PictureSomewhere over I-5 near the Convention Center
Helene captures what the landscape is telling us, literally.

PictureAlong South Weller Street























What is the landscape telling you when you look around?


 
Helene and Christine amused by the candidates! 

In a uniquely Seattle event, people vying for the job of Mayor of Seattle competed in an event that had them answering questions and audience members voting via text messages. Candidates even performed in a talent show segment. http://www.seattlepi.com/local/slideshow/Candidate-Survivor-for-Mayor-of-Seattle-66477/photo-4925160.php 
 
I applied to the DukeEngage Seattle program with lofty goals in mind. As a global health student, I signed up to work for Disability Rights Washington, hoping to help change the well-being of those who need it the most. After all, I thought these were people whose unfortunate health circumstances required extra consideration from the rest of us. I came to Seattle thinking that I was going to help change these people’s lives. But instead, they have changed mine.

On my first day of work at Disability Rights, the director of legal advocacy David Carlson taught me the “peoples first” linguistic approach when referring to disabilities. This approach dictates that individuals with disabilities should be referred to first and foremost as people, with their disability only added as a descriptive. Instead of being called “disabled people” or “handicapped people,” they should instead to referred to “people with disabilities.”  We should not talk about “the autistic child,” but rather, “the child with autism.” This philosophy emphasizes the fact that people with disabilities are human beings like you and I; their disability is simply a trait where they differ from others, just like gender or eye color.

With this lesson, I realized how wrong my initial assumptions were. By assuming that these people needed me to change their lives, I was seeing their disability first, and their humanity second. We have been taught to be sensitive to those with disabilities, but in a way that pities them, rather than empowers them. These people are not my charity cases or somehow more “unfortunate” than me; they are normal individuals who simply required assistance adjusting to a society that has arbitrarily deemed them “disabled.” I have only been in Seattle for three weeks, but those three weeks have already humbled me and challenged the way I view those around me.

Diana Zheng
Duke Student '14
 
(Left): One of the junior trainers teaching two kids the proper push-up technique at an outreach event
(Right): The junior trainers listening to a guest speaker lecture on nutrition

It’s hard to believe that I’m about to start week four in Seattle. The time has flown by, but when I look back on everything that I’ve done so far, I realize that I’ve seen and experienced a lot. I’ve been to the Ballard Locks, the EMP Museum, eaten a Piroshky at Pike’s Place, run many times at Green Lake and the Burke-Gilman trail, gone shopping downtown, hiked Mt. Si, eaten lots of free froyo on the Ave. and so much more. I can’t wait to explore a lot more in the coming weeks, but that’s enough of my touristy ramblings for now.

While in Seattle I have been working on planning and running the summer program for junior trainers at the Austin Foundation, a non-profit that works to improve fitness and nutrition advocacy within the community and inspire youth to live healthy and active lives. So far, I have loved working at the Austin Foundation. It’s definitely a non-profit that has gone through a hard time following the recent unexpected death of its founder, Willie Austin, but the collective efforts of many of those whose lives had been shaped by Willie have kept the Austin Foundation on its feet and have enabled the summer program to continue. As Nick and I have been working to understand how the foundation and the summer run, trying to schedule speakers and outreach programs, and figure out how to best help the youth become effective advocates of fitness and nutrition in the community, the rest of the staff have been extremely helpful in giving us support.

For me, the coolest part of my experience thus far at the Austin Foundation has been getting to know the junior trainers, who are all youth between the ages of 14-19 who have been employed through various summer employment programs to work as junior trainers at the gym. I think as the weeks have gone by, Nick and I have felt as though the program has been running much more smoothly, as we have gotten to know the junior trainers better and they have gotten more comfortable with us. Even though trying to keep all of them engaged in the activities all of the time can be a challenge, I really feel as though I’ve learned a lot about each of them and I can see that as they are becoming more comfortable around Nick and I, they are becoming more engaged in the things that we are trying to teach them and work on them with. While at the beginning of the summer the summer program may have simply been a paycheck to many of the kids, as the weeks have past, increasingly more of them are voluntarily coming in early, staying late, and coming in on their days off. Even though I realize that not every kid is going to cooperate, I can see that on the whole, the junior trainers are a great group of kids who are giving a great effort. To me, the best part of working at the Austin Foundation has been seeing the junior trainers really enjoying what they are doing while they are at work and seeing how this is reflected when they are out in the community doing outreach and teaching the fitness and nutrition skills that they learn in the gym to other kids in the community. It’s been awesome getting to hear what they’re interested in, whether it be basketball (which is probably the most common thing), football, photography, music, or whatever else they enjoy doing.

Overall, I really enjoy working with the Austin Foundation, because even though trying to manage the staff, schedules, speakers, and all of the trainers has been a really big challenge for Nick and I, I think that it has also been a rewarding experience. I don’t think that there are many other places where I would be able to work with such interesting people, while also getting management experience and challenging myself if ways that I never expected. Hopefully in the upcoming weeks things will continue to run smoothly and I’ll have more good things to report in my next blog entry.

Anna Markowitz
Duke ‘15
 
Though I had gone to the YMCA for many years as a child for swim team, I quickly found out after arriving here in Seattle that I knew next to nothing about the YMCA. Now that I work with the YMCA, my understanding of the organization has completely changed. The first week I was here, I toured many different YMCA’s of the Greater Seattle YMCA association and observed firsthand how each YMCA tailored its services to its surrounding community. It was fascinating to see, for example, how the Matt Griffin YMCA purposefully responded the needs of its large Somali and female Muslim population. Because religious guidelines for modesty created a barrier for the Somali female population to comfortably use the pool, the Matt Griffin YMCA offers private swim sessions for females only, featuring covered windows and all female staff. For me, the YMCA transformed from a basic “swim and gym” to a community center that encourages its members to form long-lasting connections and at the same time, healthy living.

My supervisors Chip Byrne and Tana Graedel have been so accommodating and gracious, and I’m extremely lucky and thankful to be working with these two amazing individuals this summer. I’ve had a great time meeting all the wonderful staff – who are all so welcoming and curious about our work and how they can help us! We’ve been setting up one-on-one interviews recently with local healthcare providers, and it’s really cool to talk to doctors, physical therapists and community health providers and discuss gaps in the current healthcare system that act as a barrier for people to reach an optimal state of health and wellness even after visiting the doctor’s office or going through rehab.

Our ultimate goal after learning about what healthcare providers need to optimally treat their patients is to set up focus groups with doctors and physicians and show what programs the YMCA offers that can make their jobs easier and some of the things that the YMCA can do to become a preferred healthcare provider for services like chronic disease prevention or physical therapy. I’m excited to talk to all these doctors and take a glimpse of healthcare from their perspective. I also think that the YMCA, being such a flexible organization with plenty resources, can play an important in role in improving the overall health of its local community.

I’m slowly getting used to non-profit work. Sometimes work can be slow and be dependent on others or limited by the bureaucracy that exists within the YMCA, but as Chip says, “You just gotta go with the flow.” I’m definitely learning how to be a little more patient and accept my own place in the organization. And I’m definitely excited when it is time to get down to work; after all, I really appreciate the YMCA’s mission to build community and bring it closer together – through promoting youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility – and I want to do as much as I can to make an impact on the Meredith Mathews and Bellevue YMCA’s this summer.

Here’s to another six awesome and fulfilling weeks in Seattle! Cheers! :D

Daniel Li
Class of 2014
 
I am an American citizen. My parents are American citizens. Their parents are American citizens. I have been privileged with stability in my life knowing that my family and I would never be torn apart by borders, our lives would never be uprooted nor our rights ever denied.

 It’s a stability that I never gave much thought to until I started working with OneAmerica* here in Seattle and began to connect with the issue of immigrant rights on a more emotional level.  One moment in particular sparked a passion for the issues surrounding immigration for me, making it more than just a policy interest, but also a personal fight for “justice for all” as OneAmerica’s slogan states. The Community Organizing Team here at OneAmerica helped organize a Fast for Family Unity in Seattle that I was able to attend with some of the other members of the organization. During the fast they played a short film called Operation Butterfly which chronicled the story of three DREAMers being reunited with their mothers who had been deported and unable to return to the US for over 6 years. The DREAMers traveled to the US/Mexico border in order to see their mothers who were waiting for them on the other side of the fence. It was an incredibly emotional moment for all of the mothers and children and also incredibly emotional to watch. I couldn’t even fathom how it would feel to be separated from my mom for that long and only get a few moments with her through a fence. The idea of being kept away from my family is painful to even imagine and sitting with the fasters watching this story I realized how personal an issue this is for everyone involved. Even for myself and all other Americans whose families may not be immediately affected by immigration policy, it affects our communities, our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow human beings who value their families just as we do. Just taking a minute to place yourself in the shoes of these DREAMers or their mothers forces one to realize how important the protection of immigrant rights is.

The event also made me realize immigration is an issue that everyone in the US should not just care about, but should be passionate about because it is at its core a human rights issue.  Too often, we get caught up in numbers and big ideas that we forget the very personal stories of the people affected. I myself am guilty of this and I think it takes stepping back from the politics of the issue and stepping into the community to gain some perspective and add a drive to the movement. Community organizing is an important tool in helping others come to the same realization that I did and I look forward to continue working on organizing with OneAmerica the rest of this summer in the hopes that I too can help contribute to the empowerment of immigrant communities.

*OneAmerica is an immigrant rights advocacy organization that works throughout Washington State to build power in immigrant communities. 

Nicole Miller
Duke Student '15
 

July 6th: DukeEngage service at Habitat-for-Humanity

Slide show of our service at Habitat-for-Humanity! (In two parts because it was too large to download as one)
DukeEngage serving at Habitat Part I
File Size: 7358 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

DukeEngage serving at Habitat Part II
File Size: 9395 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

 
Some first impressions of Seattle:
- SO many bikes.
- The city is unexpectedly beautiful. It's like Uncle Sam got together with Lady Venice and voila, Chief Seattle.
- I recommend trying tripe. I subsequently recommend never having it again.
- Certain Seattleites have a love/hate relationship with wearing clothes.

I’m working for the Washington Bus - the Bus, for short - an organization that using hands-on democracy to reach young people and empower them to participate in the political process. The average age of a voter in Washington is 62. The Bus has a problem with that, and we’re doing something about it. To that end one of the many things we do is get out the vote. We go where the young people go, “dressed in sneakers and hoodies. Or maybe a onesie.” I plan on testing that organizational claim at some point.

On the front lines: A tiered silver box covers my head and torso. My hands poke out through dryer vents in each side of the box. On the front black stenciled paint outlines my identity. I am no longer Jim Maffey - I am Vote Bot. In my crafted persona, I navigate the crowds - be they Pride Festival goers or firewoks lovers
- reaching out to people and leaving them slightly more pleasant than I found them. I am fairly certain there is video footage somewhere on a random person’s camera of a silver vote bot busting a move. And every once in awhile that precious event occurs that turns the gears of democracy one more cog - I get someone to register to vote. A small victory on the battlefield of invigorating the political sphere with young blood. On that note, you all should update your voter registration in your preferred state!

Back in BusHQ: A simple question - how can we make the Bus more sustainable? - leads me on a journey down the rewarding but complicated path of reconciling the triple threat of environmental promise, social equity, and economic demand. Research, implementation, change of behaviors → yay sustainability. In theory. An independent research project of my choice allows me to explore what it takes from a policy standpoint to start a small business or nonprofit -a childhood dream of mine. Candidate Survivor - a three ring circus to determine Seattle’s next Mayor and the Bus’s crown event of the summer - pits me as th “Merch” guy, orchestrating how to feed the masses with swirled sugar and popped kernels while dapper in giant bow ties and top hats.
 
The Bus staff are amazing, passionate, and effective changemakers. I’m honored to work with them and learn from them. I’m incredibly grateful for the slice of Seattle I’ve gotten to taste this summer. 
 
Jim Maffey
Duke ‘15
 
On Tuesday, June 15th, the Lettuce Link community gathered in Sue McGann’s colorful home for the Spring Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. The Lettuce Link staff hosted this potluck in honor of the Lettuce Link volunteers for the time, energy, and dedication they devoted to diverse projects, ranging from teaching kids at Marra Farm to tending starts at neighborhood greenhouses. Volunteers chatted through the night—fueled by stimulating conversation and scrumptious dishes.

The potluck evolved into a feast as dishes blanketed the countertops. A sampling of the menu includes snap peas and carrots from Marra Farm, a spectrum of salads, ginger tofu that disappeared in the first half hour, baguettes and boules donated from Essential Baking, a sunset platter of mango halves and strawberries, and sweet endings of peach pie, chocolate cookies, and coconut milk ice cream. (The only non-vegetarian dish was a refreshing ensemble of rice, shrimp, and cilantro.)

Both dishes and people rotated around the studio and backyard garden. Although the volunteers from Marra Farm, Seattle Community Farm, the Wallingford and Ballard greenhouses, and P-Patch Giving Gardens share the connection and passion of Lettuce Link, they are scattered all over Seattle. Sue’s home thus became a Lettuce Link epicenter that Tuesday evening. The dinner provided everyone with an opportunity to meet the people with whom they have been working. The dinner was not only a potluck for mouthwatering food. People also shared their musings, laughter, hopes, and wishes. At the end of the night, people left with empty plates, full tummies, and new friends. 

Victoria Chang wrote this blog post for Lettuce Link, the organization she is serving with this summer. 
Duke Student '16

 
Picture
Chris Prodracky and Victoria Chang at Seattle Youth Garden Works farm stand at the Wallingford Farmer's Market.
For the past two weeks I’ve been working for Seattle Youth Garden Works, a program administered by Seattle Tilth that seeks to educate and empower underserved youth by employing them on a farm. I spend two days a week in Seattle Tilth’s office in Wallingford (a neighborhood right next to the U-District that’s relatively quiet, at least in comparison to the downtown area where a lot of the other Duke Engage students work) doing administrative tasks, running errands, and helping out at the nearby farmer’s market. On the other three days, I pass the urban artwork above as I walk to our farm at the Center for Urban Horticulture in the U-District.

It’s been a great experience so far. The staff have been really helpful in getting me settled in, and the youth that I work with have been very inclusive, even going so far as to insist that I partake in their weekly reflection sessions with them. It’s a wonderful group of people, which makes getting up to try to do good things with them each morning a whole lot easier.

In another sense, though, the fact that they’re so pleasant makes my job harder. I find that I’m constantly questioning myself: Am I doing a good enough job doing good things? My time here is limited, and I want to do as much as I can. Yet often times when I’m considering ways to do more, I find myself coming face to face with some very difficult, fundamental issues. Poverty, and the whole slew of social issues that come with it, is a prime example. Entire societies spend years trying to remedy it, with varying degrees of success, so what can I, an individual with two months, hope to accomplish?

Encountering these impossible problems can be frustrating. But if that frustration can be channeled into something useful, like motivation or volition, some good could come of it. That’s a personal goal of mine for the next six weeks. I’ll check back in at some point and let you know how it’s going.

Chris Podrachy
Duke Student '15