crafts & sewing resources confrontation. One study found that people who craft If you’re uncomfortable engaging with The mission of Seattle Neighborhood were less likely to have memory loss and What: Yesler Terrace Knitting and someone and he or she appears to need Group is to prevent crime and build other signs of mental aging.
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