EDUCATION
Not many people living in Greenwood or Phinney Ridge or Green Lake would consider the Aurora corridor part of their community, nor would they likely consider the main thoroughfare to be its own community. Unfortunately the stretch of avenue may best be known for being a center of prostitution and drug dealing, a generalization certainly reinforced by the media. However, what many people may not know is that there are many families and individuals living in several motels along Aurora who have nowhere else to call home. [This seems to be a recent phenomenon nationwide: see this New York Times article.]
On Tuesday, February 17, the SAGE project welcomed members of two local churches - Awake Church and Crosspoint Church - to discuss their experiences reaching out and building relationships with our neighbors on Aurora. This provided a meaningful opportunity to challenge stereotypes, hear stories of hope and loss, learn about many of the issues surrounding the situation, and ask ourselves what it means to be neighbors in this context.
It is interesting to consider that according to Seattle neighborhood maps, Aurora is marker that divides one neighborhood from another, placing it in a position as a "seam" between communities. It is also a divide between legislative districts, separating the 36th from the 46th and 43rd.
On Tuesday, February 17, the SAGE project welcomed members of two local churches - Awake Church and Crosspoint Church - to discuss their experiences reaching out and building relationships with our neighbors on Aurora. This provided a meaningful opportunity to challenge stereotypes, hear stories of hope and loss, learn about many of the issues surrounding the situation, and ask ourselves what it means to be neighbors in this context.
It is interesting to consider that according to Seattle neighborhood maps, Aurora is marker that divides one neighborhood from another, placing it in a position as a "seam" between communities. It is also a divide between legislative districts, separating the 36th from the 46th and 43rd.
ACTION
Two weeks later, on March 2, the SAGE Project, in partnership with Awake Church, hosted a dinner at the Greenwood Senior Center for residents of Greenwood, Aurora and other nearby neighborhoods. The intent was to bridge communities and foster fellowship between neighbors who might not otherwise interact.
We were blessed with a great group of volunteers and community donors who came together to create a beautiful evening:
-New Roots Organics donated fresh, organic produce, the Essential Baking Company provided freshly baked bread, and Greenwood's Terra Bella Flowers contributed six lovely bouquets to grace the tables.
-Local musicians
-Susie Paulson, one of Greenwood Senior Center's most passionate and dedicated lunch cooks, spent the afternoon in the kitchen whipping up rosemary and lemon roast chicken, savory black bean soup and a decadent tiramisu for dessert.
-Karen and Steph, two massage therapists, offered table massage and reflexology for women.
-A whole slew of volunteers from all over the community came to provide dessert, set up tables, chop vegetables, welcome guests, arrange decorations, and tackle a pile of dirty dishes once dinner was done.
We are so grateful to the volunteers and guests who joined us to share a warm meal together. We hope to do it again in the future.
We were blessed with a great group of volunteers and community donors who came together to create a beautiful evening:
-New Roots Organics donated fresh, organic produce, the Essential Baking Company provided freshly baked bread, and Greenwood's Terra Bella Flowers contributed six lovely bouquets to grace the tables.
-Local musicians
-Susie Paulson, one of Greenwood Senior Center's most passionate and dedicated lunch cooks, spent the afternoon in the kitchen whipping up rosemary and lemon roast chicken, savory black bean soup and a decadent tiramisu for dessert.
-Karen and Steph, two massage therapists, offered table massage and reflexology for women.
-A whole slew of volunteers from all over the community came to provide dessert, set up tables, chop vegetables, welcome guests, arrange decorations, and tackle a pile of dirty dishes once dinner was done.
We are so grateful to the volunteers and guests who joined us to share a warm meal together. We hope to do it again in the future.
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