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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2011)
www . thESkANNEr . COm J uly 6, 2011 S EAttlE , w AShINgtON V OlumE XXXIII, N O . 25 CENtS i nSide Beat walk page 2 women’s Stress page 3 week on the web C hallenging P eoPle to S haPe a B etter F uture n ow page 3 New CitizeNs Food for kids gets Boost Seattle Summer Food Programs for Kids Get $225,000 Boost from Janelle Wetzstein of The Skanner News PHoTo BY SuSan Fried T A man from Ethiopia stands up when the name of his country of origin is announced at the 27th Annual Naturalization ceremony July 4 at the Seattle Center. Over 500 people from 84 different countries became American citizens on the 235th Anniversary of America’s Independence. rOOtS gets Big grant for youth housing There are 1,380 homeless young adults in Seattle and King County By lauren dire uW news lab T he ROOTS Young Adult Shelter has received $500,000 in capital funds from the Raynier Institute and Foundation to renovate its facil- ity in the University District of Seattle. “Because Raynier has made such a significant investment in our program, we can boldly dare to dream of a bigger, better shel- ter where young people are no longer turned away for lack of space,” said ROOTS Executive Director Kristine Cunningham. According to the Seattle Human Services Department website, there are an estimated 1,380 homeless young adults in Seattle and King County. But shelter resources for them are seriously lacking. “On any given night, around 600 young people don’t have a roof over their heads,” Cunningham said. ROOTS, an acronym for Rising Out of the Shadows, is indeX News ........................2,4 Calendar ....................2 Opinion .......................3 Bids/Classifieds............3 the only homeless shelter in Seattle that offers services specifically to young adults. Every night, ROOTS provides a place to stay for 27 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. It also offers free dinner and breakfast, showers, laundry, and a limited amount of clothing and personal hygiene products to each of its guests. Alex Marvin, a homeless youth who frequented ROOTS for about 10 months, said in an interview earlier this year that when he first started coming to ROOTS, he often had trouble getting in because during the winter months a lot of people look for shelter. With the new grant money, ROOTS will be able to expand its capacity from 27 to 45 guests, and will also be able to update its shelter area. “Right now 27 guests have to fight over two outlets to charge their phones,” Cunningham said. “But with the renovations there will be outlets next to mostly everyone’s bed.” See rooTS on page 4 housands of children in the greater Seattle area are learning that there is such a thing as a free lunch, thanks to the city’s Summer Food Service Program. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this year’s program was aug- mented with an additional $225,000 grant from Walmart. Jennifer Spall, senior public affairs man- ager at Walmart, said she believes funding during tough economic times is a major obstacle for human services programs. “Children who are served through this project during the school year receive food or services through USDA programs,” said Spall. “During the summer, those dollars aren’t there. And that’s when we rely on the cities to come in, step up and fill that gap.” Through this project, children from ages 1 to 18 are receiving free breakfasts, lunches and snacks, along with Seattle Public Library reading assistance. The program began June 27 and will run through Aug. 26 at 90 sites across the Seattle area. Previously named the Summer Sack Lunch Program, this service typically pro- vides free lunches for need-based children at sites across the city. With the additional Walmart grant this year, the program was expanded to also provide breakfasts, healthy take-home snacks and summer educational services. Walmart sponsored a city event to announce the enhanced program on Saturday morning, June 25, at the New Holly Community Center in South Seattle. Fresh fruits and vegetables from the Puget Sound Food Network and Maltby Farms were available, along with cultural readings and songs from performers associated with the Seattle Public Library. Spall said that Walmart’s grant is part of $2 billion it committed last year, over a five- year period, to help fight hunger in America. See Food on page 4 Folklife Festival Opens on mall in DC Seattle-style culture event is ready to shake up the East Coast By Brett Zongker The associated Press WaSHinGTon (AP) — Artists from remote sections of Colombia, Peace Corps volunteers and performers sharing the histo- ry of rhythm and blues music opened the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall on Thursday. The free festival, which often draws more than a million visitors each year, runs through July 11. Each day includes per- formances and demonstrations on the mall, as well as evening concerts. To present the many facets of Colombia, more than 100 artists and performers trav- eled to Washington. Colombian Ambassador Gabriel Silva Lujan called it a “dream come true” for them to present their arts, culture and food in the U.S. capital. “They came from very, very far. Many of them had to travel days through rivers, jun- gles, plains, deserts to be here,” he said. Weavers, potters, wood carvers and others will demonstrate their crafts. Others will show the importance of gold mining and coffee in Colombia. Minister of Culture Mariana Garces Cordoba noted that See culTure on page 2
