Donate to NEST today and The Seattle Foundation will generously match a portion of your gift!
You want your gift to have the most impact possible, and we do too! On this day of giving, NEST will receive an extra funding boost to continue helping NE Seattle seniors live confidently in the homes they love. This is a another GREAT opportunity when many small acts to make a huge difference.
Donate HERE to help us fund our Americorps Member Services Coordinator for the next year. This position is essential to providing prompt, friendly and reliable services to our growing pool of members, volunteers and vendors.
In the process of donating, you could win a Golden Ticket, an additional $1,000 from The Seattle Foundation to donate to NEST!
Thanks for joining us for this fantastic opportunity!
Judy Kinney, Executive Director
Please enjoy some picture highlights from the event, and follow Rene on twitter: @renetmurry or connect through email: renetmurry@gmail.com
Join us for our next NESTcafé on May 20th with Rebecca Crichton and “Are You Happy? The Keys to Living Hopeful, Happy, and Satisfied”.
by: Cameron Martin, NEST Americorp Volunteer, Member Services Coordinator
NEST is truly a discovery. Each interaction with members is an opportunity for them to express what they might need or want when it comes to aging. It is also an opportunity for me to let them know of the new opportunities available with the volunteers and vendors in NEST. This story is an example of one discovery that unfolded between NEST members and volunteers.
NEST Founding Members Estell and Irving Berteig
Recently, I worked with Founding Members, Irv and Estell Berteig, as they were thinking about staying in their home and accessibility. They called NEST to help them figure out where to start when it came to remodeling, for now and in the future as they stayed in their home.
After a bit of idea bouncing back and forth between the Berteig’s and the NEST team, there was a conclusive decision that knowledgeable third-parties were necessary to help the Berteigs formulate a creative plan.
In this case, two fantastic volunteers were contacted. Andy Goulding, a volunteer architect who has designed accessibility projects for NEST in the past, and Robert Reed, our volunteer consulting contractor.
Robert and Andy sat down with the Berteig’s, for what I like to call a “fantasy session.” In about an hour and a half, all sorts of potentials, from simple accessibility ramps, to lifts, to elevators were discussed. With so much experience in the mix, these two volunteers were able to guide the Berteigs through options that were possible, as well as practical. The discussions included cost of what would and
would not be valuable for the Berteigs in the long term.
As Estell said, “They just made us feel really good about the things we might need to do when it comes to a
ccessibility and remodeling for now, and in the future. I am planning for our needs for at least the next 20 years.”
The Berteig’s ease of planning can be summarized in what I call, the beauty of being a professional volunteer–using specialized skills with nothing at stake for you. This is what Robert says about volunteering with NEST, “What’s cool about volunteering for NEST the way I do, is the complete financial disconnect – it is still the same act of trying to figure out what the client wants/needs and how to balance the costs with the reality, but with the complete freedom to be entirely disinterested in the outcome. If [the members] move forward, great! If not, that’s OK too.”
Andy has really enjoyed his experience, as a retired architect, meeting with NEST members, and designing architectural concepts that will add beauty and value to homes that allow people to live more comfortably.
With only a few weeks passing, between the initial request and today, the Berteig’s are in the process
of deciding how to proceed based on the advice they have received from the trusted support of NEST volunteers.
Happy Spring!
How do we begin to convey how motivating it is to be fully backed by our community?
So many new and long-time NEST friends showed up for our Evening with Nancy Pearl event on Sunday, March 24th! More than 130 people, 24 volunteers and 18 business contributed to this event, raising over $20,000 to make it easier for NEST to create and support a robust network of members, volunteers and trusted vendors in 2013. In addition to Nancy Pearl’s generous presence, so many people made this event such a success.
Your generous support motivates us to be better and do more. Indeed, you make it easier for us to say yes to member and volunteer ideas and wishes. We may be the conduit, but I am clear that you are building this organization. You are consitently with us when we open our doors to new members and invite volunteers to lend a hand. Repeatedly, you are here when we ask you to support us financially.
Thank you!
Photos courtesy of NEST Volunteers: Roz Hall, Kristian Nielsen-Herrera, and Dolores Rossman
By: Alison Pollack, Conservation Outreach Assistant, Americorp Volunteer
Spring is finally here, which means it’s time to get outside to enjoy nature and even (if Seattle cooperates) soak up some sunshine! Seattle Audubon is launching a new and unique opportunity for you to get outside, meet neighbors, and help conserve our urban forest! Through the Canopy Connections Tree Census, you can work with Seattle Audubon to record local tree data for a city-wide, collaborative tree database. Several other cities have created a similar project (take a look at San Francisco’s tree site to get an idea: http://urbanforestmap.org) and Seattle Audubon is working hard to provide our city with the best tree database possible!
This project relies on citizen scientists like you to walk their block and record basic tree data—think of it as a census for trees! The city of Seattle has a goal to reach 30% canopy cover by the year 2036. Currently, Seattle has 24% canopy cover and this project will ensure we’re on track for the citywide goal. A healthy and vibrant urban forest is incredibly important—a single Douglas Fir can absorb as much as 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide a year, which would otherwise pollute the atmosphere.
Participating in this project will build community, bring together neighbors, and provide an opportunity to directly impact the local ecosystem! Anyone can get involved at any time regardless of skill level or prior experience—all are welcome! Simply attend a brief training session which will occur every other Saturday and every other Wednesday beginning in April. For more information and details on trainings or to get involved, contact Alison Pollack at alisonp@seattleaudubon.org, 206-523-8243 x39 and check out the Canopy Connections website by clicking here!
In relation to other NE Seattle community building efforts, NEST is one of the newest kids on the block.
I have recently attended a talk at the University of Washington by a friend and neighbor who is an adult with special needs. He was speaking to other adults with special needs.
As I listened to him speak about his path it was all about his passion for neighbors, nature, and sustainability. The projects included restoring the creek at Ravenna Park, Neighborhood Night Out, Block parties, Community Gardens (sharing the produce) and at the end of the season cooking together for a shared meal. All of this began for him in 1995. This is 2013.
He ended with the acronym F A S T and proceeded to explain.
F FUN. Have a good time with your interest what ever it may be and like minded folks will join in and participate.
A ASK. ASK, and ASK over the years. Just keep doing what you are doing. People and their circumstances change so just keep asking.
S SLOW. Gathering community is a slow process.
T TIME. Gathering takes time.
The punch line was even though the acronym is FAST the process is actually SLOW.
As he completed his talk I whipped out a scrap piece of paper and wrote it down to share with the NEST community as it seemed pertinent.
As I said in the beginning NEST is one of the newer kids on the block of community building despite being an older community doing it. Maybe that is because we really aren’t kids and KNOW about Fast and Slow and Time by heart. We stand on the shoulders of many efforts that have gone on in the past and are fortunate to be in a place where there is such a willingness of heart. Let’s celebrate the FUN along the way. Lastly, aren’t we all adults with special needs?
