Seattle Shines

https://seattleshines.com/2016/02/08/the-time-is-now-seeking-seattle-heroes/

The Time Is Now: Seeking Seattle Heroes While it’s a political centered time often dominated with media to polarize each other, let’s lift each other up by celebrating the people in our communities who are making a positive d…

Let's make it happen, folks!
Finally caught up on adding Kim's interview to the blog, and we're ready to photograph other heroes in Seattle:
https://seattleshines.com/2016/10/11/why-she-counted-the-salmon/

Why She Counted The Salmon One of West Seattle’s hidden spaces is Longfellow Creek. It visibly winds it’s way through the Delridge neighborhood, but stretches several miles and rests below the border of West Seat…

About time for another post - navigating the city wide changes to how the neighborhoods advocate and work with the city departments: https://seattleshines.com/2016/08/01/seattle-shining-through-leadership-shake-up-dismantling-district-councils/

Seattle Shining Through Leadership Shake Up: Dismantling District Councils The fascinating thing about this project is that it was born out of a collaborative event. One that came from conversations I had with neighbors that the Delridge District Council fostered. I had b…

In response to the Mayor's dismantling of the District Council system to work with neighborhoods, a meeting was held to help the current district volunteers navigate moving forward in efforts to serve neighbors.

"I love to research things that are happening in my community, my neighborhood, on my block. I’m a hyper, hyper local person, and I narrow it down to my block because that’s sometimes how far I can think." - Kim is a West Seattle resident who volunteered to count salmon in Longfellow Creek. I can't wait to share more about why she did and how she's volunteering.

Delightfully full of tangents that highlight other people doing things to make a difference, the post is up..
Nathan Vass:
"The great change that needs to happen here is a psychological change. It's a comprehension that we’re all largely the same. Once we realize that, once we can take care of each other, and make decisions that help our selves and others, that’s when great change can happen more easily."

http://seattleshines.com/2016/03/11/why-hes-on-board/

Why He’s On Board “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” I always thought that was a good articulation of volunteering.

"I’ve also had a series of incidents, one is the Paris thing where I’m just miraculously still alive and thrilled about it, and very thankful. The other is the turning 30 thing. It impresses a sense of urgency. Similar to turning 25, but more so. There is just not that much time. The time that is there is extremely valuable. It makes me more conscious of what I do with it, and how I use that time." - Nathan Vass

"At University Heights in the courtyard, there used to be engraved on the concrete there a quote, “The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” I always thought that was a good articulation of volunteering." - Nathan Vass

An oldie but goody that I was reminded of while walking Longfellow Creek today interviewing a nearby unsung hero: http://seattleshines.com/2013/11/21/longfellow-creek-salmon-spawning/

Longfellow Creek: Salmon Spawning! In the eight years I've lived in Delridge, I have never seen the salmon spawning in Longfellow Creek. I have only seen craw fish. The rumor is that this land was inhabited by a native tribe who fis...

Please keep Nathan Vass in your prayers as his friends and Aunt have been unable to contact or locate his whereabouts - he is in Paris right now.

I (Holli) was focused on Bolivia last spring, and that shifted my focus quite a bit for all of my free time became dedicated to building my photography business so that I can do more work like this...which ironically is what Seattle Shines is all about: showing the good work and beauty in hard places.

http://holliwithani.com/bolivia/

Seattle photographer » Bolivia

Howdy folks! I know it's been nearly a year since the project has gotten any attention, but it's still inspiring.

Life has kept us busy, and we haven't forgotten the project. While I (Holli) wanted to keep this page dedicated solely to the Seattle Shines posts, I realized that is silly.

So, it's time to show you what we've been up to beyond this project. Please enjoy Nathan's blog post about his latest trip:
http://www.nathanvass.com/the-view-from-nathans-bus/light-hitting-objects-in-cuba

Light Hitting Objects in Cuba I go to Paris on Tuesday. The blog will be down for another two weeks; I plan to return in late November, but for now– a word (plus pictures!) on Cuba, and a special video treat to come just before...