Another Sunny Day

What is this one hears about Seattle and rain?  One is tempted to say that it is always sunny in Seattle.  That is how it has seemed this week and today was no exception.

Today the volunteers worked side by side with volunteers from the King County branch of Habitat for Humanity.  This week has allowed us to meet and work alongside other volunteers living and serving in Seattle.   This is a bit different from our West Virginia and  Brooklyn experiences.  It has been wonderful.

Today, the volunteers divided into two groups.  One worked on painting, the other on reassembling a home that had been dismantled. Home repair projects can be physically exhausting, but exhilarating as well. Many of PV Volunteer will say that home repair allows one the opportunity to see immediate results from one's efforts.

After spending the past couple of evenings taking in the sites of beautiful Seattle, tonight provided the volunteers with a much deserved night of rest and it was very much appreciated!

Both Sides Now

When many people think of Seattle, they think of the Space Needle, the mountains, and the rain. Of course, Seattle is much more complex than that.  Today, the PVs got to see Seattle on a whole new level.  The work day began the same way yesterday ended, at the community garden at Our Lady of Guadalope Church.  From there, the volunteers went to Nickelsville.  Nickelsville is "a self managed eco village in Seattle for up to 1,000 homeless people."  We encourage you to visit their website http://www.nickelsville.org/ to read more about this extraordinary place.  We will have much more in the days ahead about our experience at Nickelsville, but for now, we will leave you with a few pictures from the day.

Living It Up in the Garden

Having worked yesterday serving food at a Seattle mission, today the PVs where on the other side of the food process. The volunteers spent their day preparing the land for a garden which in turn will produce the crops that will then be shared with the people of West Seattle and White Center.  Our Lady of Guadalope Church, which is graciously hosting the PV Volunteers this week, is the home of a community garden where the harvest is given to food banks in the neighborhoods of West Seattle and White Center.  Nothing beats fresh produce! How wonderful that the PVs can lend a hand to such a fantastic project.

The PVs ended their day in a most enjoyable way, relaxing by a nice fire on the shores of Alki Beach.  If you look closely, you can see the mountains off in the distance.  What a beautiful setting for the volunteers to reflect on their experiences from the day.

Swinging into Action in Seattle

Morning came early for the PVs on their first full day of service. At the break of dawn, the PVs headed over to the Union Gospel Mission. Close to 300 people came to the Union Gospel Mission this morning for breakfast and the PVs where there to serve it with a smile. The Union Gospel Mission provides emergency care and long-term services to people in the Seattle area who are homeless. On average close to 1,300 people a day are served by the Union Gospel Mission.

After breakfast, the volunteers visited the famed Pike Place Market to grab a bite to eat before heading over to the offices of S.H.A.R.E, (Seattle Housing and Resource Effort) and W.H.E.E.L. (Women's Housing, Equality, and Enhancement League) to help organize their office space.  SHARE/WHEEL works to eradicate homelessness, educate the community about issues involving homelessness and housing, and empower those who find themselves in a homeless situation.  Both of these organizations are made up of people who are homeless or are formally homeless.  

From all reports it was a terrific day!

Welcome to Seattle!

A brand new chapter in the long history of the PV Volunteers has begun! Today marks the kickoff of the Seattle program.  Below are pictures from the community meal shared at Our Lady of Guadelupe Church, which is graciously hosting the PVs for the week. We are so excited to be planting the seeds of new beginnings as we embark on this venture. Make sure you visit the blog each day to read about the work being done by the volunteers.

Seattle Program Begins

Tomorrow the PVs kick off an exciting new adventure, a new program in Seattle. During this week-long inaugural trip volunteers will be working throughout the Seattle area on several different projects including; serving meals, working in a community garden that supports a local food bank, work with Habitat for Humanity and a day working with an organization that assists local families. The week looks to be inspiring, challenging and hopefully, life changing. Please keep the PVs in your thoughts and prayers during the week.

Check back during the week for daily blog posts and pictures chronicling our adventures!

A Thank You Chili Supper in Illinois

This weekend, PVs from St. Joseph's Parish in Brimfield, IL hosted a chili supper to thank the church for their continuing support of the PVs. St. Joseph's has had a special partnership with the PVs for the past several years, taking up special collections to help support the work. PVs and parishioners, Chuck and Kathy Koller, Bill and Judy Passie and Dale and Mary Kay DeVries hosted the event and gave a presentation to let the parishioners know what their generosity is helping to fund. Besides the presentation, there was the chili cook off as well as a few games of  Bingo. By all reports a fun time was had by all.

Thank you St. Joseph's, Kollers, Passies and DeVries for all you do for the PVs!