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Marion West Grand Opening!
On June 21st, a large crowd of housing supporters gathered to celebrate the grand opening of The Marion West, LIHI's new project in the University District featuring 20 affordable apartments for homeless young adults (age 18 to 24) and 29 apartments for low-wage workers who are entering the workforce. The project is named for racial justice champion Marion West, who along with her husband, helped break the color barrier in the U-District by housing African Americans and students of color in the 1950s. (Read press release.)
Speakers included Seattle Mayor Ed Murray, who thanked the building's namesake Marion West for courage as a housing justice pioneer in the 1950s, and emphasized that, "It is in partnership with the homeless that we solve homelessness."
Marion West followed the Mayor and thanked LIHI for remembering her and bestowing this honor upon her. She said, "I speculate that the people who will live here will have a few cracks in their lives. By giving them this ground to stand on they will have an opportunity to fill in those cracks and help create a more equitable society."
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L to R: Mayor Ed Murray; crowd; Mayor accepting plaque from Sharon Lee; Marion West; Sharon Lee, Debora Juarez, Kathleen West, Marion West, Ed Murray; soon-to-be resident Ashleigh excited about moving in with her son.
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Marion's daughter Kathleen spoke of a wonderful childhood growing up in their multicultural boardinghouse household in the U District, with a multitude of melodious language, swirling colors, and delicious smells, in a time when such households essentially didn't exist and, in fact, people sometimes surrounded their home demonstrating against its existence.
City Councilmember Debora Juarez praised the West family saying, "This building, through brick and mortar, embodies the generosity and love you offered 60 years ago."
Melinda Giovengo, executive director of YouthCare, which will be providing social services to the youths living at The Marion West, stressed the importance of having affordable housing for youths in the U District, a place youths want to live: "This home will give them a safe place to help them work on art, on their careers, on maintaining sobriety in a youth-centric neighborhood where they can thrive."
Sally Clark, representing the University of Washington and the U District Partnership emphasized how wonderful it was that three synergistic organizations--LIHI, The U District Foodbank, and YouthCare--could partner to create such a necessary project: We need more of this. Let's do it again."
Joe Gruber, executive director of the U District Foodbank, thankful for the expanded space and capacity to serve more people better. said, "Our new home is about providing a strong foundation for our foodbank families."
News Coverage:
KIRO 7: From tiny house village to apartment, homeless mother, toddler get new beginning
Q13: Marion West Apartment project in Seattle to help homeless young people
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Top: Standing Ovation for Marion West
Bottom: Project Funders Keybank staff--Aubré Dickson (L), Catherine Danigelis (Center), Michael Fait, Anne Foster, and David Ollee--with Sharon Lee, Marion West, and Ed Murray.
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Othello Village Celebration - Thank You!
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Tulalip Tribes Door
painted by artist Ty Juvinel
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Thank you to everyone who came to the Othello Village Celebration! We are so very grateful to the hundreds of volunteers, community leaders, organizations, and businesses that made Othello Village possible. And what a blast!
A big thanks to our sponsors: NeighborWorks America, Nickelsville, the Tulalip Tribes, The City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods, The Rainier Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Seattle International District, HomeSight, and the Seattle Jaycees.
Special thanks to our musical performers--Lady A and the Raging Grannies--and to our talented artists: muralist Kristen Ramirez, collage art coordinator Ilana Cheyfitz, and Inspiration Flag artists Denise Henrikson and Susan Russell.
Sharon Lee made opening remarks, followed by our esteemed guest speakers: Seattle Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim; Pastor and President of the United Black Christian Clergy of Washington State Lawrence Willis; and Rainier Valley Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Susan Davis; LIHI board president Melinda Nichols and Clifford Nichols welcomed Tulalip Tribes members Teri Gobin and Mark Newland, and presented a gift to Ty Juvinel, who painted beautiful tribal art on the doors of the four new Tulalip Tribes houses. Nickelodeons Marcus and JR spoke on behalf of the encampment residents.
Volunteers helped paint a large mural specially dedicated to the residents of Othello Village, painted many colorful collage artwork pieces for residents, and created a number of beautiful Inspiration Flag designs to be displayed at the village.
Thank you to all of those who helped to set up and support Othello Village - we appreciate you!
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Volunteers, supporters, residents, and neighbors came out in force to celebrate
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The Raging Grannies energized the crowd with their exuberant protest songs
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