The program will be presented on Zoom on Thursday morning with the Zoom line opening at 7 a.m. The formal meeting including the program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. No registration is required, and the program is free.
The meeting will be available via Zoom.Click here to join the meeting Thursday morning. The Zoom line will open shortly after 7 a.m.
Teen Feed works with the community to offer support to meet basic needs, build strong relationships, and ally with houseless youth as they meet their future off the streets. Jordan Van Hoozer (she/they) has been the Volunteer Services Manager at Teen Feed for 2.5 years. She came to Teen Feed with experience in volunteer management, youth education, and food access. Teen Feed’s dedicated volunteers (such as Sunrise Rotary’s meal team!) and kind, resilient guests continue to inspire her every day, and she is honored to share Teen Feed’s mission and work.
It was hard to comprehend the quantity of garbage and the sad stories that it told.
On Saturday, January 21, 2024, our University Sunrise Rotary Club, along with members of several other clubs (I saw members of the Ballard Club and the Magnolia Club) allied together under the direction of WeHeartSeattle to take on a cleanup of a hill off of Dexter Avenue North. The location was just off the Fremont Bridge.
Some of the garbage, bagged and ready to be picked up.
It was on a hill that was muddy and slippery. It was tough work that lasted several hours.
Frankly, the geography was not huge, but the amount of trash that was picked up was enormous.
The site that Scott Jamieson, Victoria Wenick, and Tom Ranken–when we started.
I worked with Scott Jamieson and Victoria Wenick in a small area. It was a tiny ravine just large enough at one time for very small shelter that might have been a home to one or two people. There was no evidence that anyone had been there for a long time. This picture shows what the site looked like as we began picking up garbage. It doesn’t look like much–and it wasn’t, on the surface–but it turned out to be many layers deeps.
Scott Jamieson and Victoria Wenick of the University Sunrise Club
We filled dozens of garbage bags from this site alone. There may have been a hundred or more wine bottles underneath this. Almost none were broken. They were probably placed to reduce rainwater from entering the shelter or to keep the shelter from being washed down the hill. We worked for several hours on this site.
There were many other volunteers working similar areas.
For the day, our group of 55 people hauled out approximately 10,000 pounds of garbage.
Since 2020, WeHeartSeattle has removed 1,108,700 pounds of trash during 326 trash pickup events. Two hundred people have been helped off the streets, but twelve bodies have been discovered. Rotarians have been an integral part of these efforts since the very first trash pick at Denny Park.
Members of the University Sunrise Rotary Club that took part included President Paul Meehan, Scott Jamieson, Victoria Wenick, Mike Madden, Lincoln Ferris, Andrea Suarez, and myself, Tom Ranken.
WeHeartSeattle is one of the beneficiaries of the annual BIG TASTE fund raiser on March 23, 2024.
“I do this kind of thing because I know that I can’t change the entire world, but I can change small parts of it that make a big difference. For example, we probably picked up hundreds of drug needles. If we hadn’t, how long would it be until a young person suffered a serious incident playing in the woods? We are probably saving lives.” -Tom Ranken
Some of the garbage pulled down the hill and ready for pick-up.
At one point, we found a stash of spent needles. There were a lot more scattered around at the site we worked on.
Andrea Suarez, Founder of WeHeartSeattle and member of the University Sunrise Rotary Club.
Victoria Wenick and Lincoln Ferris wander through the garbage at the end of the day.
We worked a pretty steep hill. We were told that city workers were not permitted to work hills. We suffered no known casualties.
The full group at the end of the event. Fifty-five people participated.
We’re reaching out with some fantastic news and an exciting opportunity for you to make a meaningful impact in our community.
We’re gearing up for The Big Taste event on Saturday, March 23, starting at 5 pm at Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park, located at 6310 NE 74th St, Seattle, WA. This event promises an evening filled with delicious wines and lots of other beverages, great company, and most importantly, a chance to support three incredible organizations: Outdoors for All (Providers of adaptive and therapeutic recreation for children and adults with disabilities), We Heart Seattle (Action-based, boots-on-the-ground movement that organizes trash cleanups in our public spaces and offers resources to those in need), and University Sunrise Rotary Foundation (creates positive, lasting change locally and globally through service, investments in the community, and building close relationships).
To make this event truly special, we need your help! We’re in search of around 100 energetic and enthusiastic volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the evening. Here are some areas where we could use your support:
Registration Team (20 volunteers): Help us sell tickets, check IDs, and provide wristbands from 4 to 7:30 pm.
General Set Up (20+ volunteers): Join us in setting the stage for an amazing event from 11:15 am to 1:30 pm.
Cleanup Crew (20+ volunteers): Assist with bagging up recycling/trash, folding tables/chairs, and more from 7:30 to 9:30 pm.
Greeters & Rotary Info Stations (10+ volunteers): Welcome guests, distribute bottled water, and share general Rotary information from 4:30 to 8:30 pm.
Cashier Station (8 volunteers): Coordinate with bottle valet and registration to make the payment process a breeze from 4:30 to 8:30 pm.
Photo Booth (3 volunteers): assist photographer w/ pictures of guests and signing waivers etc. from 4:30-8:30 pm.
Ready to dive in and be a part of something amazing? Sign up for your preferred role and shift by contacting me at maria@weheartseattle.org .
Your dedication will contribute to the success of the event and, more importantly, support the wonderful causes we’re rallying behind.
Join the University Sunrise Rotary Club for a program featuring the Coastal Shellfish Manager for Washington Fish and Wildlife, Dr. Matthew George.
The program will be presented on Zoom on Thursday morning with the Zoom line opening at 7:00 a.m. The formal meeting including the program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. No registration is required, and the program is free.
Dr. Matthew George Will discuss the status of shellfisheries on the Washington coast.
He is the Coastal Shellfish Manager for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. He received his Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Washington in 2018. He received his undergraduate degree in Biology from Gonzaga. He regularly serves as a reviewer for prestigious journals such as Aquaculture, Scientific Reports, Environmental Science & Technology, BMC Genomics, and Global Change Biology.
The program Thursday morning will feature the Board and leadership of our Club’s Foundation. We will report on some big shifts in the Club’s Foundation direction, the grants we have made recently, solicit the Club’s approval of several changes, and ask for your input for our future.
The Foundation’s Board includes:
Tom Ranken, Chair
Pam Mushen
Lincoln Ferris
Dave Mushen
Stuart Webber
Our Screening Committee, which reviews requests and makes recommendations, consists of:
Hal Beals
Nancy Bolin
Mike Madden
Jeff Mushen serves as our financial advisor and Paul Meehan participates in our discussions as Club President.
David Bobanick, Executive Director of Harvest Against Hunger (HAH), has nearly three decades of experience in non-profit executive management. Since David joined in 2001, the organization has significantly expanded its impact at the local, national and international levels, resulting in the delivery of nearly half a billion healthy servings of produce for those in need.
David has led the creation and development of the national Harvest VISTA program, as well as innovative and award-winning programs focusing on shortening the connections from Farm to Community. In addition, David and the HAH team continue to build and scale nationally-recognized programs with partners like the Corporation for National and Community Service, AmeriCorps, USDA, WSDA, Washington State University, the University of Washington and other partners to enhance food systems in communities across the United States.
David has a degree in communications from Penn State University and has studied at the Non-Profit Executive Leadership Institute at the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, as well as the Non-Profit Management Institute at Stanford University. David was also recently named a “Food Waste Innovator” by ReFED, and currently serves as a board officer for four local, statewide, and regional non-profit organizations.
Join the University Sunrise Rotary Club for a program featuring the University of Washington’s David Woodson.
The program will be presented in person and on Zoom on Thursday morning with the Zoom line opening at 7:00 a.m. The formal meeting including the program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. No registration is required, and the program is free.
The in-person meeting will be at the Wedgwood Community Church at 8201 30th Ave NE, Seattle. Doors open at 7:00 a.m. and the program begins at 7:30 a.m.
David Woodson is the Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities & Operations at the University of Washington. David spent most of his career at the University of British Columbia where he had been responsible for the Energy and Water Services group prior to leaving to join the UW in November 2021. David’s primary role at the UW is to decarbonize the steam plant and recapitalize energy infrastructure. David is a UW Alumni with a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and also has an MBA from the University of British Columbia.
On December 28, 2023, University Sunrise Rotary club volunteers will prepare and serve dinner to about 70 needy young adults in the University area. These young adults are going through a difficult time; they come for the food but also find Teen Feed staff who offer support and resources. Volunteers should arrive at University Congregational Church at 5 pm to start meal preparation. Meal service will begin around 7 and clean up by 8. Volunteers have a chance to see the young people being helped as well as to chat with club members. To participate in this project, contact David Mushen at David.mushen@gmail.com.
On December 8, 2023, University Sunrise Rotary will deliver new dictionaries to approximately 24 third grade students at Sand Point Elementary. These dictionaries are designed specifically for this age group and each dictionary may be the first book that the student has owned. The delivery is accompanied by a brief description of how to use a dictionary. Club volunteers help small groups of students follow the instructions for dictionary use. The entire project takes about 1 hour or a little more. For more information and to sign up for this project, contact Ron Espiritu at sespiritu@aol.com.
