Nourishing Networks Snapshots
Bellevue Nourishing Network (BNN)
In 2013, BNN is focusing on how the network can understand and respond to the neighborhoods in east Bellevue with the greatest concentration of need. This focus has ignited a whole new exploration about what is needed and what the network can do. In April, members of St. Peter’s Church provided 150 home-cooked meals for the Sherwood Forrest Elementary School Family Science Night in partnership with the PTA. St. Peter’s is planning to invite a number of churches to regularly provide meals for families at this Title 1 school this fall - continuing the partnership with the PTA.
The network is also experimenting with responding to urgent needs. Betty Takahashi, the McKinney Vento Liaison for the School District, reached out to the network with an urgent request for help for a family in need with a one-day turn around. Here is the note she sent to the Network:
Thanks so much to all of you. I just received word that one of you has offered their basement to store the family’s things. They also were given a motel voucher for five days at a nearby motel. The children will attend school tomorrow as they always do. [The] mom is taking a few days off to find permanent housing. She has one promising lead. It is amazing how quickly emergency needs can be met when we all work together. I am truly grateful for all of your help.
There will be at least one new Summer Feeding site in Bellevue.
The Bellevue weekend meals backpack program has continued throughout the entire school year as part of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council, with support from many churches and groups.
Issaquah Nourishing Network (INN)
At a recent INN meeting, several members shared how valuable the network has been in helping the community transform how they work together to meet basic needs including hunger.
INN explored how to enhance their efforts with financial support when they were selected by the Issaquah Kiwanis Club as one of the recipients for their annual community fundraiser. The Network discussed what it means to have money come into the Network and agreed that having the Network decide the division of funding would distract from the power of relationships guiding the work. They provided a series of INN projects and suggested that the Kiwanis pick which they wanted to support – setting the intention that donors participate in the Network directly.
On May 7, the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank hosted a free community showing of “A Place at the Table.” Several hundred people came and were offered ways to connect with a number of different organizations and projects that are addressing hunger in Issaquah. Community members were invited to participate in an annual “Food Stamp Challenge” which began after the event. To read about what is happening during the challenge, click here.
Seattle Tilth runs the Pickering Barn Gardens. They are once again setting a goal of engaging the community to raise a ton of fresh food for the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank.
Other programs serving Issaquah that have either been developed or strengthened in the last year due to the connections made through the INN are: the Tiger Mountain Lunch Program; the Breakfast Bar Program at all Title I schools; Tools 4 Schools Backpack Program; a Community Resource Guide; and the Summer Lunch Program.
Kirkland Nourishing Network (KNN)
KNN has delved deeply into one school community to make an impact and just completed its fourth Break Food program. This program supports 25 John Muir Elementary families with food for the whole family during school breaks. They are writing up their innovative model of engaging hundreds of community members to create a “Program in a Box” to share with other communities. This model has already been successfully replicated once in Stanwood.
A small group is working with residents in Kirkland Heights, the most dense and most diverse low-income housing development in Kirkland, to better understand and respond to needs as identified by the community. The intention is to have this move into a more systemic look at how different groups can collaborate to respond.
KNN is planning a week of showing ‘A Place at the Table’ in June as a way of increasing awareness about the issue of hunger and energizing participation in projects that address hunger in Kirkland. The first showing is at Kirkland Performance Center on June 12th.
KNN is also continuing their summer feeding program and expanding the outreach to one other community. They have decided to move to a community-driven model of support this year as opposed to utilizing the federal summer program resources to build in more flexibility, which is important for their volunteers and community supporters.
Northshore Nourishing Network (NNN)
Northshore Nourishing Network is interested in how they might be a catalyst to change the perception of hunger in their community by sharing stories about “the face of hunger in Northshore.” This area of focus is new to the network and something they are just beginning to explore.
Starting this spring, Hopelink is partnering with North Lake Lutheran Church to host a mobile food bank in a neighborhood with a large number of low-income housing units that are far from the nearest food bank. This is a new model for Hopelink.
Thanks to United Way, a new Vista Volunteer is working with Julie Jacobsen, who works with the YMCA and is the convener for NNN. The new Vista Volunteer will supervise a second summer feeding site and will help grow the Nourishing Network as a source of volunteers for programs that are addressing issues of hunger.
All of the new programs initiated last year - Summer Feeding, the Community Kitchen, gardens, break programs, and Totes- to Go, are continuing and growing.
Redmond Nourishing Network (RNN)
The Redmond Nourishing Network hosts the only teen chapter of Nourishing Networks operating at the Redmond High School. They have just recently identified new leaders among students so that they can pass on leadership when the seniors graduate. It is exciting for the adults to meet these new members of the Network and to hear the amazing stories these students have to share. Both students and adults are working together to develop display information to promote the purpose and work of RNN that can be used at upcoming community events including “Derby Day,” Redmond’s annual community celebration.
The network is also developing a survey for interviewing leaders of local churches and civic groups to determine what other local efforts are happening throughout the community to support hunger-relief and nutritious food support. They are interested in learning how to link these efforts to other Nourishing Network efforts in order to leverage greater impact. Just Gardens, a regional program, is starting eighteen gardens in Redmond for low-income families and food banks. They used the Network for outreach into the community, to help identify families, to make connections with groups that know families and to get materials translated.
Redmond will once again do a Summer Feeding Program. Pantry Packs continues to serve almost 500 students per week during the school year.
New Network:
Sammamish is starting a new Nourishing Network focused on engaging teens and adults to work together towards a more integrated community.
As a result of this new network, we have been able to connect the Vedic Cultural Center, located in Sammamish, which has a mission of feeding people to other Nourishing Networks.
Bellevue Nourishing Network (BNN)
In 2013, BNN is focusing on how the network can understand and respond to the neighborhoods in east Bellevue with the greatest concentration of need. This focus has ignited a whole new exploration about what is needed and what the network can do. In April, members of St. Peter’s Church provided 150 home-cooked meals for the Sherwood Forrest Elementary School Family Science Night in partnership with the PTA. St. Peter’s is planning to invite a number of churches to regularly provide meals for families at this Title 1 school this fall - continuing the partnership with the PTA.
The network is also experimenting with responding to urgent needs. Betty Takahashi, the McKinney Vento Liaison for the School District, reached out to the network with an urgent request for help for a family in need with a one-day turn around. Here is the note she sent to the Network:
Thanks so much to all of you. I just received word that one of you has offered their basement to store the family’s things. They also were given a motel voucher for five days at a nearby motel. The children will attend school tomorrow as they always do. [The] mom is taking a few days off to find permanent housing. She has one promising lead. It is amazing how quickly emergency needs can be met when we all work together. I am truly grateful for all of your help.
There will be at least one new Summer Feeding site in Bellevue.
The Bellevue weekend meals backpack program has continued throughout the entire school year as part of the Eastside Interfaith Social Concerns Council, with support from many churches and groups.
Issaquah Nourishing Network (INN)
At a recent INN meeting, several members shared how valuable the network has been in helping the community transform how they work together to meet basic needs including hunger.
INN explored how to enhance their efforts with financial support when they were selected by the Issaquah Kiwanis Club as one of the recipients for their annual community fundraiser. The Network discussed what it means to have money come into the Network and agreed that having the Network decide the division of funding would distract from the power of relationships guiding the work. They provided a series of INN projects and suggested that the Kiwanis pick which they wanted to support – setting the intention that donors participate in the Network directly.
On May 7, the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank hosted a free community showing of “A Place at the Table.” Several hundred people came and were offered ways to connect with a number of different organizations and projects that are addressing hunger in Issaquah. Community members were invited to participate in an annual “Food Stamp Challenge” which began after the event. To read about what is happening during the challenge, click here.
Seattle Tilth runs the Pickering Barn Gardens. They are once again setting a goal of engaging the community to raise a ton of fresh food for the Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank.
Other programs serving Issaquah that have either been developed or strengthened in the last year due to the connections made through the INN are: the Tiger Mountain Lunch Program; the Breakfast Bar Program at all Title I schools; Tools 4 Schools Backpack Program; a Community Resource Guide; and the Summer Lunch Program.
Kirkland Nourishing Network (KNN)
KNN has delved deeply into one school community to make an impact and just completed its fourth Break Food program. This program supports 25 John Muir Elementary families with food for the whole family during school breaks. They are writing up their innovative model of engaging hundreds of community members to create a “Program in a Box” to share with other communities. This model has already been successfully replicated once in Stanwood.
A small group is working with residents in Kirkland Heights, the most dense and most diverse low-income housing development in Kirkland, to better understand and respond to needs as identified by the community. The intention is to have this move into a more systemic look at how different groups can collaborate to respond.
KNN is planning a week of showing ‘A Place at the Table’ in June as a way of increasing awareness about the issue of hunger and energizing participation in projects that address hunger in Kirkland. The first showing is at Kirkland Performance Center on June 12th.
KNN is also continuing their summer feeding program and expanding the outreach to one other community. They have decided to move to a community-driven model of support this year as opposed to utilizing the federal summer program resources to build in more flexibility, which is important for their volunteers and community supporters.
Northshore Nourishing Network (NNN)
Northshore Nourishing Network is interested in how they might be a catalyst to change the perception of hunger in their community by sharing stories about “the face of hunger in Northshore.” This area of focus is new to the network and something they are just beginning to explore.
Starting this spring, Hopelink is partnering with North Lake Lutheran Church to host a mobile food bank in a neighborhood with a large number of low-income housing units that are far from the nearest food bank. This is a new model for Hopelink.
Thanks to United Way, a new Vista Volunteer is working with Julie Jacobsen, who works with the YMCA and is the convener for NNN. The new Vista Volunteer will supervise a second summer feeding site and will help grow the Nourishing Network as a source of volunteers for programs that are addressing issues of hunger.
All of the new programs initiated last year - Summer Feeding, the Community Kitchen, gardens, break programs, and Totes- to Go, are continuing and growing.
Redmond Nourishing Network (RNN)
The Redmond Nourishing Network hosts the only teen chapter of Nourishing Networks operating at the Redmond High School. They have just recently identified new leaders among students so that they can pass on leadership when the seniors graduate. It is exciting for the adults to meet these new members of the Network and to hear the amazing stories these students have to share. Both students and adults are working together to develop display information to promote the purpose and work of RNN that can be used at upcoming community events including “Derby Day,” Redmond’s annual community celebration.
The network is also developing a survey for interviewing leaders of local churches and civic groups to determine what other local efforts are happening throughout the community to support hunger-relief and nutritious food support. They are interested in learning how to link these efforts to other Nourishing Network efforts in order to leverage greater impact. Just Gardens, a regional program, is starting eighteen gardens in Redmond for low-income families and food banks. They used the Network for outreach into the community, to help identify families, to make connections with groups that know families and to get materials translated.
Redmond will once again do a Summer Feeding Program. Pantry Packs continues to serve almost 500 students per week during the school year.
New Network:
Sammamish is starting a new Nourishing Network focused on engaging teens and adults to work together towards a more integrated community.
As a result of this new network, we have been able to connect the Vedic Cultural Center, located in Sammamish, which has a mission of feeding people to other Nourishing Networks.
Northshore Community Kitchen
Eighteen months ago, in the closing session of the Nourishing Networks’ first Thanksgiving Summit, representatives of the first five networks were sharing their commitments, a regular practice called “I Make the Net Work.” The commitments were inspiring and the participants filled with passion. Sue Freeman’s commitment was to create a “community kitchen” sponsored by Northshore Council PTSA, with the hope that other local organizations and individuals in the community would join the effort and help make the program a reality. Today, the Northshore Community Kitchen has prepared and packed a total of 3,058 nutritious meals, and is an example of how the Nourishing Networks brings community together to solve local problems.
Amazing community involvement has been the key to the Kitchen’s success. In the beginning, it was primarily staked by the Northshore Council PTSA and the Northshore YMCA. A Kitchen Task Force was created, and members spent six months planning the Kitchen. In April of 2012, the first meals were served. As the network grew, local support quickly expanded with volunteer, food and financial contributions from businesses, youth groups and civic organizations. Different community groups figured out how they could contribute their passions, time, talents and resources to be a part of the Kitchen.
Each Wednesday morning, four or five volunteers meet at the Carol Edwards Center in Woodinville to prepare and pack meals for approximately 18 families, or roughly 95 people. The volunteer team makes it possible for families to pick up their packs throughout the day, working around busy schedules.
This year, in addition to the weekly family meals, the Kitchen is providing thirty “snack packs” for students who attend the Hang Time afterschool program at Kenmore Junior High. Along with the YMCA and Hopelink, the Kitchen also contributes to the snacks to the Skyview and Northshore Junior High Hang Time programs. These additional services have been a natural outgrowth of the expanding network and the growing awareness of the gaps in need.
Here is a sampling of the Northshore community contributing to the community kitchen:
Eighteen months ago, in the closing session of the Nourishing Networks’ first Thanksgiving Summit, representatives of the first five networks were sharing their commitments, a regular practice called “I Make the Net Work.” The commitments were inspiring and the participants filled with passion. Sue Freeman’s commitment was to create a “community kitchen” sponsored by Northshore Council PTSA, with the hope that other local organizations and individuals in the community would join the effort and help make the program a reality. Today, the Northshore Community Kitchen has prepared and packed a total of 3,058 nutritious meals, and is an example of how the Nourishing Networks brings community together to solve local problems.
Amazing community involvement has been the key to the Kitchen’s success. In the beginning, it was primarily staked by the Northshore Council PTSA and the Northshore YMCA. A Kitchen Task Force was created, and members spent six months planning the Kitchen. In April of 2012, the first meals were served. As the network grew, local support quickly expanded with volunteer, food and financial contributions from businesses, youth groups and civic organizations. Different community groups figured out how they could contribute their passions, time, talents and resources to be a part of the Kitchen.
Each Wednesday morning, four or five volunteers meet at the Carol Edwards Center in Woodinville to prepare and pack meals for approximately 18 families, or roughly 95 people. The volunteer team makes it possible for families to pick up their packs throughout the day, working around busy schedules.
This year, in addition to the weekly family meals, the Kitchen is providing thirty “snack packs” for students who attend the Hang Time afterschool program at Kenmore Junior High. Along with the YMCA and Hopelink, the Kitchen also contributes to the snacks to the Skyview and Northshore Junior High Hang Time programs. These additional services have been a natural outgrowth of the expanding network and the growing awareness of the gaps in need.
Here is a sampling of the Northshore community contributing to the community kitchen:
- Village Wines: The owners of this local business have children in the Northshore School District and realized that they could provide a source of protein to the weekly meals. Every week they contribute approximately five pounds of deli meats and three pounds of cheese – a vital source of ongoing support.
- Hopelink: Every week, Hopelink provides bread for all of the sandwiches.
- Local farmers: The summer Woodinville Farmers Market is conveniently located adjacent to the YMCA at the Carol Edwards Center and the Community Kitchen. Vendors trade a modest amount of fresh produce in exchange for the use of the on-site restrooms. This win-win arrangement not only helps build the supply of fresh food for the kitchen, but also the relationships with the local farmers.
- Windermere Foundation: A grant from the Windermere Foundation and donations from Windermere realtors help provide the ingredients for basic meals, and also the means to augment the menu with things like yogurt, and extra vegetables.
- Youth Support: Students from local junior- and senior high schools prepare food and pack meals in the Community Kitchen during their vacation breaks. Many of them were initially motivated by the opportunity to gain required service hours, but Sue shared that “…they came back because they enjoyed it so much.”
- Woodinville Garden Club: Long-time community activists, they generously donated funding and, in their own words, are “pleased to be able to support this worthwhile, local program.”
- Local Girl Scouts: A Northshore Brownie Troop adopted the Community Kitchen as one of their service projects for the year. They held a fundraiser and went shopping together to buy items on Sue’s food list. They took things one step further, however, and created a birthday bag for each of the families receiving a meal pack. Each birthday bag included a cake mix or ready-to-eat cupcakes, frosting, candles, balloons, favors and a handmade birthday card from the girls from this brownie troop. The families were surprised and visibly touched when they saw the special bags.
- Individual support: One of the Kitchen’s volunteers takes home the produce scraps to feed her chickens. In exchange, she brings in fresh eggs, which are used in baking and prepared meal items. Other volunteers have donated fruit from their own gardens.
Nourishing Networks' Spring Gathering
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Bellevue buzzed with energy as Nourishing Networks representatives and regional partners from the Seattle Foundation, the Hartman Research Group, Hopelink and Food Lifeline came together. The theme was Learn, Link and Leverage!, and participants gathered to share lessons learned since the previous regional gathering in November of 2012.
The program started late as friends reunited and new people were introduced to the community. As always, the agenda began with sharing stories about the successes, the challenges, and the lessons faced by the Networks.
The Nourishing Network Institute (Linda Benson, James Whitfield and Karma Ruder) facilitated the conversations. To illuminate the future direction of the Networks, Linda shared her experience of walking through an aspen grove in Utah. Aspen groves use a single root system that distributes nutrients and water to the numerous trees that make up the grove. Linda reflected that her initial focus was on the trees, without noticing the root structure necessary to making sure that all trees had what they needed to grow. Similarly, in Nourishing Networks, our focus is often on the projects and initiatives which visibly demonstrate our shared purpose of making sure that none among us are hungry. Just as the hidden root structure is critical to the sustenance of the trees, our Nourishing Networks require attention to the relationships, stories and sharing of gifts that nourish the networks themselves. The next leverage point for Networks is to expand the relationships within and across networks to strengthen the root structure.
The community identified the key conversation topics for the gathering. These included:
For example, one woman, who is part of a PTA, committed to creating an easy way for youth to volunteer. Several participants had knowledge of volunteer opportunities and committed to providing information to help her. Other participants committed to making youth aware of the opportunities.
Commitments ranged from people following up on new personal connections or bringing new ideas back to their networks to supporting major initiatives like a new summer feeding program or inviting groups working in a specific neighborhood of need to better coordinate. This round of commitments was an inspiring end for a caring and innovative group of people that support each other in work that makes a difference in our region.
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Bellevue buzzed with energy as Nourishing Networks representatives and regional partners from the Seattle Foundation, the Hartman Research Group, Hopelink and Food Lifeline came together. The theme was Learn, Link and Leverage!, and participants gathered to share lessons learned since the previous regional gathering in November of 2012.
The program started late as friends reunited and new people were introduced to the community. As always, the agenda began with sharing stories about the successes, the challenges, and the lessons faced by the Networks.
The Nourishing Network Institute (Linda Benson, James Whitfield and Karma Ruder) facilitated the conversations. To illuminate the future direction of the Networks, Linda shared her experience of walking through an aspen grove in Utah. Aspen groves use a single root system that distributes nutrients and water to the numerous trees that make up the grove. Linda reflected that her initial focus was on the trees, without noticing the root structure necessary to making sure that all trees had what they needed to grow. Similarly, in Nourishing Networks, our focus is often on the projects and initiatives which visibly demonstrate our shared purpose of making sure that none among us are hungry. Just as the hidden root structure is critical to the sustenance of the trees, our Nourishing Networks require attention to the relationships, stories and sharing of gifts that nourish the networks themselves. The next leverage point for Networks is to expand the relationships within and across networks to strengthen the root structure.
The community identified the key conversation topics for the gathering. These included:
- How do we map the formal and informal systems for providing food?
- How do we identify the gaps?
- How do we deal with donor fatigue?
- How do we use technology to help us stay connected?
- How do we understand and improve the distribution systems?
- How do we start prioritizing other needs?
For example, one woman, who is part of a PTA, committed to creating an easy way for youth to volunteer. Several participants had knowledge of volunteer opportunities and committed to providing information to help her. Other participants committed to making youth aware of the opportunities.
Commitments ranged from people following up on new personal connections or bringing new ideas back to their networks to supporting major initiatives like a new summer feeding program or inviting groups working in a specific neighborhood of need to better coordinate. This round of commitments was an inspiring end for a caring and innovative group of people that support each other in work that makes a difference in our region.