Stories of Community Support

More Stories of Community Support

Practicing Philanthropy with Children and Families

One mission of Bread for the Journey of Seattle is to involve our children and families in the process of philanthropy, to make the abstract concepts of generosity, compassion and empathy real and tangible.  Our first family activity was focused on understanding the homeless in our community and was organized around assembling care packages for women at a local women's shelter.  Mary's Place is a thriving community focused on providing a safe space for women and their children. Women come together, not only to find their basic needs met, like meals and showers, but also their spiritual life and relationship with one another nourished.  It is a unique place that offers hope, love and an opportunity to build relationships based on trust.

Our family activity began Saturday morning with adults and children as we shared coffee, poetry and enthusiasm for our mission.  We gathered around a table to form an assembly line to fill 75 colorful packages, each with a non-perishable snack, feminine supplies, items for personal hygiene and an inspiring poem.  Even the youngest child in attendance, 1 ½ years old, found a place among us!  Gratified by the efficiency of our teamwork, we shared lunch together, and the women and children among us delivered packages, donations and ice cream to Mary's Place.   At first we found ourselves somewhat timid, but many of the women were happy to receive ice cream or a colorful bag, and we found ourselves relaxed and grateful to share the day with the women at Mary's Place. The supplies to fill the care packages cost $453 – an amount whose value far exceeded the dollars spent.

Young Shakespeare Workshop

Young Shakespeare Workshop (YSW) brings together Seattle-area students from all backgrounds and creates a community bound by love of the English language and the work of William Shakespeare. Among other things, YSW supports the work of high school language arts teachers whose classes are studying Shakespeare. Bread for the Journey of Seattle was pleased to fund a YSW residency at Seattle’s Cleveland High School with a grant of $500.

The Hero Project

The Hero Project brings professional arts training to students and teachers at Kimball Elementary, a diverse school in Beacon Hill with a large immigrant population. During the six-week residency, Shana Bestock — an actor, director, and teacher who is Artistic and Education Director of Seattle Public Theater — uses theater to help students gain language and teamwork skills. Students explore the worlds and achievements of significant cultural “heroes” such as Jackie Robinson, Sitting Bull, Langston Hughes, Cesar Chavez, and Rachel Carson. The program culminates in a final community sharing that brings together parents, students and staff in celebration of the students’ achievements. Bread for the Journey of Seattle was proud to contribute $500 to help fund this program.

Incarcerated Youth: Inspiring Empathy, Building Skills

Canine Connections has a program that allows incarcerated youth in Echo Glen — a high security juvenile corrections facility near Seattle — to rescue dogs from shelters, train them as service dogs, and operate and manage a boarding kennel. Through “patience, persistence, praise, and practice,” the kids train and socialize dogs rescued from “dog death row,” which are later adopted out into the larger community. The dogs help the kids learn to change their own behavior, and the kids discover their capacity to help others. Kids leave Echo Glen with a stronger sense of their own strengths and with newfound skills as dog trainers, groomers, kennel managers, vet technicians, and responsible pet owners. Bread for the Journey of Seattle gave $300 to Canine Connections in support of this remarkable program.

TeenHOPE

An organization serving homeless and at-risk youth in the greater Seattle area, TeenHOPE has three commendable programs: the Emergency Shelter, the Street Outreach Program, and the PeaceTable Mediation Program. They house, clothe and feed 170 young people each year. Additionally, the outreach program sends vans into the community three times per week to provide meals and simple care packages to teens who live out on the street. Bread for the Journey of Seattle was pleased to give TeenHOPE a $500 grant to fund a river rafting adventure for the shelter’s residents.

Mind Body Connection

Parkwood Elementary School is a beautifully diverse learning community just north of Seattle that believes dance can help students to make a visceral connection to the abstract concepts they are learning in class and develop a greater sense of physical space and motion. Toward this end, Parkwood has partnered with artist Eric Johnson to integrate dance and movement into the existing curriculum. Bread for the Journey of Seattle gave a grant of $135 to cover the costs of a visit by the artist to the annual school wide arts showcase, where he spoke to parents about the program and gave a demonstration lesson.

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This page updated by Brandy Sacks. For more information, please email bjourney@pacbell.net