Updated, Jan. 20–Shelter will also be open this evening, Fri., Jan. 20.

Because of the snowstorm and its accompanying cold temperatures, the City of Kent is opening the Kent Severe Weather Shelter at the Kent Lutheran Church tonight, Jan. 18 through Fri., Jan. 20. Here are the details:

Location:  Kent Lutheran Church, 336 2nd Ave. S., Kent, WA  98032

Check-in and registration:  9 p.m.  (all guests must register)

Shelter closes, guests must leave:  7 a.m.

The shelter is giving priority to homeless families with children who are living on the streets or in their vehicles. Men and women without children are also welcome. There is separate sleeping space available for families, men and women.

The Severe Weather Shelter is operated by Catholic Community Services staff and volunteers from the Kent Lutheran Church and Kent community.

To locate shelters in Renton, Federal Way, Bellevue and Seattle, dial 2-1-1.

If you know of a homeless person or family who needs shelter, please share this information with them.

Contributed by Victoria Andrews, Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a national holiday, is Monday, January 16. With schools and many businesses closed, including city of Kent offices, Kent Parks would like to encourage students, scouts, families and others to observe it by contributing community service.

Once again, we will focus on collecting litter along the Interurban Trail. Volunteers will meet at the Kent Lions Skate Park on West Smith St. near Lincoln Avenue/Valley Highway overpass in downtown Kent. Parking is available in the Park-and-Ride lot next to the skate park.

Trash bags and a limited number of pick sticks will be provided. Volunteers should dress for the weather, wear sturdy boots or shoes, bring work gloves and a bottle of water if they wish. Special programs manager Victoria Andrews staffs the event and requests pre-registration by January 12 to ensure she brings enough supplies. To download the registration flyer, visit www.KentWAParks.com and click on Volunteer. Or call 253-856-5110.

2012 Relay for Life of Kent Kickoff

January 26, 2012
7:00 p.m.

Kent Senior Center
600 E. Smith St.
Kent, WA  98030

For more info., call Dave Foltz at 253-686-6799 or email him.

Sign-up before kickoff for $50 registration.

Celebrate. Remember. Fight Back.

From Victoria Andrews, Kent Parks, Recreation & Community Services

On Saturday, January 7, 2012, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, local Boy Scout troops will collect and recycle Christmas trees in neighborhoods around Kent for a $5.00 donation.  The location is Service Club Ballfields, 14608 SE 288^th Street (west off Kent-Kangley Road at 144^th).

To ensure pick-up, trees must be placed outside by 8:00 AM Saturday morning; the scouts are unable to confirm an exact pick-up time. If you prefer to deliver your tree yourself, please bring it to Service Club Ballfields.  Scouts will be on hand to unload the trees and accept your donation. Trees with tinsel and/or flock cannot be accepted.  For more information, contact the Kent Lions & Foundation (253-852-5466) or check the City’s community calendar at www.KentWA.gov.

This long-running program keeps the trees out of landfills and provides a stockpile of chips for use by Parks Maintenance to mulch new plants and maintain trails in the City parks system.  By participating in the program, you can help the Boy Scouts, the Parks Department, and the environment.         

City of Kent Recycling:  Jan. 9 – 13, 2012

The City of Kent will also provide free curbside pickup of Christmas trees for residential households within the Kent City Limits the week of January 9-13, 2012.   You must be a current Allied Waste garbage customer to be eligible.  An event flyer is mailed to residential garbage customers in mid-December.

- Unflocked & completely clean of decorations

- Without stands

- Base of tree cannot exceed four inches in diameter

- Trees taller than five feet must be cut into three-foot sections and bundled with natural material like twine

- If your tree is missed, call Allied Waste at 206-682-9735.

Contributed by Megan Hilfer for Farrington Court

Farrington Court is hosting a Community Christmas Dinner with Elohim Ministries at Kent Lutheran Church this Saturday, Dec. 17^th.  They will feed over 200 homeless and low-income families in the Kent area.

The dinner starts at 6pm, and the menu features ham and all the trimmings.  They have received many donations from the community but are still in need of some hams, as well as more volunteers to help serve.  If you can donate or volunteer, please contact Farrington Court for more information at (253) 852-2737.

This is the first year Farrington Court has hosted the Community Christmas Celebration.

Join Kiwanis Club of Kent for Dinner, Jazz and Comedy.

Sat., Dec. 17, 2011
6:30 p.m.

Honorary Emcee Susannah Frame, KING5 TV

Kent Events Center
10120 SE 260th St.
Kent, WA  98030

*Live Jazz
*Local Comedy
*Kids Corner
*Silent Auction
*Live Auction

Dinner and Entertainment, $30 for adults, $20 for children

Buy tickets online:  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/210921

Contact Bailey Stober with questions at 253-306-4445 or by email.

Valley Medical Center is getting in the holiday spirit by sharing their goodwill with those in need. The community is invited to help them make the holidays a little brighter this year.

Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

A Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is on the third floor of the hospital. It includes gift wishes for children from age 1 through 17. Select a tag, purchase a gift and return the unwrapped gift to the tree by Tues., Dec. 13.

VMC’s Occupational Health Services Teams up with BlanketSeattle

Valley Medical Center’s Occupational Health Services is accepting donations of cold-weather items for BlanketSeattle, including:

· Blankets

· Long-sleeve shirts

· Hats

· Thermals

· Pants

· Boots

· Sweaters

· Gloves

· Scarves

· Sleeping bags

· Socks (new)

Donation boxes can be found at the hospital through the end of December.

VMC Fitness Center:  Northwest Harvest Food Collection & Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree

The Fitness Center at Valley Medical Center is collecting donations of non-perishable foods for Northwest Harvest, through December 31. Additionally, a Salvation Army Christmas Angel Tree is located at the Fitness Center. Gift wish tags for children ages 1 through 17 are still available. Unwrapped gifts need to be returned to the Fitness Center tree by Tuesday, December 20. The Fitness Center is located on the first floor of the Talbot Professional Center on the Valley Medical Center campus. Free covered parking is conveniently located in the VMC parking garage. 

VMC Day Surgery Center Food & Clothing Drive

The Valley Medical Center Day Surgery Center is having a non-perishable food drive for Faith Harvest Helpers, and a warm clothing drive for the Renton Clothing Bank through December 22. The Day Surgery Center is located at 17820 Talbot Road South, Renton.

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle celebrates the holiday season with community service throughout the Puget Sound. In November, the local franchise assisted World Association for Children & Parents (WACAP), ARAS and Kent Downtown Partnership.

Last weekend TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® team members Scott Doyea and Anthony Roberts picked up items at WACAP and delivered them to the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle for the Children’s Hope Gala. Approximately 300 people attend this auction, raising $300,000 annually to help the organization find homes for abused and neglected children. On the event’s Facebook page, a volunteer posted this: “TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® rocks! We couldn’t have pulled off this auction without your help! Thank you!”

In addition to this event, team members Anthony Canfield and Colin Gibson worked with Mary Trask of the ARAS Foundation to coordinate pick-up and delivery of donated items for the organization’s annual Harvest Festival on November 19. This year’s event was held at the Highland Community Center in Bellevue. During this annual event, low income families can “shop” for food, clothes and toys and receive free services like haircuts. This is the third year TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle has participated in the event.

“This is a fun time of year for a lot of us, but many in the Seattle area are struggling this holiday season,” says Rick Clendenen of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle. “We like to help out where we can, particularly in the communities where we serve. These communities have been good to us, and we want to give back wherever we can.”

From November 26 to December 3, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle will also participate in the Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt, a week-long event sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership. The goal of the project is to celebrate local small businesses and to introduce local shoppers to Kent’s downtown businesses. “Hunters” pick up a passport and map at participating locations, visit each business to locate the special holiday nutcracker and then turn in their completed passports at the Kent Library to be eligible for prizes. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle is one of the stops on the map. To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle, visit them online at http://twomenandatruckseattle.com or call 253-656-4322.

About TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle:

The Seattle area franchise of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is owned by husband and wife team Rick and Glenna Clendenen. The firm serves the Seattle area out of offices located in Kent and Kirkland and actively participates in the communities it serves. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK© offers a full-range of residential and commercial moving services, senior move management, packing services, supplies and workshops. To learn more about TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® of Seattle, visit them online or call 253-656-4322.

Kent, Washington, November 22, 2011 – Kent Station is celebrating the holidays with a 30 day holiday countdown: 30 days of deals starting Friday, November 25 through Christmas Eve. Kent Station merchants will offer different deals each day throughout the holiday season. These one day special offers will be posted to Kent Station’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/kentstation, so be sure to visit often.

Kent Station will expand its shopping hours from Nov. 25 through Dec. 24: Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm; Sunday, 11 am to 7 pm; and Christmas Eve, 10 am to 5 pm. Many merchants will be open extended hours on Friday, November 25. Check http://www.KentStation.com for details.

Kent Station is full of holiday cheer and activities:  Santa arrives on Saturday, November 26 at 11 am; the annual Winterfest parade through Kent Station is on Saturday, Dec. 3 (approximately 4:30 pm) which is immediately followed by the Kent Lions’ tree lighting at Town Square Plaza (approximately 5:30 pm); and on Saturday, December 10 the WOLF 100.7 will have a remote broadcast featuring Microsoft’s Kinect and its newest games.

Want to give back this season? Kent Station supports local families in need by accepting donations at Santa’s House for food, clothing or cash – all donations go to the Kent Food Bank.  Next to the Santa House in front of AMC is Kent Station’s Giving Tree benefiting children and their siblings who receive services from Children’s Therapy Center. From November 25 through December 19, the tree will be decorated with hosting “mittens.”  Each mitten is dedicated to a child and lists the child’s age, clothing and shoe sizes, along with a wish (a basketball, baby doll) and a need (a warm jacket, blankets, socks).

Kent Station encourages shoppers to take a mitten or two to brighten a child’s Christmas.  Simply bring back the gifts unwrapped, attach the mitten, and drop in the Big Red Box, located inside AMC Theatres’ lobby.

As always, hop by our hip Santa House for holiday wishes and photos. A photo CD is available for $20. Prints can also be purchased in varying sizes, ranging in price from $15 to $40. Santa’s hours are:

Nov. 26 – 27:               11 am – 8 pm
Nov. 30 – Dec. 2:        4 – 8 pm
Dec. 3 – 4:                   11 am – 8 pm
Dec 7 – 9:                    4 – 8 pm
Dec. 10 – 23:               11 am – 8 pm

“The holiday season is our favorite time of the year, with our additional decorations, lights and, of course, Santa. We invite our customers to join us in celebrating the season.” says Sommer Ueda, marketing and property manager for Kent Station. “It’s a special time to share with family and friends. We enjoy making it fun, while also giving back to the community with our giving tree and food drive.”

For additional details about Kent Station’s Holiday Countdown or holiday events, call the Kent Station management office at 253-856-2301 or visit Kent Station’s website at http://www.KentStation.com or Facebook page at http://Facebook.com/KentStation.

About Kent Station

Located on 18 acres in the heart of downtown Kent, Kent Station is an urban shopping village developed by Tarragon a Seattle based company. The 470,000 sq. ft., mixed-use development features locally-owned and national retail stores, professional office space, and dining and entertainment, including a 14-screen AMC Theatres Cineplex and a branch campus of Green River Community College.

In addition to Kent Station merchants and dining and entertainment venues, the popular outdoor shopping center hosts free, family-friendly events throughout the year as well as nonprofit fundraisers to support the community. For more information, visit the Kent Station website at http://www.KentStation.com or call the management office at 253-856-2301.

About Children’s Therapy Center:

Since 1979, Children’s Therapy Center, a Dynamic Partner organization, has provided quality therapy services for infants, children, and adolescents ages birth to 21 with the mission to maximize the potential of children with special needs by providing individualized, family-centered therapy services.

Children are referred to CTC with a variety of developmental delays and disabilities including cerebral palsy and neurological disorders, torticollis, speech and language disorders, brachial plexus injuries, spina bifida, Down syndrome, feeding disorders, sensory processing difficulties, autism and dyspraxia. For more information about Children’s Therapy Center, visit http://www.DynamicFamilies.org.

Vision House of Renton is looking for local businesses, churches and other organizations to host Giving Trees to help make Christmas brighter for homeless kids and families. Here’s how it works:

1. Contact Kristi at Vision House to adopt a 3-foot, artificial tree. She’ll have it delivered to you by the end of November.
2. People will take tags off the tree as a reminder and then purchase a gift card or make a donation.
3. Kristi will pick up trees, gift cards and donations before Christmas.
4. The donations will be used to support homeless children and families in the Vision House program. In addition to gifts, the donations will be used to buy food, clothing and household and school supplies.

Please help make the holidays brighter for a homeless family. Visit Vision House online for more info. or call Kristi at 425-228-6356.

For more details, download this flyer.

Kent, Washington, November 10, 2011 – Realtor® Marti Reeder of John L. Scott has pledged a donation of $5,000 to the Kent Parks Foundation in support of its Access to Recreation Initiative. This new program was developed by the City of Kent to provide scholarships to local kids who can’t afford to participate in youth or adaptive recreation.

Each year more than 9,000 kids participate in the city’s parks programs, but the need for scholarships grows along with Kent’s population. With 29,000 new residents from the Panther Lake annexation and a growing economic need, scholarship requests have increased by 30% since 2008. Marti Reeder wants to help meet that need.

“As a Kent resident and mom whose children participated in many Kent Parks sports activities and classes, I know how important it is for kids to have access to sports and other activities,” Reeder said.

“So does my son, Anthony Cantu, who has worked for Kent Parks in their afterschool and summer programs for the last four years. We are grateful that our city offers so many opportunities for our children, particularly those who don’t have the money to participate,” Reeder added.

As a result of Reeder’s donation and those of other local businesses, eligible children can qualify for scholarships which cover up to 50% of a program’s fee for parks classes, sport leagues, adaptive recreation and youth and teen courses. For more information about this program or to join Reeder in making a donation, call the Kent Parks Foundation at 253-856-5099. Donations can also be made online at www.KentParksFoundation.org.

About Marti Reeder:

Reeder is a broker/real estate agent with John L. Scott in Kent-Covington. She is an award-winning Realtor®, earning presidential honors from John L. Scott the last four years and named “Best in Kent” three years in a row. Last December, Reeder also received the “Five Star Real Estate Agent, Best in Client Satisfaction” award from Seattle Magazine.  Reeder is active in the Kent community as a member of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, Kent Downtown Partnership and Noon Kiwanis Club.

For more information about Reeder, visit http://www.marti-realtor.com. You can also find Reeder on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Biznik and YouTube.

For more information, contact:

Marti Reeder, John L. Scott
17115 SE 270^th Pl., Ste. 102
Covington, WA 98042
253.859.8500 (office) or 206.391.0388 (cell)
martireeder@johnlscott.com
www.marti-realtor.com

Welcome the holiday season by participating in the inaugural Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt. Sponsored by the Kent Downtown Partnership, this free, family-   friendly event encourages shoppers to come to downtown Kent to visit local businesses.

Shoppers will pick up a passport and map at participating locations, then go to each site to find a special holiday nutcracker. Upon locating the nutcracker, participants will receive a sticker to put on their passports. Everyone who completes and submits their entire passport by December 3 will be eligible for prizes including a suite at a Seattle Thunderbirds game, $200 2nd prize, $100 3rd prize and $50 for 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th prizes.

Find It In Kent Holiday Scavenger Hunt – Sponsored by Kent Downtown Partnership

Sat., Nov. 26 – Dec. 3, 2011

• Kick-off Celebration on Nov. 26, National Small Business Day
• Visit 20+ Kent businesses to find a special holiday nutcracker
• Get your passport stamped and submit completed passports for prizes!

Call Kent Downtown Partnership at 253-813-6976 or Dana Neuts of Virtually Yourz at 360-920-1737 for more information.

Sponsored by:

Duane Weber Insurance

Allegro Performing Arts Academy

Kent Reporter

Virtually Yourz

BDP Design

Minuteman Press of Kent

Pick up your Passport & Map at any of these participating businesses:

Maggie’s on Meeker
AAA Pest Control
Duane Weber Insurance
ShoWare Center
American Colleges of MMA
Doug Jones State Farm
Candy Bouquet
Seattle Thunderbirds
Tork Lift Central Hitch & Tow
Tork Lift Central RV
Two Men & A Truck
Central Ave. Mini Storage
Children’s Book Shop
Children’s Thrift Store
Christian Science Reading Room
Treasures
Kent Library  (passport drop off location)
Airways Brewing Co.
Allegro Performing Arts Academy
Valley Bank

Or download the Passport and Map here (two pages).

HOPE FOR FAMILIES LUNCHEON:  Please mark your calendar for Thursday, December 8 at noon to be at the Golden Steer Restaurant, 23826 14 Ave. SE in Kent.  The Kiwanis Club of Kent would like you to join them for a $5 lunch to help and support local struggling families.   How do you get a $5 lunch deal you ask?  By bringing any new or gently used sleeping bags, jackets, hats, gloves and socks to the Golden Steer.  Cash or check donations will be cheerfully accepted as well.

Please join  your friends, neighbors and community leaders in helping struggling families in Kent.  Call Sally Goodgion at 253-852-0880 or email catalysttravel@hotmail.com with an RSVP no later than December 6.

Kent, Washington, November 3, 2011 – Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, her staff and patients participated in Making A Difference Day on October 22. The Kent family dentist has had an ongoing project for several years of collecting personal hygiene supplies for the homeless and Kent Food Bank. Dr. Hollinsworth’s office continued that project this year for Make A Difference Day, a national day of helping others.

“Whenever anyone stays at a hotel, we ask that they bring back the toiletries to donate. My office adds toothpaste and toothbrushes to this. These are the perfect size to make up personal hygiene care packages that are small enough to carry for those living on the streets or in their cars,” Dr. Hollinsworth explained.

As a family-centered dental practice, Dr. Hollinsworth and her staff believe it’s important to participate in community events. In addition to the Making A Difference project, Dr. Hollinsworth also participates in Kent Relay For Life cancer walk, Kent Crop Walk, Valley Medical Center’s GLOW program, local health fairs and school groups. She serves on the board of directors for Children’s Therapy Center. Earlier this week Dr. Hollinsworth and her staff participated in a candy buy-back event.

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth is located at the corner of 132^nd and 240^th in Meridian Valley Plaza at 13210 SE 240th Street, Suite B3 in Kent. Her practice emphasizes family dental care as well as cosmetic procedures. Patients of all ages are welcome. For more information, call (253) 631-8286, email smilestaff@qwestoffice.net or visit the office’s website at http://www.DrSueHollinsworth.com or Facebook page at http://www.Facebook.com/DrSueHollinsworth.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Sue Hollinsworth, DDS
13210 SE 240th St., Ste. B3
Kent, WA  98042
253-631-8286
Email
www.DrSueHollinsworth.com

The 9th Annual Casino Night fundraiser sponsored by the Meridian Kent Kiwanis helps support youth services in Kent and the surrounding area.  This fun event will be held on Saturday, November 12, 6 pm – 10 pm at the Kent Senior Activity Center, 600 E. Smith St. in Kent.

Tickets are $30 which includes a $20 gambling scrip, champagne, lots of delicious hours d’ oeuvres and a silent auction.  There will be Black Jack, Roulette, Craps and many great prizes to be won!

If you are interested in Casino Night sponsorship levels: Platinum $2,000 (+32 tickets); Gold $1,000 (+16 tickets);  Diamond $750 (+12 tickets); Silver $500 (+8 tickets); Bronze $300 (+4 tickets) and Table $150 (+2 tickets) with recognition given throughout the evening.  Contributions for the silent auction are also being accepted.

Buy your tickets today for this fabulous event to support youth services in our community.  Just click on the Make a Purchase link on this website.  Sponsorships can also be made through this link as well.

For more information, please contact Pat Hanis at phanis@hiplawfirm.com.

Thank you for your support of the 9th Annual Casino Night fundraiser to help youth in our community.  Hope to see you there!

Contributed by Jennifer O’Neil, Dynamic Partners

Dynamic Partners Wins $20,000 Zino Society Award for Social Innovation

Kent, Washington – October 6, 2011 – Through a grueling elimination process, Dynamic Partners, emerged as one of

the top two nonprofit finalists competing in the first annual Social Innovation Fast Pitch presented by Social Venture Partners on October 3, 2011 at Fisher Pavilion in Seattle. Dynamic Partners was awarded the $20,000 Zino Society Award for Social Innovation for their Dynamic Labs project. “We feel privileged to have been a part of this inaugural event and incredibly honored to receive such an award,” Jon Botten, the CEO of Dynamic Partners.

“Dynamic Labs exemplifies the core values of the Social Innovation Fast Pitch program through exceptional societal impact, innovation, sustainability and leadership,” said Will Poole, SVP Lead Partner and Social Innovation Fast Pitch organizer. “The ZINO Society Award for Social Innovation represents our community’s enthusiastic support of Dynamic Lab’s vision and work in developing breakthrough solutions for individuals with special needs.”

The 2011 Social Innovation Fast Pitch competition began in August with over 120 applicants. Forty organizations were chosen to compete in the quarter finals with twenty advancing to the semi finals. Of those semi-finalists, Dynamic Partners was chosen as one of seven nonprofits to pitch their projects onstage to an audience of 700 at Monday’s Fast Pitch final event at Fisher Pavilion in Seattle.

Jon explains the purpose behind Dynamic Labs. “By creating Dynamic Labs, we are making an organizational commitment to innovation. We recently went through an intense organizational review as part of a marketing and branding project with an outside consultant. This project brought to light the fact that innovation is a key characteristic of our organization and staff. This drive stems from our commitment to do whatever it takes to help children with special needs reach their full potential. Until now, we did not have a dedicated space for staff, families, and community members to test, vet, and trial innovative products, services and funding models. Consequently, we missed opportunities. We’ve now made a commitment to make innovation a priority via Dynamic Labs.”

“Through a process of systematic innovation, we will gather ideas from a wide variety of constituents including staff, families, referral sources and community members. Then, we will vet those ideas for impact and sustainability. Once something has proven itself inside the lab, we will spin it off into its own social enterprise. Like all of our products and services, Lab ventures are intended to help children with special needs reach their full potential.”

Dynamic Partners is consortium of organizations empowering children with special needs through innovation and collaboration headquartered in Kent, Washington. Our Dynamic Partners include Children’s Therapy Center, South King Early Intervention Program, Dynamic Orthotic Systems, SPIO Compression Garments, Dynamic Labs, and Dynamic Family Services. Member organizations have been providing therapy services for children with special needs in South King and Pierce County since 1979. We currently have locations in Kent, SeaTac and Tacoma.

To learn more about our Dynamic Labs project, make an investment, volunteer your expertise, or present an idea, please contact Jon Botten, CEO at jon@dynamicpartners.org. To learn more about SVP’s Social Innovation Fast Pitch, visit www.sifp.net.