The Holiday Season.
It comes right after Halloween and is swept in by colder weather and the gathering of friends and family around an open hearth. This season, among all of the gift giving and the jubilee and general merriment, finds ways to give back to those less fortunate. Take a weekend during your winter break to donate your time, volunteer on a free Saturday morning, count your blessings and give thanks.
If you're a Seattle local, these are 16 wonderful non-profits and organizations local to our community looking for your help this season.
Animal and Wildlife Organizations
1. Long Live the Kings
Started thirty years ago as a local project working to prevent the rapid decline of Pacific Northwest salmon, LLTK has grown to become the world's leading innovator in research and management. Currently, the organization has many campaigns underway, such as Save Salmon to Save Orcas which seeks to reintroduce a highly important natural food source back into the ecosystem.
You can get involved with LLTK by attending one of their annual fundraising events, or by giving a monetary donation through their website.
2. Washington Nature Conservancy
The Washington Nature Conservancy - a branch of The Nature Conservancy - works toward sustaining and enhancing relationships between people and nature. As part of a global organization, WNC works to support the areas of oceans, land, water, cities, and climate.
Currently, the organization is raising funds to preserve the "Emerald Edge," the largest strip of temperate rainforest in the world, spreading from Seattle up to Alaska.
You can get involved via their website: http://www.washingtonnature.org/giving
3. Sound Salmon Solutions
Similar to Long Live The Kings, Sound Salmon Solutions works toward preserving Pacific Northwest Salmon and their habitats. Promoting active service via education, stewardship, and restoration projects, SSS provides a hands-on approach toward rebuilding salmon habitats and vital ecosystems along the west coast and the Pacific Northwest region.
Volunteer and donation opportunities are available here: http://www.soundsalmonsolutions.org/volunteer/
4. Wolf Haven International
Wolf Haven International is a nationally recognized wolf sanctuary that rescues and provides a home for over 200 displaced and captive-born animals. As a vital member of rainforest ecosystems, wolves serve as the top predators in nearly all Northwest environments. Wolf Haven seeks to provide education about wolves and their interactions with the natural world.
You can sponsor a wolf via their website: https://wolfhaven.org/support/adoption/
Women's Groups
1. IGNITE Seattle
IGNITE (Inspiring Girls Now In Technology Evolution) is a women and young girls organization that seeks to support women pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. IGNITE provides field trips to local companies and colleges, provides programming and robotics workshops, job shadows, and more.
If you are a woman working in tech industry (looking at you Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing employees), you can sign up to speak on an IGNITE panel here: http://www.igniteworldwide.org/Volunteers/?tabid=0
2. Women's Funding Alliance
The Women's Funding Alliance seeks to provide women and young girls with socially and economically equal opportunities across Washington State. Currently, the organization serves as a programming, resource, and mobilization center for organizations seeking to support women and girls.
You can get involved through grant opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and donations via their website: http://www.wfalliance.org/getinvolved/
3. ReWA
The Refugee Women's Alliance is a Seattle based group seeking to provide refugee and immigrant women and their families with culturally and linguistically appropriate services, from domestic violence and naturalization services to ESL and housing and homelessness prevention.
Volunteer and donation opportunities are available here: https://www.rewa.org/get-involved/
4. WARN
The Washington Anti-Trafficking Response Network is a group of non-governmental organizations that provide services to victims of human trafficking. Services include safe housing, immigration and legal assistance, interpretation services, physical and mental health treatment, and intensive care management.
With as many as 500 women and children employed as sex workers every day in Seattle, you can get involved by volunteering to provide direct services to victims, raising awareness, or supporting service providers.
For more information, visit: http://www.warn-trafficking.org/take-action/
Family and Youth Organizations
1. Atlantic Street Center
The Atlantic Street Center is an organization focused on raising healthy, educated, and successful children and youth. The organization primarily serves African-American and other families of color residing in central, southeast, and the greater Seattle areas. Community services include early childhood education classes, family support services - such as the Teens as Parents program which works with youth ages 12-24 who are pregnant or parenting - as well as counseling and young adult services.
Get involved through volunteer and fundraising opportunities here: https://atlanticstreetcenter.org/get-involved/volu...
2. City Year of Seattle and King County
City Year of Seattle and King County is a non-profit organization that provides tutoring and mentoring services to at-risk youth in the greater Seattle area. City Year works with local schools to identify at-risk students as early as elementary age and provide them with a mentor or tutor to carry them through to graduation.
You can get involved as an AmeriCorps volunteer as a mentor or tutor or through financial support via their website: https://www.cityyear.org/seattle/support-us
3. Seattle Public Library
With the advent of the internet, the age of print journalism and publications has died along with public libraries. But beyond providing free-of-charge book loans, public libraries provide free wireless internet, a safe study space, child and youth engagement and education programs, as well as literacy and ESL classes.
For more information about donating money, books, or time, check out their website here: https://www.spl.org/about-the-library/support-your...
4. Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program
Page Ahead is a children's literacy program based in the Seattle area. Operating off of the idea that being read to at a young age can set a child up for success later in life, PACLP seeks to provide access to books, educate and empower parents, and provide professional development to early childhood educators.
For information on getting involved as a volunteer, donating money or vehicles, or organizing a fundraiser, visit here: http://www.pageahead.org/donate.php
Hunger and Homeless Organizations
1. Northwest Harvest
Northwest Harvest is the state's number one provider of hunger relief programs. Operating as a food bank distributor to meal programs and high-need schools, NWH provides 2 million meals and 33 million pounds of food each year. With the Kids Summer Food Club and the Three Squares program, as well as a statewide network of food banks and soup kitchens, Northwest Harvest operates on the largest food donation scale in the state.
Get involved as a volunteer here: http://www.northwestharvest.org/volunteer
2. Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline seeks to rescue millions of pounds of surplus food from farmers, manufacturers, restaurants, and grocery stores and deliver these meals to over 300 food banks and meal programs across Washington. While Food Lifeline is not a food bank, it provides nearly 30% of meals to food banks across the state, totaling 90,000 meals every day.
To find volunteer or donation opportunities, or restaurants and stores that partner with Food Lifeline, check out their website: https://foodlifeline.org/about
3. Mary's Place
Operating out of South Lake Union near the Denny Triangle, Mary's Place seeks to provide shelter, nourishment, resources, and a safe community to homeless women, children, and families throughout the Seattle area. With a wide variety of family services, including Emergency Night Shelters, Mary's Place caters to homeless women and children seeking to rebuild their lives.
You can get involved via financial donations, fundraising events, volunteer opportunities, or donations of old and gently used items. More information provided via their website: http://www.marysplaceseattle.org/support-us/
4. Seattle Union Gospel Mission
Founded in 1932 to provide care and support for those suffering from the Great Depression, Seattle Union Gospel Mission now provides support and recovery services for men, women, and children throughout King County. Providing health and legal services, prison ministry services, mobile shower services, community outreach, and addiction recovery programs, the Mission seeks to change the face of the Seattle homeless community.
To get involved, visit their website: https://www.ugm.org/take-action/
This is just a partial list of organizations to get involved in this holiday season. For a full list of the wonderful organizations and non-profits available in the city, visit http://www.iloveseattle.org/networking-guide/nav-m...
