Giving back to our community is a core value of the Eastside Action Rotary Club. Together we are honored to serve as Co-Chairs of Community Service for EARC.
In our position we are interested and consistently looking for organizations whose purpose is to create a stronger, more balanced and unified community, We are focused on the underserved and vulnerable in our community, in areas of housing, food security, youth, mental health, well-being, and those activities that bring a better quality of life and connection to one another.
We are in the process of scheduling monthly service activities that fulfill our mission as a club, realizing that like-hearted people will be eager to join us in making a tangible difference in our community. Our belief is ‘many hands make light work’, and as our membership continues to grow, we are simultaneously building a stronger community in which we live.
In March we contributed our time to Sound Foundations NW which is led by Barb Oliver, Director of Operations and Volunteer Coordinator. They build tiny homes to get un-housed people off the streets and give them a path to creating a productive life. What an incredible experience! Barb -the head of the project has many volunteers to help design, construct, do electrical work, roofing, and finishes on these homes. They can be stored and delivered once a village location is identified. Seattle now has 21 tiny home villages with 750 homes. The cost of materials for one home is $4500. Each home is supplied with electricity for heating and cooling, storage, and a bed. They have been so successful at this process that they now share their design process with over 29 cities across the U.S. to help them reduce their homeless population. Barb did an amazing job of sharing how the process of getting individuals off the streets and into a village. She also reviewed the process she goes through with the City of Seattle to secure locations for the tiny homes and provide funding. The average time an occupant spends in the village is 114 days before they transition out into their new life. During their stay they are expected to actively be learning how to support themselves. The village provides a kitchen, laundry, and a toileting facility for showers, along with a community center. Each village is secured with a fence around the perimeter to protect the occupants during their stay for safety. Each village is self-governed and provides them the environment to teach each other about community. This process has been so successful Barb anticipates that Sound Foundations NW can eliminate the-unhoused population in Seattle by 2027! We will definitely be scheduling more volunteer hours with Sound Foundations NW!
If you know of organizations that would benefit from the helping hands and heart of our club, please reach out to us and we will be happy to contact them and set a time when we can be of service. Thank you all for you commitment to build the future of dignity, kindness, care and respect.
Let’s Make An Impact Together,
Eastside Action Rotary Club, Community Service Co-Chairs
Nancy Gellos and Mona Renner
