Engage Seattle

Engage Seattle Initiative Launch Event

(l to r) Gil Gido (President), Julie Pham (PR/Marketing Chair),

Kevin Chang (Membership Chair)

Seattle, Wa - The Office of the Mayor of Seattle launched Engage Seattle today, an initiative aiming to get people involved with the city in meaningful ways and make Seattle a great place to live. Mayor Mike McGinn kicked things off with a committment to providing people with multiple pathways to engage in Seattle. At a high-level, there are three pillars to this initiative: 1. Improving Access to Government, 2. Volunteer Services, and 3. Developing future leaders. Now to help fund the initiative, the City of Seattle was awarded a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation in the Cities of Service program, in which ten cities were awarded $200,000 leadership grants.

Improving Access to Government
For the first time ever, the city is bringing its outreach and engagment staff together for better coordination in neighborhoods and created new standards for deeper, more inclusive public outreach and engagement. A new online public calendar was released to list opportunities to engage with City staff having features that enable views via map or lists, provide event searches by location down to a 0.1 mile radius, and integration with personal calendars.  Check it out at: http://seattle.gov/calendar/outreach.htm (Contact Sol Villarreal, Civic Engagement Coordinator: sol.villarreal@seattle.gov or 206.233.2656)

Volunteer Services
The service plan initiative is focused on education and youth development priorities identified through the Mayor's Youth and Family initiative.  Please join the effort to ensure every 3rd grade student can read at grade level, every middle school student is supported through the transition to high school, and every vulnerable child has a traned and committed mentor. (Contact Lynda Petersen, Chief Service Officer: lynda.petersen@seattle.gov or 206.684.7020)

Developing Future Leaders
Want to be more effective in the community? In a short series of workshops, community organizations can give participants the tools they need to be organizers for change within and aross Seattle's communities. Projects will be assigned between sessions to help participants develop their skills. The series are offered three times a year beginning in january, July and September. (Contact Sol Villarreal, Civic Engagement Coordinator: sol.villarreal@seattle.gov  or 206.233.2656)

Watch the Video:

Seattle Channel Video can be played in Flash Player 9 and up

If interested about engaging with Seattle, please contact the either Sol or Lynda.

Regards,
NAAAP Seattle Board

NAAAP-Seattle volunteers put their sales skills in high gear for Farestart’s 35th “Guest Chef at the Waterfront”

Among the 1,200 attendees at the sold-out “Guest Chef at the Waterfront” at Bell Harbor Pier 66 on July 14 were seven NAAAP-Volunteers: John and Jen Park, Dan Hoang, Tom Michael, Leigh Momii, NAAAP-Seattle Community Service Chair David Eam and NAAAP-Seattle Membership Chair Kevin Chang. Another NAAAP Volunteer, Mikhaila Gonzales, came the day before to help prep for the event.

This is Farestart’s 35th year holding “Guest Chef at the Waterfront (GCOW),” which raises funds and awareness for Farestart. GCOW allows FareStart to spread the word about its training programs, Guest Chef Night and the importance of helping disadvantaged and homeless people in our community. With the funds raised at this special event, Farestart can increase the number of people its serve and improve the quality of the services it provides.

According to the organizer of this NAAAP-Seattle community service event, Jenafer Park, NAAAP volunteers were responsible for collecting guests information for a free drawing and to get people on Farestart’s mailing list.

“It sounds easier than it actually was,” said Park. “Some of us were greeted with smiles and willingness, while others received snarks here and there. Yet everyone worked tirelessly to get as many people as they could to sign up. All in all, we were successful in getting at least 600 people to sign up (about half of the attendees)!”

Other NAAAPsters, including NAAAP-Seattle Secretary Claire De King, were spotted at the event as attendees.

The volunteers admitted it was difficult to stave off the desire to snack on the smorgasbord of culinary delights that surrounded them. Food vendors included: 35th Street Bistro, Assaggio Ristorante, Basil's Kitchen at the Hilton Bellevue, Brasserie Margaux, Columbia Tower Club, and Crush.

One volunteer confessed, “I want to be the other side next year, as an attendee!”

Although GCOW was new to all of the NAAAP-Seattle volunteers, Farestart is no stranger to NAAAP. GCOW marked the third time this year that NAAAP-Seattle has organized a community service event for Farestart.

GCOW was Park’s first time taking the lead on an event for NAAAP.

Park added, “I really appreciate that David Eam, the Community Chair, gave me this opportunity to organize. I would do it again in a heartbeat and look forward to hopefully organizing more events in the future.”

NAAAP-Seattle community service events are ideal for busy professionals who want to volunteer when they do have some spare time but who do not have time to seek out volunteer opportunities on their own.

A chance to volunteer for “Guest Chef on the Waterfront” drew Tom Michael to his first NAAAP-Seattle event.

“I really enjoyed feeling good by doing good,” said Michael. “The opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause and meeting NAAAP members at the same time was an experience I hope to repeat again in the near future.”

Farestart Volunteer Coordinator Carlene Deits told the NAAAP-Seattle volunteers, “Guest Chef on the Waterfront (GCOW) this week was a terrific success for FareStart! The joy of our guests, chefs and winemakers that came out at this event was a direct result of the energy, time and love you put in!”

“Thank you for volunteering at FareStart’s 2010 Guest Chef on the Waterfront! I hope you will consider joining us again next year,” said Deits.

Politicians, Presidents, and Butter Miso Fish star at 2010 NAAAP member appreciation and membership drive picnic

As the final game of the World Cup games aired on July 11, 2010, approximately sixty people chose to come out for NAAAP-Seattle’s annual member appreciation and membership drive picnic at Lake Boren Park in Newcastle rather than watch Netherlands and Spain battle it out on the soccer field.

Included among the picnickers were 41st District State Senator Randy Gordon, King County Assessor Lloyd Hara, and 11th District State Representative Bob Hasegawa.

Senator Randy Gordon said he wanted to show his support for NAAAP-Seattle. As a state senator, he said, “I want to be a representative for everyone.”

The guest who has the honor of traveling the farthest to attend the picnic was National NAAAP President Brad Baldia, who had flown in from Philadelphia the night before.

It was Baldia’s first trip to Seattle. He was impressed by NAAAP-Seattle’s enthusiasm and energy.

“The Seattle chapter is very involved with the minority community and the presence of politicians here today indicates that,” said Baldia.

Baldia said he wants to connect with local chapters throughout the United States because he knows that through local chapters, people get connected to NAAAP nationally.

The real star attraction at the picnic this year was the food. NAAAP celebrity chef Tanantha Couilliard of I just love my Apron fame designed a menu featuring tender chicken and tofu terkayi sandwiches, butter miso with red vinegar fish, and vermicelli salad.

“I think people really appreciated the food was homemade,” said Couilliard, who noted it took a team of four volunteers two days to prepare the meal.

Murmurs of delight over the food were expressed throughout the picnic.

King County Assessor Lloyd Hara was overheard saying, “This is good fish!”

NAAAP Seattle member John Hay of Burien Toyota renewed his membership at this year’s picnic.

“I’m having a lot of fun at this picnic,” said Hay. “I get to grill…and I think I’m pretty good at it too!”

Membership Chair Kevin Chang reported approximately 15 people signed up for new memberships and renewals at the picnic.

“Thank you to everyone who made it to Lake Boren Park and to all the volunteers who made the event possible,” said Chang. “We could not have pulled off the picnic without their time and energy!”

Photos: (top) 41st District State Senator Randy Gordon speaking to picnickers.; (middle) John Hay, right, and Don Lee, left, at the grill; (bottom) NAAAP-board members with NAAAP National President. From left to right, Claire Ke Ding, Casey Huang, Brad Baldia, Gil Gido, Julie Pham, Stacia Loo, David Eam, Hang-Ping Chen, Kevin Chang.