Follow up on immigration issues

On Saturday evening, June 6, members of SAGE, Sustainable Greenwood and the greater community came together to watch the critically-acclaimed film The Visitor, which offers a unique glimpse into the U.S. immigration system and the people it affects through the story of a disillusioned economics professor whose life is transformed by a chance encounter.

The discussion that followed brought up many complex and difficult issues dealing with immigration detention, immigration policy and the need for immigration reform. Topics that came up included: ICE raids, human rights abuses, denial of due process, separation of families, border enforcement, profits earned by corporations who own detention centers, and our own heritage as immigrants in the U.S.

The following link provides a lot of great information about the U.S. detention and deportation system: http://www.detentionwatchnetwork.org/aboutdetention

Click here to see OneAmerica's report on human rights violations at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, and here to see its report on how immigrants contribute to our state's economy.

The Reform Immigration for America campaign was launched in several cities nationwide Monday, June 2 and sponsored locally by OneAmerica. For information about the campaign and how to get involved, click on the following link: http://www.reformimmigrationforamerica.org/index.php

April: Immigration Issues

According to a U.S. Census Bureau report in 2003, approximately one million new immigrants enter the country each year. In April, the SAGE Project engaged in a three-week exploration of issues related to immigration, including the role that globalization plays, challenges new immigrants face, and factors that affect our communities economically and socially.

EDUCATION

Documentary and Discussion: Roger Yockey, a trained facilitator with the Northwest Federation of Community Organizations, joined the SAGE Project to discuss the film Uprooted. This documentary presents three stories of immigrants who left their homes after global economic powers devastated their countries, only to face new challenges migrating and living in the United States. SAGE participants discussed the issues of injustice raised in the film and reflected on whether or not our current system is in line with our values.

Understanding Immigration Basics: Fatima Morales and Jeanette Wenzl of Washington CAN! led an interactive workshop using an immigration board game to teach participants about the current immigration system and help them understand the many difficulties and barriers that prevent immigrants from obtaining a visa.

Panel Discussion: Representatives from CASA Latina, OneAmerica and Refugee Women’s Alliance joined the SAGE Project to answer questions and discuss their perspectives on the most pressing issues facing immigrants in our community, how these issues are being addressed, and how they affect our community as a whole.

ACTION

On May 1, a group of SAGE participants headed downtown demonstrate in the May 1st March and Rally, calling on President Obama to renew justice and restore all rights for everyone, with a focus on a moratorium on raids & detentions.

March: Mentoring

EDUCATION

On Thursday, March 5, GSC's social worker Carin Mack offered a wonderful class on the nature and benefits of being a mentor--a person who gently guides and nurtures the growth of others. We discussed the reciprocal nature of the relationship between a mentor and mentee, the importance of forging intergenerational connections, and the way that mentoring has affected us personally in our lives.

Here are a few insightful suggestions for mentors, gathered from the book From Age-ing to Sage-ing by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller:

-Listen with an open mind and heart to your mentee's genuine concerns before sharing wisdom.
-Don't impose, but invoke knowledge.
-Provide openness for the journey instead of a roadmap.
-Don't try to impress; instead, be your searching, tentative, human self.
-Cherish your mentee's uniqueness.

ACTION

The following week we were joined by four lovely panelists from local organizations who discussed ways to connect with mentoring and tutoring opportunities in the community.


Shana Faulkner provided information about the Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program, which is the largest literacy program in the state of Washington and distributes approximately 160,000 books to more than 55,000 children from low-income families each year. Their Story Time program is a wonderful opportunity to visit local schools and spend an hour or two sparking enthusiasm for books amongst preschoolers and kidnergartners who are most at-risk for academic failure.

Devyn Perez shared with us the secret behind the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co.: if you walk beyond the personal defense armaments and "accoutrements for the youngest adventurers" and go through the Atomic Teleporter, you will find yourself in a fun and innovative writing and tutoring center for youth called 826 Seattle. Through writing workshops, field trips, drop-in tutoring and publishing projects, 826 fosters great leaps in learning among students between 6 and 18 years old.

Sarah Hepner came from nearby Greenwood Elementary School to discuss the great need for tutors at the school. Many children at the school are under grade level for reading, and at least 5 to 6 children from each classroom are in need of extra help with their schoolwork. Through the Sound Partners tutoring program, students are matched with volunteers who guide them through a 20-minute lesson (curriculum is provided) and then spend at least 10 minutes of "fun time" with them.

Crystal Barnard, from the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club, gave a wonderful overview of the many ways to connect with various programs that serve children from kindergarten through 12th grade coming from every public and private school in the north end. Volunteers are welcome on an ongoing basis to tutor kids in reading and math, participate in arts and crafts, provide companionship during free time, or lead a class on a hobby or topic of personal interest.

February: Homelessness on Aurora

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.

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 Greg Spence Wolf (mandolin) and Jorge Zorro (guitar) delighted the crowd with folksy tunes and were intermittently joined by Greenwood's most enthusiastic tap-dancer, Paulette DeRooy.
-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.

Civic Engagement Fair

Advocacy Training

On January 20, the day of the inauguration of President Barack Obama, we spent part of the afternoon learning how to work for the "Change we can believe in" with an advocacy workshop led by two Washington CAN! organizers. We reviewed the legislative process in Olympia and discussed how the proposed cuts in the Governor's budget would affect many health programs and social services.

We then practiced using the Legislative Hotline to leave a message for our senator and two representatives. This toll-free hotline is a fast and easy way for citizens to leave brief messages about specific bills: 1-800-562-6000, 8 am- 8pm M-F, 9 am - 1 pm Sat.

December: Alternative Gift Market

Shop for the holidays and change the world at the same time? On Wednesday, December 10, 2008, the Greenwood SAGE Project hosted an Alternative Gift Market at the GSC to help raise money and awareness for a variety of national and international humanitarian projects. Shoppers were given the opportunity to browse colorful display booths while enjoying a warm and festive atmosphere with live music and holiday treats. Gifts could then be purchased to support particular projects in honor of friends and relatives.

Volunteers chose from projects selected by Alternative Gifts International, an organization that has been "sending gifts of peace and justice - food, shelter, trees, water, medicines - around the world since 1986." Each volunteer then carefully researched their project and designed a project display with photos and information.

Volunteers working on project displays

The market turned out to be a wonderful success. Volunteers educated and enlightened shoppers about the various geographical, social, and political factors creating a need for each of the respective projects and how each particular project addresses the need and helps provide solutions. Shoppers who chose to donate received beautiful cards with inserts explaining to recipients the nature of donation made in their honor.

Example of card insert

At the end of the day, $3,526 had been raised in support of the featured projects at the Greenwood Senior Center's Alternative Gift Market! Not only will this make a significant impact in the lives of needy people around the world, but this will also make an impact in the lives of the givers and receivers of alternative gifts who are made aware of important global issues and participate in a reorientation of what it means to give during the holiday season. Thank you to all who contributed your time, effort, and enthusiasm to make this event possible!

Top Five Projects Supported by Alternative Gift Market shoppers:

1. New Water Wells for Nomadic People in Sudan - $644
   
2. Wheelchairs for New Freedom in Ecuador - $458
3. Trees for the Rural Poor in the Caribbean - $355
4. Micro-Loans for Poverty Reduction in Haiti - $245
5. Renewed Sight for the Blind in Cambodia - $219

To view a photo album with more photos from the Alternative Gift Market, click below:

Alternative Gift Market at the Greenwood Senior Center