Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Newsletter

A vintage photo of a grandmother leaning her face next to her granddaughter with a light blue shirt and blue pacifier.

Seattle Histories: My Grandmother’s Hand

The Seattle Histories storytelling project highlights places, people, and events that have shaped the history of Seattle’s communities. For her submission, Elana Lim describes her grandmother's experience immigrating to the United States during the time of the Chinese Exclusion Act, details Lim only learned after requesting files from the Department of Homeland Security roughly 100 years after the trip occurred. Although they were close, Lim explains that her grandmother never spoke of her childhood, history, or journey to America in an effort to conceal family stories of expulsion, bullying, and racism.

Read the full story on the Front Porch Blog.

Other City News

Community Members Needed for Light Rail Extension Advisory Groups: Sound Transit is seeking residents in West Seattle and Ballard to serve on a community advisory group to provide feedback and information for the Link extension in the area. Interested? Submit an interest form by October 27. (more)

Request for Proposals Open for Tiny Cultural Space Construction Projects: Non-profit arts, culture, and heritage organizations can apply for a custom designed space built on a small piece of City-owned property. (more)

Applications Open for Youth Focused Social Justice Mini-Grant: Funding will support youth-led projects advocating for anti-racism, anti-discrimination, and positive change. Application deadline Oct. 25. (more)

Positions Open to Serve on the Historic South Downtown Board: Board members help preserve and restore the cultural identity of Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District. (more)

Arts and Culture Funding Available for Local Organizations Impacted by COVID-19: The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture and 4Culture are working with King County to help arts and cultural organizations and producers receive funds. (more)

Local Governments Call for Increased Engagement on Superfund Cleanup: King County, the City of Seattle, and the Port of Seattle asked the Environmental Protection Agency for increased community engagement regarding work on the Lower Duwamish and East Waterway Superfund Cleanup. (more)

In The Community

A group of people standing in an area with lush vegetation looking off to the left

BLOOM Giving Garden Teaches BIPOC Youth Black Liberation and Food Sovereignty

The BLOOM Giving Garden began as a COVID-19 response project to address food insecurity during the pandemic and has continued to grow into a cultural training program focused on advancing food justice and combating environmental racism. The program recruits a group of BIPOC young adults to participate in a training program with hands-on workshops and lectures focused on food sovereignty, cultural traditions around agriculture, and community building. This project is a collaboration between the Seattle Public Library, Wa Na Wari, YES Farm, The Black Farmers Collective, and EarthCorps.

Read the full story in The South Seattle Emerald.

Share Your Feedback

Provide Input for State Active Transportation Plan: Washington State Department of Transportation seeks community comment on a plan for accessible pedestrian network. (more)

Provide Input for a Permanent Design for the Alki Point Keep Moving Street Project: Let the Department of Transportation know how you currently use Alki Point, what's working and what's not, and how you would like to see the area function in the future. (more)

Input Needed to Help Improve Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles: Help the City of Seattle and King County improve on-demand, wheelchair accessible, for-hire transportation services. (more)