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What's New?
A New Name & Home for Our Family Center
We are pleased to announce that our Family Center has a new home and a new name! The former Rainier Beach Family Center has moved to 4730 32nd Ave S in Seattle and it has a new name: The Rainier Valley Family Center! The new center is co-located with Zion Preparatory Academy. We will continue to offer the same classes, support groups and programs as before. The center has the same phone number: 206-723-1301. Please stop by and visit us in our new home!
Recent Grants
We are pleased to announce several recent grants to our organization. Two new grants were awarded to our Early Learning Program: a $10,000 grant from The Norcliffe Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Muckleshoot Charity Fund. The LRH Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to our Summer Academy Program. A grant of $5,000 from the Children's Trust Foundation will provide support to our NewHolly Family Center. A $1,500 gift from the Fred Meyer Foundation will support our Teens as Parents Program. Thank you to these foundations for their generous support of our organization!
New Board Member
Please join us in welcoming Reverend Patricia Simpson
to our Board of Directors! Reverend Simpson is the Seattle District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church and she brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our Board of Directors. Welcome!
New Staff
We are pleased to welcome several new staff members to the Atlantic Street Center team. Joining us are Jenny Lyn Tran, receptionist/ administrative assistant, Rosa Lefkowicz, PCHP home visitor, Karin Crews, Family Advocate, and Crystal Richmond, Child Development Assistant. Welcome, all! |
Please donate today and help us reach our Centennial Fundraising Goal! Atlantic Street Center is so close to reaching our Centennial Year fundraising goal. Please help! You can click the link below to make a secure online donation right now. And your donation is fully tax-deductible.
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Greetings!
As we wrap up the final weeks of our 100th Anniversary Year, we want to take a moment to thank you for your support! Whether you volunteered, attended an event, made a donation, or helped in some other way, we are truly grateful!
Happy Thanksgiving and best wishes for a joyous holiday season!
Sincerely, 
Edith C. Elion, MSWExecutive Director |
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Help a Child This Holiday Season!
 Imagine not being able to provide toys or other gifts for your kids during the holidays. For many of the families we work with at Atlantic Street Center, this is a reality. Often, every spare cent is used for food and housing, leaving little--if anything--for presents.
Each year, Atlantic Street Center helps make the holidays happier for these families by providing toys, books, games, and gift certificates for children and teens through our Holiday Assistance Program. Parents shop for their kids at the Holiday Assistance "toy store," selecting gifts for each of their kids. There is no cost to parents to participate because the toy store is stocked entirely with gifts generously donated by people in the community.
We need your help! We need financial donations as well as donations of gifts for kids of all ages, gift wrapping supplies, gift cards to local grocery stores, and more. We also need volunteers to help during the event, as well as before and after. If you can help, please contact Teresa Everett at (206) 329-2050, ext 124 or email her. Thank you for your help and caring!
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100th Gala a HUGE Success!
 THANK YOU to everyone who took part in our 100th Anniversary Fundraising Dinner and Gala! The event, which took place on September 25, was a huge success! After direct event expenses were paid, we raised $140,000! All proceeds from the event will support our life changing program for kids and families.
Special thanks to our Master of Ceremonies, Deborah Horne, Auctioneer Paul Brittain, the Mount Zion Children's Choir, and house band Butch Harrison and Good Company, and CONGRATULATIONS to our award winners:
Bank of America, Outstanding Corporate Partner
Suzanne Hittman, Outstanding Philanthropic Supporter
Mercer Island United Methodist Church, Outstanding United Methodist Partner
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Tennis Clinic Teaches Opportunity and Community
 The Opportunities In Life Tennis Clinic is a program that started eight years ago to show Seattle's underprivileged children how to make the most of every opportunity. This year's Tennis Clinic took place August 16-20 at the Rainier Playfield.
"It's not really about the tennis - it's about people helping people and instilling an understanding of others instead of judging others," says Opportunities In Life founder, Rick Duchaine. Rick and Chick Hodge started the clinic with one goal in mind: helping children understand that other people are just like them, regardless of ethnicity, gender or economic status. During this week-long clinic, participants worked with volunteer instructors to learn the game of tennis. Between practice sessions, participants learned hands-on from each other, guest speakers who discussed how they have approached opportunities, and even learned why recycling, hand washing, and brushing their teeth is important! Thank you to Rick Duchaine, Chick Hodge and the many other volunteers who made Tennis Clinic possible for the 8th year in a row!
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Southlake High School Counselor Surprised with "Champion for Youth" Award
 | From left: Sherice Arrington, Carol Johnson,
and Zematra Bacon |
On October 22, Atlantic Street Center surprised South Lake High School counselor Carol Johnson with the "Champion for Youth Award"!
Atlantic Street Center created the award to recognize an individual or organization in the community who makes life-changing work with youth possible. This year, we presented the award to Ms. Johnson for her strong, persistent commitment to students at Seattle's South Lake High School and our community.
"It feels like she works every waking moment trying to better the lives of the people she comes into contact with," notes Ralph Fragale, Atlantic Street Center's counseling department program manager. Ralph routinely works with Johnson to provide students and their families with the resources available through Atlantic Street Center's programs.
One of the students she has worked with is Zematra Bacon, who said that "Ms. Johnson always goes out of her way to help. When I was pregnant, she introduced me to Atlantic Street Center's Teen Parenting Program, which helped me prepare for being and succeed as a teen parent. After the birth of my daughter, she even brought me a bassinet; I will never forget that. No matter what I did or how I messed up, she was there with a smile to help me figure out what to do next."
Congratulations to Carol Johnson for this much-deserved award!
Thank you to the Rainier Valley Post for allowing us to reprint portions of this story, which appeared on their website: www.rainiervalleypost.com. |
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Atlantic Street Center Featured in Southeast Seattle Blog!
 Thank you to Southend Seattle and The Rainier Valley Historical Society for the wonderful article and slideshow in honor of our 100th year! |
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