CROWN OF QUEEN ANNE FUN RUN/WALK
A Benefit for the Queen Anne Helpline

Time to register for the community event of the year! On July 11th it's the 29th annual Fun Run/Walk around the historic Crown of Queen Anne. Join your neighbors, have fun and support the Queen Anne Helpline.  

 

We're very excited this year to welcome guest announcer (and Queen Anne neighbor) Steve Raible! 

 

To Register:

 

Online: www.QueenAnneHelpline.org 

In person: Visit our table at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market - June 25, July 2nd or 9th.

 

Interested in volunteering? Contact Ann Pearce, [email protected] 

 

See you there!
 
From the Executive Director

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

   

Food bins. An Eagle Scout project to collect men's clothing. Students packing and delivering hygiene products. Children requesting donations in place of birthday gifts. Drives to collect warm coats. Data entry, client reception, clothes sorting, and Weekend Food for Kids packing parties. What do all of these have in common? They are examples of how neighbors of all ages support the Queen Anne Helpline and make our work possible. Last year volunteers contributed an astounding 8,000 hours! We work hard to keep our overhead low so that as much of our revenue as possible can go directly to client programs. Our volunteers help make this possible; they are truly the heart of our work and we would not be nearly as efficient without them.

 

Another great way to contribute to our work is by participating in our fundraising events. Coming up on July 11th is our annual Fun Run/Walk. It's only $35 to register ($40 day of), and, because it is largely volunteer run, the proceeds directly benefit us. You can run, walk, hop, or skip your way around the historic Crown of Queen Anne with your neighbors, family and friends, then head over to Queen Anne Lutheran Church to enjoy some refreshments, cheer at the awards ceremony (hosted by the "voice of the Seahawks", Steve Raible!) and participate in the raffle drawing for a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes donated by local businesses.  

 

Registration information is above. For the price of registration you also get a beautiful t-shirt. And don't forget that the Fun Run/Walk is the kickoff event to a fun-packed weekend of community happenings, all part of Queen Anne Days.

 

Interested in volunteering at the Fun Run or learning about other volunteer opportunities? Visit our website, click on the Volunteer tab and complete a short volunteer application. Or give us a call. It's a great way to give back to your community and help neighbors in need.

 

Best, 

 Lisa

     

Lisa Moore, Executive Director   

 

Weekend Food for Kids Program

 

This was our second year working with Ballard Food Bank and Queen Anne Presbyterian Church (QAPC) to coordinate the Weekend Food for Kids program. In partnership with four local schools we provided pre-packed bags of nutritious food for kids who may be experiencing food insecurity over the weekends. This year we were able to include several perishable items, adding to the nutritional value of the meals. We were also able to provide an extra bag of food for students to take home over school breaks.

 

The program was hugely successful:

  • 49 students served
  • 1,405 bags and 9,835 meals delivered
  • $12,645 worth of food provided

Weekend Food for Kids would not be possible without a fabulous cadre of volunteers who deserve huge thanks. Lori Ramage and Charity Gallipo-Crane picked up boxes of food while Lee Scovern and Janis Hart delivered the packed bags to the schools to distribute. Additionally, 90 people helped at our bi-weekly packing parties, working a total of 2,220 hours! Among these volunteers were Girl Scouts and Daisy Scouts, members of the Queen Anne Rotary, and local students acquiring service hours. QAPC parishioners also packed on alternating weekends. Finally, Brooke Graham Doyle and Mary Williamson from QAPC ensured that there was space to store the food and pack the bags. We received financial support from QAPC and through a generous grant from the Safeway Foundation; our deepest gratitude to both.

 

Queen Anne Helpline sends a huge THANK YOU to all involved with this wonderful program! And we look forward to starting it back up again in the fall.

 

   

    (image of a card made by a Daisy Scout who helped at one of our packing parties this year )

Volunteer Spotlight - Smitha Mallya

Born and raised in India, Smitha was surrounded by poverty.  Although not deeply involved in charity work, she would give alms to the poor outside the temple. After moving to the U.S., Smitha volunteered for a South Asian domestic violence agency in St. Louis, where she realized how connecting with deeply isolated clients could make a huge difference. A year later she moved to Seattle, where she was taken aback by the beauty and the vibrancy of the city, but was surprised to see the level of homelessness. She decided to get involved in social service and started working for the Salvation Army. In her last three years there, she focused on a project to find and maintain stable housing for single women and women with children who were affected by domestic violence.

Smitha has recently started volunteering with Queen Anne Helpline and says it has been a wonderful experience so far. "Just recently a woman came to the clothing bank and told me that she was a survivor of domestic violence.  She escaped home with only the clothes she was wearing! She was overjoyed to get clothes from the well organized clothing bank.  She said it felt like shopping!" 

         
 

More Seniors Seeking Financial Assistance from Helpline

  

We have seen an increase in the number of seniors who request financial assistance from us over the past year.  Social Security benefits are not nearly enough to pay for the high (and steadily rising) cost of living here; add to that the increased likelihood of medical costs for this demographic and we see a rather untenable situation.  

 

The Schmidts, who are in their 80s, have lived in Queen Anne for over 50 years. Mrs. Schmidt works part-time to bring in a little extra income. When she had a heart attack and required major surgery, it created upheaval in their (and their extended family's) lives. Their children and grandchildren live out of state and did not know what resources were available for the elder Schmidts; it was a friend of the family here in the neighborhood who initially called our office to inquire about how we could help while Mrs. Schmidt was in the hospital. Eventually we met with two children and a granddaughter to ensure that they would receive some relief in the form of rent assistance. Mr. Schmidt came in at one point to tell us that Mrs. Schmidt was recovering nicely and to explain how Queen Anne Helpline's emergency financial support helped ease the chaos and distress in their family at this very challenging time. 

 
The Queen Anne Helpline is so grateful for our active community
of volunteers, donors and participants!

Each of you gives us the support we need to do the work we do every day.

Please consider making a donation to help support  local families, seniors,
and individuals. You can donate here or visit our website:

Queen Anne Helpline
311 West McGraw
Seattle, WA  98119
206-282-1540