In a time marked by news of government budget cuts and the cancellation of programs designed to provide a safety net for local residents, as well as waves of layoffs sweeping through the region, many people are wondering how to both give and receive help. Local West Seattle writer Marie McKinsey addressed this concern by compiling a comprehensive list of non-profit organizations and programs in a post titled, "Ways To Give and Get Help in West Seattle, White Center, and Burien" on her personal blog, Where I am Now.net

SEE HER BLOG AND ORIGINAL POST WITH LINKS HERE

McKinsey’s list highlights organizations that represent the best of both assistance and volunteer efforts, successfully fulfilling a dual purpose: they provide assistance to local residents while simultaneously offering opportunities for volunteers to help. In compiling this resource, McKinsey noted her profound gratitude for these organizations, the work they do, and how they bring people together.

The post serves as a vital resource for communities spanning West Seattle, White Center, and Burien, aiming to combat the fact that many residents are either unaware of these organizations or do not know much about their specific services.

Addressing Basic Needs and Homelessness

Many groups on McKinsey’s list focus on providing essential necessities:

• The West Seattle Food Bank is widely known for feeding the community, but it also offers a clothing bank (The Clothesline) and critically needed Housing and Utility Assistance. This financial assistance program helps West Seattle tenants facing eviction, foreclosure, utility shut-off, or high move-in costs.

• Mary’s Place* operates under the motto, "no child should sleep outside," and has helped thousands of women and families move out of homelessness into more stable situations since 1999.

• West Side Baby* focuses on promoting the safety, security, and healthy development of children by providing essential items like diapers, clothing, and equipment. They collect donations and distribute them directly to over 100 partner agencies.

• The White Center Food Bank, which began in the mid-1970s during an economic downturn similar to today's challenging conditions, works to minimize hunger while nourishing the community. It operates a Baby Pantry in cooperation with West Side Baby.

• The West Side Neighbors Shelter* is the sole shelter in West Seattle for unhoused neighbors. It provides a Warm Up Center with breakfast in the mornings and operates as a cold weather emergency shelter (November through March), serving dinner and offering cots/blankets for 36 people overnight.

For seniors, the Center for Active Living (formerly the West Seattle Senior Center) provides classes, programs, services, and two affordable daily lunch options open to the public of all ages. They also partner with Sound Generations to operate the Meals on Wheels program for qualifying individuals aged 60+.

Cultivating Community and Mental Well-being

Some of the organizations included demonstrate how helping others can also be an act of self-care and community building:

The group A Cleaner Alki picks up trash and removes invasive plant species from public spaces. Founder Erik Bell started the group during personal challenges and the beginning of the pandemic, finding that spending time outdoors doing something useful gave him a sense of calm that positively impacted his mental health. Since then, the team of volunteers has grown, creating community, fostering friendships, and undoubtedly improving their mental health, too.

Other groups connect residents through gardening and sustainable food efforts:

• P-Patch community gardeners raise food for themselves and also donate a portion of their harvest to the West Seattle Food Bank. Last year alone, these gardeners donated an impressive 42,031 pounds of organic, pesticide-free produce to local distribution centers. GROW Northwest (the expanded identity of the P-Patch Trust) promotes these community gardening initiatives.

• City Fruit harvests between 30,000 and 45,000 pounds of fruit annually from residential properties and public orchards across Seattle, sharing this bounty with local food banks and meal programs.

Finally, financial support for a range of local efforts comes from sources like the West Seattle Garden Tour, which has deep roots in the community and provides grants to local non-profits with wide-ranging interests.

Ways to Support the Organizations

For those looking to assist, many of the groups offer simple methods for donating. Organizations designated with an asterisk (*) have Amazon Wish Lists. This system allows donors to click the link, select items, purchase them, and Amazon handles the direct delivery to the organization while sending the donor a receipt. Other groups, such as Burien C.A.R.E.S. Animal Shelter (a no-kill shelter), also accept purchases from Chewy wish lists.

McKinsey’s list serves as a blueprint for action, illustrating how community members can both access assistance and invest in local support systems, especially when external safety nets are frayed