The post How to have a big-hearted Valentines Day appeared first on Seattle's Child.

At Seattle’s Child, we believe in community and in the importance of all of us working together to improves the lives of the kids and families in our neighborhoods and cities. That’s why we’ve partnered with national nonprofit Doing Good Together, an organization committed to making volunteering and service, along with daily kindness, easy and accessible for every family. Check out the volunteer opportunities compiled by the organization below and make “giving back” a natural part of life’s early lessons. 

Craft Valentine Greeting Cards for Isolated Seniors / Full Life Care

• Date/Time: Our preferred deadline to receive cards is by February 6.
• Location: Please mail or drop off cards to Full Life Care Main Office, 1625 South Columbian Way, Seattle, WA 98108.
• Ages: Everyone can participate.
• Time Commitment: Varies.

Full Life Care is a non-profit providing home and community-based services for adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities, and their caregivers, regardless of their income level. Full Life Care is dedicated to enhancing individuals’ quality of life, respecting their dignity, and providing for them with care and compassion. Your family can help brighten an elder’s day using your card making supplies and creativity! Hand make Valentine’s Day themed greeting cards to donate to participants in Full Life Care’s ElderFriends program, and support its mission to relieve isolation and loneliness among older adults in King County, WA.

Contact: Email jessicac@fulllifecare.org to receive more details about guidelines and instructions to mail or drop off completed cards at our South Seattle office in Beacon Hill.

My Dear Friend Valentine’s Day Card Writing Campaign / GlamourGals

• Date/Time: The campaign runs from Monday, January 19 through February 11.
• Location: Please sign up for the campaign and get started here.
• Ages: Anyone can get involved and spread love this Valentine’s Day!
• Time Commitment: Varies. Every card makes a difference.

Your family can help bring smiles to 30,000 isolated seniors this Valentine’s Day by writing heartfelt cards to seniors living in care. Since 2000, GlamourGals Foundation Inc. has created important connections between teens and seniors through conversation and its signature complimentary beauty makeover program to reduce senior isolation. In addition, their award-winning My Dear Friend card campaign invites participants of all ages across the country to make a difference by simply writing and mailing heartfelt cards to partnering senior homes, spreading joy and love to over 300,000 isolated older adults nationwide.

Contact: Learn more about how you can get involved with GlamourGals here.

Second Saturday Work Parties / Volunteer Park Trust

• Date/Time: Saturday, February 14 and Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m.–noon. Work parties run every second Saturday.
• Location: Volunteer Park, 1247 15th Ave E, Seattle. Meet us at the Black Sun Sculpture across from Seattle Asian Art Museum at 10 a.m. on Saturday. If you arrive late, look for a group of folks gardening and/or a pile of gardening tools within the park, and one of our leaders will be able to get you up to speed quickly.
• Ages: Families with children of all ages are welcome to volunteer. For this event, please ensure that parents or adults volunteer in conjunction with anyone younger than 16 years old.
• Time Commitment: Two hours.

Come meet your neighbors and friends, and enjoy gardening in Volunteer Park at our monthly second Saturdays Stewardship events. Join us as we weed, mulch, prune and clean up the garden beds in Seattle’s Volunteer Park, rain or shine. We will provide gloves and tools. This event is a great way to get outdoors, meet your neighbors, and help keep your park looking beautiful for everyone. Families are welcome!

Contact: admin@volunteerparktrust.org. Registration is available online. Please note, no RSVP is necessary, but helpful for a headcount of volunteers to prepare for. Anyone is welcome to stop by and help

Planting at Sammamish Landing / City of Sammamish

• Date/Time(s): Monday, February 16, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. or Wednesday, February 18, noon–3 p.m.
• Location: 4607 E Lake Sammamish Pkwy NE, Sammamish.
• Ages: Families with children 8 years old and older or welcome to participate. Volunteers 13 years old and younger should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Time Commitment: Three-hour shifts.

Join the city to help plant native plants along the shoreline at Sammamish Landing. Give back to your community, learn about native plants and enhance wildlife habitat!

• Who can volunteer: This project is perfect for individuals, or families (8+) and groups/organizations looking for service projects/hours and students looking to complete community service hours for school.
• What we provide: Water, snacks, gloves and tools will be provided.
• What to wear: Please dress appropriately for outdoor work in cold weather including dressing in layers, wear long sleeves/pants and closed-toed shoes preferably boots with good tread.
• What to bring: If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please bring your own snacks.

All volunteers should also bring a full, refillable water bottle and may also bring a travel mug for hot drinks. Compostable cups will be provided for those that don’t have them or forget them.

Contact: Sebastian Ritacco, sritacco@sammamish.us, 425.414.0829. Click on the dates below for registration. Monday, February 16; Wednesday, February 18

Help Local Children; Pack, Organize, Distribute Donations / WestSide Baby

Date/Time(s): 

• Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 9 a.m.–noon.
• Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30–3:30 p.m.
• Teen hours: Wednesdays from 3–5 p.m. Teen volunteer hours are reserved for teens 13–18 years old only.
• Evening shifts on the 2nd Tuesday and the 4th Thursday of the month from 5–7 p.m.

Check the website for details.

• Location: White Center, 10002 14th Ave SW.
• Ages: Families with children 8 years old and older are welcome to participate. Volunteers 8–12 years old need an adult who will work with them for the entire shift. All minors must have a signed consent form.
• Time Commitment: Shifts are two to three hours.

WestSide Baby provides essentials to local children in need by collecting and distributing diapers, clothing, and equipment. Volunteers are an integral part of the organization and tasks can include sorting incoming donations of clothing and other items, packaging diapers, packaging toys, filling orders for children, and other projects as needed. We work every day with the hope that all babies and young children in our community have their physical basic supply needs met by providing diapers, clothing, toys, books, and safety equipment for their care.

Contact: volunteer@westsidebaby.org or call 206.686.5156. Registration is available online.

Birthday Dreams Volunteer Opportunities /Birthday Dreams

• Date/Time: Check the Birthday Dreams online schedule for party dates, times, and items needed.
• Location: Check the Birthday Dreams online schedule for location information.
• Ages: Varies, depending on party location. Please check the age requirements for a party location before you register to volunteer. Please note that volunteers must be 18 years or older to volunteer for a party at Mary’s Place.

Time Commitment: Varies.

Birthday Dreams is dedicated to bringing joy to homeless children with the gift of a birthday party. Birthday Dreams provides onsite birthday parties at homeless shelters and transitional housing facilities with all the trimmings. Kids are treated to cupcakes, ice cream, and a great time. Volunteers can help in a number of ways: by volunteering at parties, baking cakes, or donating the ingredients to provide a child with a special birthday party!

Contact: info@birthdaydreams.org. Register for a volunteer opportunity online.

Valentines for Veterans / Soldiers’ Angels

• Date/Time: Cards should be delivered by February 14.
• Location: Mail your cards and $1 per card to: Soldiers’ Angels Valentines for Veterans, 2895 NE Loop 410, Suite 107, San Antonio, Texas 78218
• Ages: Everyone is welcome to participate
• Time Commitment: Varies

Holidays like Valentine’s Day are fun to celebrate when you can share the day with your friends or loved ones. Unfortunately, our military heroes often find themselves alone or feeling homesick during holidays. The mission of Soldiers’ Angels is to make sure no one who serves this country feels unloved – and that’s especially true on Valentine’s Day! You and your family can help by making or purchasing Valentines cards for our military and veteran heroes. Why do we ask for the $1 per card? The $1 helps cover the cost to distribute the thousands of cards we receive. Have questions? Check out our FAQs here.

• Feel free to purchase or make your Valentines.
• Our heroes love hearing from children. Making Valentines is a good activity to do with the kids one afternoon.
• Be sure to write a note of encouragement or thanks on your cards.
• Individually wrapped candy can be included if it is attached to the card.
• You can include the envelope if you want, but it is not necessary. If you include an envelope, do not seal it.
• Include $1 per card, cash or check.
• Don’t be afraid to sign your name! You are welcome to include your return address in the event the recipient may write back to you. However, it is also okay if you do not include any personal information.
• If you would like a donation receipt mailed to you, make sure to include your name and mailing address somewhere on or in the box, otherwise we will not know where it came from!

Contact: info@soldiersangels.org. Learn more here.

Provide Sack Lunches / Plymouth Housing Group

• Date/Time: Any day of the week around lunchtime.
• Location: Assemble the lunches at home and coordinate with Kirsten Mintun, kmintun@plymouthhousing.org, to make arrangements to deliver your lunches. Our buildings are concentrated in the Downtown/Belltown/South Lake Union neighborhoods with one in Bellevue and one in Ballard.
• Ages: Families are welcome to participate.
• Time Commitment: Varies. This can be a one-time opportunity or a monthly recurring opportunity. We would love to work with you in whatever capacity is best for you.

Volunteers are needed to purchase supplies, assemble lunches at home or with a community group, and then deliver 50–100 sack lunches to one of our buildings across the Seattle region. This is a great opportunity to directly impact our residents and address a large need for the community! A lot of residents are seniors or have dental issues so softer foods are ideal.

Here are examples of what to include in a paper bag sack lunch:

• One main protein item such as a meat and cheese sandwich, or a meat and cheese wrap.
• One healthy item such as a fruit cup, apple sauce, or hummus.
• One savory item such as chips, crackers, or pretzels.
• One sweet item such as fruit snacks or pudding.

Please do not include any common allergens such as nuts (peanut butter) or seafood.

Contact: Kirsten Mintun at kmintun@plymouthhousing.org if you are interested or have any questions.

Food Bank Distribution / North Helpline Food Bank

Date/Time(s):

• Wednesdays, 8:30–11:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
• Thursdays, 3:30–7:30 p.m.
• Saturdays, 8:30–11:15 a.m. and 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Location(s): 

• Lake City location, 12736 33rd Ave NE, Seattle.
• Bitter Lake location at 13000 Linden Ave N. (Saturday volunteering only).

Ages: Children 8 years old and older are welcome to volunteer with an adult; youth 14 years old and older can volunteer on their own.

Time Commitment: Three to four hours.

Sharing food and resources with our neighbors is at the heart of our purpose! Volunteers in this position will work directly with our neighbors to distribute food according to their needs. You can expect to serve with 8–12 other volunteers in various roles to support our food distribution, including:

• Handing out food from specific categories depending on each client’s household size and preferences.
• Restocking food at the distribution tables.
• Running grocery carts to our neighbors’ cars and back (must be 17 years or older).
• Handing out hygiene items to clients.
• Our warehouse is not climate-controlled, so please dress appropriately, and wear closed-toe shoes for safety.
• Please complete our volunteer application before your first shift. If you haven’t volunteered with North Helpline before, please take a few minutes to fill out our Volunteer Application by clicking “Sign Up” in the Volunteer Portal. Applications are typically processed in a day or two.

Contact: Volunteer Coordinator, volunteers@northhelpline.org, 206. 413.8271. Please click here to volunteer for a shift. If you haven’t volunteered with North Helpline before, please take a few minutes to fill out our Volunteer Application by clicking “Sign Up” in the Volunteer Portal. We will usually process your application in a day or two. If you have volunteered with us in the last five years, please click “login” in the Volunteer Portal. If this is your first time on the new portal, click “Forgot your password?” to reset your password.

Foster a Future Service Dog (Shuttle Available) / Canine Companions

• Date/Time: Ongoing opportunity.
• Location: SODO Seattle.
• Ages: Please note: If you are younger than 18 years old, you will need parental support and they must sign a minor waiver.
• Time Commitment: Flexible, long-term, and short-term fosters are needed. We ask that you commit 3-6 months.

Our dogs have a very special destiny – to enhance the life of a person living with a disability. Volunteer fosters provide the housing, love and care for Canine Companions dogs in order to continue their Professional Training in the Puget Sound region and be matched as service dogs locally. Providing transportation to and from our field office in Seattle, volunteer fosters allow the dogs to be expertly trained by our instructors during the weekday. You’ll play an important role in their journey without the full-time commitment of looking after a dog. All food, medical care, and resources are provided, and most fosters commit for 3-6 months. Dogs are either Labradors, Golden Retrievers, or a mix of both, and all are over 1.5 years old.

Flexible options for drop-off/pick-up:

Our training location in SODO, Seattle. Service dog shuttle at the West Seattle YMCA (Mon-Thurs, 8:20-8:45 AM/3:20-3:45 PM). Contact us about ridesharing to a central location.

FAQs:

• Can I foster if I have pets at home? Yes, as long as your pets are fully vaccinated, friendly, and get along with other animals.
• Can I foster with small children in my home? Yes, the dogs are well-socialized with children of all ages.
• Do I need experience in dog training? No, professional trainers handle all training while the dog is at the Puget Sound Field Office.

If you’re interested but don’t meet every requirement, we’d still love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out at seattleprogram@canine.org, and we’re happy to discuss possible options, including pickup from work locations around King County.

Contact: seattleprogram@canine.org.

Got love to share? Foster a Pet / Regional Animal Services of King County (RASKC)

• Date/Time: Flexible.
• Location: Foster an animal in your home and check in with RASKC, 21615 64th Ave S, Kent.
• Ages: Children may participate in caring for animals, though an adult in the household must be the official volunteer.
• Time Commitment: Very flexible. You can wait until the time is right for you to foster.

Got love to share? Consider becoming a foster volunteer! As a foster volunteer, you make a short-term commitment to nurture one or more animals from the shelter in your home on a temporary basis. For example, some dogs have lingered in the shelter too long and need some respite; and some cats need a break from living in a kennel. Providing time in your home helps them sleep deeply and feel their best selves again. RASKC also offers puppies, kittens, and rabbits for foster care too.

Foster volunteers are given online training, great support, and everything necessary– free pet food, free medical care for the animal, and a free kennel. When the pet is ready to be adopted, you may choose to: a) Select who the animal will be adopted to within our Adopters Welcome guidelines, b) Bring the animal back to the shelter, or c) Adopt the animal yourself. You can decide when the time is right for you to foster– on an ongoing basis or just every once in a while. Community service might be available for school (if it is okay with the school). Usually, 1.5 hours is credited for each day an animal is cared for in your home.

1. Complete a RASKC volunteer application if you are an adult. One application per household.
2. Go to RASKC’s website. View the Training Module 4 – then answer the questions. The other training modules are optional.
3. Submit your completed liability release form if you are an adult.

Contact: Sarah Luthens, RASKC.Volunteers@kingcounty.gov, 206.225.4899

Evan’s Creek Trail Decommissioning Project / City of Sammamish

• Date/Time: Saturday, March 7, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
• Location: Stormwater Facility, 2679 233rd Pl NE, Sammamish. This facility is located in the Summer Ridge housing community; please double check address when navigating. Street parking only is available. Please carpool or plan to be dropped off. If you do park nearby, please do not block driveways, mailboxes, roads, etc. when parking.
• Ages: Families with children 8 years old and older or welcome to participate. Volunteers 13 years old and younger should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
• Time Commitment: Three-hour shift.

Join the City on a special restoration project as part of the Evan’s Creek Preserve Expansion Project. Volunteers will be helping prep a section of trail that is slated to be decommissioned by stabilizing steep areas and planting vegetation to discourage use of unsafe social trails that were created by people going off-trail. We will provide water, snacks, gloves and tools.

What to wear: Please dress appropriately for weather, and wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes suitable for hiking (e.g. hiking boots with good tread & ankle support) and clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.

If you have any dietary restrictions or food allergies, please bring your own snacks. All volunteers should also bring a full, refillable water bottle. Compostable cups will be provided for those that don’t have them or forget them.

Contact: Sebastian Ritacco, sritacco@sammamish.us, 425.414.0829. Registration is available online.

Check Out Our Featured Project Of The Month!

Create Greeting Cards

EXPLORE our growing list of at-home projects you can do whenever you’re ready. Each project includes conversation starters, book ideas, and more! Follow along on social media as other families tackle this month’s project and share their stories! Simply join our Facebook group or find us on Instagram (@doinggoodtogether and #sharekindness).

Let’s Show Kids that Love Rules!

Though it may seem cliché this time of year, the need for love is real. As many face isolation, angst, and uncertainty, we can lead by example to show our kids that love rules. And we can do that with more than just words. Let’s focus on love in the books we read, the gifts we give, and the activities we pursue. To do that, remember DGT’s offerings, including love-themed books, our Shop Kind Gift Guide, and our Valentine’s-themed Kindness Challenge.

This list was compiled by Doing Good Together and reposted with permission. When calling or emailing to volunteer for any of the opportunities listed above, please let the coordinator know you found it through this listing. You are encouraged to ask any questions you may have of the sponsoring organization before committing to a project.

Disclaimer: This list is provided as a service to families. Inclusion of organizations in this listing does not imply affiliation, endorsement, or quality assurance on the part of Doing Good Together. Doing Good Together bears no responsibility whatsoever for the activities and actions of the listed organizations. © 2025 Doing Good Together

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The organization has helped Seattle families meet immediate needs for food, employment, clothing bank, housing, transportation, youth development and more for more than 50 years. It’s new campaign, “Change Begins with Community,” highlights the power of community to stand up for local families and neighbors faced with rising housing and food costs amid increased tariffs, cuts to social services, and other actions by the federal government. Contributions to the campaign go toward the organization’s  mission to dismantle poverty by making sure families have healthy food, secure housing, accessible transportation,
and other basic needs to thrive.

Contributions to the campaign will be matched through Dec. 31, doubling the weight of every donation (a $10 donation becomes $20 with a matching gift from another donor).

“In times like these, sharing your time and resources with your neighbors is not an act of charity, but of resistance,” Shalimar Gonzales, Solid Ground CEO, said in a release. “It is up to every one of us to safeguard the future and wellbeing of our communities.”

What You Can Do

Along with contributing during the gift matching time frame, Solid Ground staff encourages Seattle families to also make a difference in the following ways during the holiday giving season:

• Purchase everyday essentials and staples on Solid Ground Amazon wishlists. Items are shipped directly to the organization and quickly distributed to housing residents and program participants who need them most.
• Volunteer your knitting and crocheting skills. Our Knit-It-Alls volunteers create warm winter hats, clothing, and blankets that we distribute to low-income families and people experiencing homelessness.
• Consider making a tribute gift, recognizing a grandparent, parent, teacher or child or other special person with a one time donation of $35 or more

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Tonight, hundreds of families in our community will go to sleep in cars, tents, or outside. Thousands more are at risk of losing their homes. These are not strangers—they are our neighbors and co-workers.

Mary’s Place is a lifeline. Last year, they provided emergency shelter, mobile outreach, and prevention services to more than 1,700 families, including nearly 3,200 children. They helped 1,128 families move into or stay in stable housing. But the need is growing, and they cannot do it alone. Each day, 50-60 families call the intake line asking for help Mary’s Place is only able to provide safe shelter and a warm bed to just one or two.

This is where Seattle’s Child readers come in. Any gift—no matter the size—directly provides safe shelter, hot meals, and critical services families need to move from crisis to stability.

Here’s what your donations can do:

• $25 covers getting a copy of child’s birth certificate, required for rental applications.
• $68 provides a night of safety and warmth for a child
• $100 enables the shelter intake and healthcare coordination for a family with a medically fragile child
• $500 supports ten families sleeping outside with resources to purchase groceries, gas, and necessities
• $1,000 provides the resources to make a cozy home for six newly housed families each week

Even small donations add up: A $5 donation to Mary’s Place may not pay for a whole night of shelter or a big service by itself — but it adds to the vital fund that keeps their shelters open, meals running, and staff available.

Sometimes it’s helpful to here the story of a neighbor in need to understand how much even a small donation helps.

Readers’ gifts will help our neighbors, co-workers, and even our children’s classmates.

Take action: Join Tim and I in supporting Mary’s Place by making a donation to the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign before December 31. Together, we can ensure that no child sleeps outside.

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The donation of up to $170 million per year for the next decade could fund 10,000 additional slots in the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, or ECEAP, for low-income families. The program currently has just over 14,000 slots statewide at over 460 locations.

The Ballmer Group was founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife Connie.

Gov. Bob Ferguson called the funding “truly transformative.”

“It’d be hard to quantify how significant that investment will be for our state,” Ferguson said at a press conference Wednesday, announcing the news at the Denise Louie Education Center in Seattle.

As a condition of getting the gift, the state pledged no further budget cuts to the ECEAP program for the next 10 years.

Established in 1985, the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program, open to kids ages 3 and 4, is similar to the federally-supported Head Start. Washington’s program offers free early learning child care or preschool, as well as support services.

Children who participate in ECEAP are more likely to be “kindergarten ready” and less likely to need special education services, according to a 2022 Washington State Institute for Public Policy report. But as school goes on, it doesn’t necessarily correlate with better test scores or high school graduation rates.

“We at Ballmer Group have been inspired by Washington state’s commitment to ensure that every eligible kiddo has access to high-quality early learning, and Ballmer Group’s role is simple: To help that vision move faster,” said Andi Smith, the organization’s executive director for Washington.

The exact amount the Ballmer Group will give each year will be determined by demand for additional slots and whether providers are available. It’ll likely be a years-long ramp-up to fully realize the investment.

“But we are going to be moving heaven and earth to make that happen,” Ferguson said.

The governor wants to enroll an additional 2,000 children in the program next school year.

If the state raises ECEAP funding sometime in the next decade, the Ballmers would match that, leading to added philanthropic funding. Ferguson didn’t commit to taking that step, given the state’s ongoing budget challenges, but said, “I think we have to seize this opportunity and maximize it.”

State and federal headwinds

Facing a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall this year, state lawmakers targeted ECEAP to help fill the gap.

They postponed expansions of the preschool program that would extend it to all qualifying low-income families and child care subsidies. They slashed about 12% of slots, totaling about 2,000, many of which were unfilled due to staffing issues. They eliminated state funding for an ECEAP program for toddlers younger than 3, affecting nearly 200 families. And they decreased funding for the state’s Complex Needs grant fund that supports providers serving children with disabilities, developmental delays and behavioral issues.

The cuts to ECEAP focused on part-day slots that might not appeal to working families, while shifting toward more full school-day slots.

In total, the budget cutbacks amounted to around $60 million.

To save money this year, state lawmakers also capped enrollment in the separate Transition to Kindergarten program.

Meanwhile, the state program’s federal counterpart has faced months of Trump administration efforts to dismantle Head Start, which serves roughly 15,000 kids in Washington. And the government shutdown threatened federal funding for programs that serve more than 3,100 Head Start students in Washington, and led to cutbacks across the country.

The Ballmers give millions every year to various causes in Washington, many of which focus on education.

In 2023, the Ballmers gave $38 million to the University of Washington for scholarships to study early childhood education. At the time, the university said the money would provide more than 1,500 scholarships over the ensuing eight years.

State lawmakers will need to pass a bill in the upcoming legislative session to formally receive the Ballmers’ latest gift.

To be eligible for ECEAP, families have to earn less than 36% of the state median income. For a family of four, that’s around $50,000 a year. It’s also available to children who are homeless or who’ve previously participated in certain birth-to-age-3 programs, and those on individualized education programs, which are for students with disabilities.

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This article has been reposted with permission from the Washington State Standard, part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization and committed to shining “a light on policy and politics in all 50 states.” Click here to support nonprofit, freely distributed, independent local journalism. Read this article and others online at Washington State Standard.

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The home, located in Fife just north of Tacoma, is a detention center for undocumented youth. Ventura spent the last years of his childhood there. When he turned 18, with no family to take him in, he was ordered to report to an adult detention facility.

Ventura went his own way. He met and befriended other undocumented youth who also lacked stable housing or steady income. In 2020, he met Rosario Lopez, an organizer and community navigator, through a mutual aid group formed during the pandemic.

“We gave him some money for food, but he came back for more right away,” said Lopez. She realized he was buying food for other kids, too.

They became fast friends. Lopez described Ventura as a born leader, charismatic, kind, and with a love for life that transcended his difficult circumstances.

Ventura started a group called Super Familias (“Super Families”) to help undocumented youth find friendship, security — even joy. At first, members organized protests against the Selma R. Carson Home, citing what they called poor conditions at the facility, but Ventura’s heart wasn’t in it.

What he did love, however, was raising money for the quinceañera of a fellow Super Familia youth, a teen named Suamy. “He respected the desire for protest,” said Lopez, “but Jose wanted to heal.”

“He told me if we can’t heal from the things that happened to us, we’ll just end up in prison or the hospital system,” Lopez said.

And then, just a year after they met, 19-year-old Jose Ventura died tragically. Lopez plans to ensure healing others remains Ventura’s legacy.

Today, Super Familias hosts cumbia dance classes, maintains a community pantry, and collects items like winter coats, shoes, tablets, computers, and phones.

“We shifted focus to the healing arts like art and dance,” said Lopez. Many undocumented youth are seeking help, she continued. Super Familias is “looking for ways to help kids heal by connecting them with their roots and culture.”

ICE raids have forced Super Familias to be cautious of sharing any location information, so they mainly communicate through Signal and word of mouth.

Learn more at Instagram @superfamilia_kc.

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Walking among the stalls, you can feel the excitement as the kid-trepreneurs set out the products they have developed over the past several months — everything from hand-crocheted stuffed animals to tabletop succulent gardens.

Throughout the day, hundreds will visit the business fair to shop in the festive atmosphere and support the kids’ efforts.

The fair is much more than an opportunity to sell products. It’s the mission of the grassroots Thoughtful Citizens in action. The organization is all about building community.

The seed for Thoughtful Citizens was planted in 2017, when founder Maura Query was looking for community service opportunities that she and her young daughter could participate in together. Most organizations had age restrictions or required continued commitment, making it difficult for parents to volunteer with their children.

After an unsuccessful search for things that she and her daughter could step up to help with on a whim, Query decided to begin her own all-ages and all-abilities community service event.

“Everybody’s individual contributions can make a difference,” says Query, “And I wanted to remove barriers so more people can serve in their community.”

Thoughtful Citizens has evolved into an organization with a far-reaching community impact. All events are designed to allow people of all ages and abilities to work together toward a common goal in support of the community.

To date, volunteers with Thoughtful Citizens have collected over 700 pounds of trash, created and distributed over 2,400 cards to seniors, and produced and delivered over 2,200 scarves to unhoused individuals. The impact of volunteering goes far beyond the event itself.

“I want volunteers to leave feeling more empowered to do good in their daily lives,” says Query.

Learn how to help: Visit thoughtful-citizens.org.

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“COVID stripped bare the failures of our current system to keep people well and supported,” said Seattle resident and community volunteer Reid Branson. “A lot of people were going hungry.”

In response to that need, a group of “energetic” young people founded the first community fridge in Seattle. The worldwide community refrigerators movement offers a free, anonymous, and localized way for people to access fresh food, such as produce and dairy. Branson is a member of the nonprofit Seattle Community Fridge (SCF), which now helps keep seven community refrigerators stocked.

Seattle Community Fridge is not your typical charity. As a mutual aid group, SCF is a voluntary, non-hierarchical organization where resources are shared unreservedly to address a community need. There are no conditions or criteria for receiving resources, no paid staff, and a minimal budget.

“There’s no concept of ‘deservingness’ and no inherent political agenda,” Branson explained. “It’s just people who have a lot giving to people who don’t.”

Seattle Community Fridge currently has six locations, with one on the way. They include:

• Phinney Ridge: Woodland Park Presbyterian, 225 N 70th St.
• Dunlap/Rainier Beach: In alley at 48th Ave. S & S Thistle St.
• North Beacon Hill: 1307 13th Ave. S
• Capitol Hill: St. Joseph Parish, 745 19th Ave. E
• Inside LGBTQ+ Center: 400 E Pine St.
• Burien: 12027 10th Ave. S
• Coming soon: Estelita’s Library, 241 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
• Though SCF doesn’t collect data on people who visit the fridge, relationships form organically.

For example, SCF member Reily Ingram-Sowell would pick up food from the Delridge Farmers Market to stock the Rainier fridge.

“I keep a pretty regular volunteer schedule,” Ingram-Sowell said. She began to notice a small crew of familiar faces every time she dropped off food. “We didn’t speak the same language, but we were able to communicate what they needed, and now I see them pretty much every time.”

Likewise, when Burien SCF volunteers noticed a small community of Afghan people visiting the fridge, they started stocking items traditionally used in Afghan cuisine.

Learn more about taking or giving fresh food: seattlecommunityfridge.org

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The experience gave her insight into the complexities and gaps within the state’s child welfare system. She also recognized an immense need for consistent support for everyone involved.

Turnover rates among U.S foster parents range from 30% to 50% each year, often within the first year. As a result, many children and youth are left in limbo and feeling unwanted — a dismal reality that Christian couldn’t shake.

“When our fostering journey came to an end, I began searching for a better way to walk alongside those who step into this space, and to support families who say yes to fostering,” Christian said.

Angels arrive in Seattle

During Christian’s research, she discovered National Angels, a nationwide parent organization that builds communities of support for foster families and children in the hope of improving the experience for everyone. In 2018, Christian launched Seattle Angels, one of 19 chapters under National Angels. The local group began matching volunteers with foster families in February 2019.

The organization has two arms: the Love Box program, which matches volunteers with foster families to ensure family needs are met, and Dare to Dream, a one-to-one mentorship program for foster youth ages 11 to 22. So far in 2025, the organization has supported 150 children and 56 families.

Love Box volunteers range from community individuals to church groups who commit to showing up each month, whether by meeting tangible needs or simply spending time with the family. Showing up can be as simple as delivering board games, clothing, or household supplies, and as involved as planning an outing with the family, babysitting, tutoring, or mowing their lawn.

Dare to Dream mentors commit to one year of meeting with their mentee every other week to set goals and make plans to achieve them. Youth work on earning their driver’s license, practicing their interviewing skills, or learning life skills like budgeting.

Wrapping around families

“Our ultimate goal is to wrap families in the foster care community with as much love, support, and community as we can,” said Ellsworth. “Each act of care adds up to a powerful network of belonging that reminds families they are not alone.”

Learn how to help: seattleangels.org

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It was a crafty kid’s dream, holding little bags of clay, pots of pottery glaze, and hand-building tools. The invitation was simple: make something out of the clay, paint it with glaze, and return your creation to the box, the sign for which read “Little Free Pottery Studio.”

When the pottery artist, supported by King County’s 4Culture program, fired your creation, they posted it on their Facebook page. Thrilled neighborhood children scrambled to collect their art on the walk home from school.

In fact, Greater Seattle seems to love the Little Free movement, launched in 2009 when Wisconsin resident Todd Bol erected the first Little Free Library. Since then, more than 200,000 registered little libraries have gone up in 128 countries, over 1,100 of them in King County.

Step into almost any neighborhood in the county and you’re likely to find a Little Free Library, where residents find and leave books for each other. You can learn how to start one yourself with our article Check out the article, “How to start your own Little Free Library.”

But the movement is for more than free books. It’s about being a neighbor, spreading joy, and meeting needs. Besides the aforementioned pottery box, Little Free Pantries (where shelf-stable food is shared) have abounded here since 2016 and in 2020, Seattle-based artist Stacy Milrany launched Free Little Art Galleries, where artists showcase tiny art pieces. You’ll now find such galleries not only here but across the globe.

The Little Free movement sings of the simple power of sharing to build and nurture community. They inspire kids and parents to share children’s books that would otherwise sit unused in a garage.

After my kids graduated from high school, my partner and I put up a Little Free Library in front of our home. That little box full of books helped us connect with neighbors, and, by way of the notes we wrote in the flaps, we became trusted “reviewers” of parenting books and “recommenders” of kids’ titles.

Build a Little Free sharing box

We ordered our Little Free Library box kit from the Little Free Library site, but I should note it wasn’t cheap. Ours cost around $400 and currently small ones start at about $190. However, with the help of the folks and tools at Seattle REconomy’s Tool Libraries in Northeast Seattle and Shoreline or any of Seattle’s six tool libraries and not a lot of cost, you can make it with your crafty kid. Check out this video:

Learn how to start or stock a Little Free something by visiting:

• littlefreelibrary.org
• littlefreepantry.org
• freelittleartgalleries.art

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