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
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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