A group of neighborhood activists in Belltown felt that their community was full of resources and strengths, but that community groups, businesses, non-profits, and the government could be working more collaboratively. Through a series of discussions, the Belltown Community Council and other local organizations decided to form a steering committee and plan a 1-day training to encourage cross-sector cooperation. They selected Jim Diers, the first director of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods (DON) and UW Professor, to facilitate the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) training. The steering committee had members from community groups, the non-profit sector, business, the faith community, the UW School of Social Work, and Christa Dumpys, a Neighborhood District Coordinator from DON. They combined their resources and worked together to solicit donations, organize the event, and do strategic community outreach to ensure that those in attendance represented a broad variety of neighborhood stakeholders. The group received a Small Sparks award from the Neighborhood Matching Fund to cover the cost of the training.

The ABCD training was held for 33 participants on March 9, 2013 in a donated space at the brand new City University campus in Belltown. Jim Diers spent the morning presenting the key tenets of the ABCD philosophy, discussing strengths and challenges of community work in Belltown, and highlighting examples of successful local partnerships. Participants had a midday break, which gave them a chance to network with one another and enjoy the tasty food that was donated by local restaurants and coffee shops. The afternoon portion of the training gave everyone a chance to present their vision for Belltown, share project ideas, and find others in the community who wished to team up. Small groups formed around their areas of interest and began to start work on projects which included: creating a neighborhood information sharing website and discussion group, working with local artists to develop public art in new and unused spaces, and finding ways to maximize use of the new Belltown Community Center. There is a lot of excitement around the community project ideas that came out of this training and we’re excited to see what they lead to in the coming months! 

by Jake Hellenkamp, UW School of Social Work Intern

The Neighborhood Park & Street Fund (NPSF) awards up to $90K to fund park or street improvements, so make sure you get your application in by February 4^th!

If you want to see how much the project you have in mind would cost, check out SDOT’s list of approximate project costs per project type.

For more information, please visit the NPSF website or for transportation related projects contact John Vander Sluis, SDOT NPSF project manager, at john.vandersluis@seattle.gov or (206) 684-4617.  For parks related projects, contact pamela.kliment@seattle.gov or (206) 684-7556.

Council meetings, design charettes, world cafés, and government presentations – these were some of the meeting formats explored by PACE participants in the 4^th session entitled “Event Planning and Meeting Facilitation.”  Two community facilitators led participants in an exploration of what makes for good meetings and events:  Lee Harper, director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association, and Karl de Jong, founder of Visualize Increased Engagement West Seattle (VIEWS), secretary of the Southwest District Council, and vice-president of the Admiral Neighborhood Association.  Participants simulated four types of meetings to get a sense of their advantages and disadvantages.  They also learned about developing a strategic agenda, decision-making, and meeting follow-up.  In addition, the facilitators highlighted event planning tips and demonstrated reverse-calendar event planning. 

We look forward to the next session, which will be on August 23 on “Community Project Management, Resource Development, and Problem Solving.”

- Ed Pottharst

Did you ever have a question you wanted to ask a government official, but were too afraid to ask?  When trying to advocate for your cause, how do you know what is most effective?  These questions and more were covered by the facilitators of the 3^rd PACE session titled “Accessing Government.” The first part of the session was led by former City Councilmember Jim Street, Delridge Neighborhoods District Council Chair Mat McBride, and University of Washington’s Nancy Amidei.  The group learned about the origins of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods; the structure of neighborhood councils from the local, district, and citywide level; and hot tips on how best to advocate for creating change. 

The second half was a panel discussion with government officials from City, County, State, and the Port.  The panel included David Yeaworth, Legislative Aide to Seattle City Council President Sally Clark; BrynDel Swift, Chief of Staff for King County Councilmember Larry Phillips; Dave Upthegrove, Washington State Representative, 33^rd Legislative District; and Tom Albro, Seattle Port Commissioner. 

 For the last portion of the session the participants broke into project groups, along with Neighborhood Matching Fund staff Garry Owens and Allynn Ruth, to review their Small Sparks applications.  There are some great ideas out there…from a children’s concert in a park to a voter registration rally to a “Staying Alive”  emergency preparedness project to a “I Wish It Was A….” survey of empty space and possible uses by the community.  We look forward to seeing what wonderful events these groups will be creating and implementing this fall!

This is an opportunity to come and explore all the services and programs offered at this joint facility, ranging from the Women of the World Swim program to the Teen Late Night Recreation Program to a location to get your passport or connect with the Department of Neighborhoods District Coordinators.

The official ribbon cutting starts at 11:30 a.m. with a welcome from EuropaKids International Preschool, followed by a Zumba demonstration in the Teen Life Center, tours of the building and information about all the services and programs offered at this facility. During this day the pool is offering a free adult swim from 12 -1:30 p.m., an opportunity to watch a water fitness class in progress from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. and free public and teen swim from 3 – 4 p.m.

In the 2012 operating budget, the City Council approved the use of the facilities for four community uses: A neighborhood service center, a Teen Life Center, office space for the Department of Neighborhoods’ South Region District Coordinators, and the pool.

The Southwest Neighborhood Service Center provides a variety of city-related services that range from paying utility bills and parking tickets to purchasing pet licenses and applying for passports. Neighborhood Service Center customer service representatives also provide information about and referrals to other services and programs, including help with paying utility bills. The Southwest Neighborhood Service Center is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; passport applications are accepted until 5 p.m. each of these days. 

Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Teen Life Center offers a wide array of programming to youth in southwest from a Lifeguard Certification Preparation Class, to a cooking class to Music Literacy 101 Program. Last year the Southwest Teen Life Center increased participation by 43% and had over 7600 participants in the Late Night Program. There is a Teen Life Center in each city region, north, central and south.

The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods’ South Region Neighborhood District Coordinators — Ed Pottharst, Yun Pitre, and Steve Louie — will also work out of this new location. This team works to engage and support community members in south Seattle neighborhoods and connects with dozens of community organizations on a wide range of projects and issues. They focus on encouraging community involvement, helping with neighborhood improvement efforts, and serving as a liaison for the city and community. 

The Southwest Pool reopens after a three-week closure for preventive maintenance. The pool is open seven days a week and offers a variety of swimming activities for fun and fitness. Amenities at the pool include showers, a therapy spa and a sauna. 

For more information on programs and services please contact:

• Southwest Teen Life Center: Jeron Gates, 206-255-4051 or jeron.gates@seattle.gov.    
• Southwest Pool: Diane Jones or Nancy Eisner, 206-684-7440 .
• Neighborhood Service Center: Rolanda Carriere, 206-233-3730 or rolanda.carriere@seattle.gov
• Neighborhood District Coordinators: Yun Pitre, Steve Louie; or Ed Pottharst at 206-615-0494.
  • EuropaKids International Preschool: Nicole Chaudry, 206-708-5784

The project hopes to enliven the urban experience with this project and inspire others to propose their own projects.  Click here to go to the project’s web site to learn more and see other ways you can help get the project built.