Contributed by Nathan Box, Kent Youth & Family Services

On May 2, 1,200+ nonprofits will ask for your support during the Seattle Foundation’s 2nd Annual GiveBIG. We are one of those nonprofits. Our difference is clear though. We are right here in your community. Every dollar donated to Kent Youth and Family Services stays right here in South King County. In fact, your dollars go to work providing Youth/Family & Substance Abuse Counseling to residents of Covington and youth and families throughout the Kent School District. They also provide Outreach services at three King County Housing Authority sites, as well as transitional housing to homeless single moms and learning opportunities to 400+ kids in our Head Start/ECEAP program. Our services powered by your generosity supports 8,000 individuals in our community every year.

So, from midnight to midnight (Pacific Time) on May 2, join the Seattle Foundation as they host their 2nd annual GiveBIG. The goal is to turn out thousands of new and returning individual donors to help support local nonprofits. Donations will be stretched further thanks to individuals donors and business sponsors like Seattle Sounders FC, Microsoft, Seattle International Foundation, JP Morgan Chase, Russell Investments, Starbucks and more.

KYFS is excited to participate in this local day of giving. To support us directly, visit our Seattle Foundation page on May 2.

Thanks in advance for the support. Happy Giving.

Working toward a better future,

Nathan H. Box
Fund Developer and Community Relations Manager
Kent Youth & Family Services
nathanb@kyfs.org
(253) 859-0300 Ext. 3045
www.kyfs.org

Get your hands dirty and join Kent Parks, Starbucks and REI to celebrate National Public Lands Day, Saturday, September 24 at Lake Fenwick Park, 25828 Lake Fenwick Road, Kent. Volunteers are needed to continue the environmental restoration of the Park’s 140 acres.   Kent has participated in National Public Lands Day for the last five years.  The event on September 24 will be held rain or shine, with orientation beginning at 9:00 am and projects continuing until 12 noon.

Last year was the largest National Public Lands Day in history.  Approximately 170,000 people volunteered at more than 2,000 sites across the nation.  They contributed to over $15 million in improvements to public lands.  The event began in 1994 with 700 volunteers.  It was established as a way to continue the promise of the Civilian Conservation Corps, the 3 million Americans who worked from 1933-1942 to preserve and protect America’s natural heritage.

All ages and abilities are welcome!  Registration is required for planning purposes; the deadline is September 21.  Contact 253-856-5110 or download a registration form at www.KentWAParks.com to volunteer.  Tools and gloves are supplied, but extra shovels and pruners are always welcome.  Volunteers are advised to wear sturdy shoes or boots (no flip-flops or sandals allowed) and to dress for the weather.

The 4th Avenue and Meeker Street Starbucks is donating coffee and hot chocolate, as well as water and snacks, and each volunteer will receive an REI volunteer t-shirt.

Photo by Victoria Andrews

Volunteers met throughout Kent on Saturday, March 19, 2011 to rid the city of unwanted graffiti. Seventy volunteers showed up for the event to remove graffiti from 40 different locations throughout Kent. The event was a huge success. The City of Kent would like to give a special thanks to the downtown Starbucks who donated cocoa, coffee, and pastry goodies for all the volunteers.

Supplies were provided by a grant from The Home Depot Foundation and the six 5-gallon buckets of paint used were donated by Ski’s Painting Inc. Volunteers included  people around the Kent area, several Rotary Club members and students from Kent high schools.

For more information, visit the City of Kent’s Graffiti website.

Though I don’t consider myself a diehard coffee drinker – I prefer the “foo-foo” coffee drinks like mochas, lattes and frappucinos – I’ve always loved Starbucks. I was in the Covington Starbucks on Tuesday to meet a client, and I discovered I had left my wallet at home. I brought my laptop, but no cash. Unable to order, I sat down to wait for my client. I didn’t want to tell her what I’d done, so we just started our meeting.

When the barista brought over my client’s drink, she also brought me a full-sized strawberry Vivano “as a sample” on the house. It was such a nice surprise and I really appreciated it, especially on such a hot summer day. Afterward, I went over to thank the baristas behind the counter, and they just smiled and said they were happy to do it. It is hard to find service like that these days, so thank you, Covington Starbucks. I hope to pay it forward soon!

I recently returned from a vacation to Maine where my husband’s family lives. Though they have visited us numerous times, it was my first trip to Maine. Despite the lousy weather when we visited, Maine was beautiful and has much to brag about — blueberries, lobster, wide open spaces, wildlife, lighthouses and more. I missed home though. Here are 7 reasons I missed Kent, Washington – HOME SWEET HOME:

1.  Starbucks: Dunkin’ Donuts is to the East Coast what Starbucks is to the West Coast. There was a DD on every street corner and, despite their delicious donuts, their service and mochas left something to be desired. On the last day, I caved in and drove 10 miles to the nearest Starbucks…mmmm, love the tuxedo mocha!

2.  Dungeness crab: Sure, Maine has its lobster and we had our fill of that, but it can’t hold a candle to our Dungeness crab which is in its peak season right now. It is lighter, sweeter and more pleasing to the palate than any Maine lobster.

3.  Pacific time: The three-hour time difference doesn’t seem like a big deal, but now that I’m home I realize just how much my body had adjusted to it. I am waking up at 5 am and going to bed at 8 pm. I can’t wait until my body acclimates itself to PST.

4.  Seattle summers: It was just a fluke that the weather was bad while we visited, but it made me long for our Seattle summers:  dry, warm-but-not-beastly-hot, and relatively bug-free. Maine was rainy, muggy and full of mosquitoes.

5.  Daylight: In Maine, it was typically dark by 9 pm, almost a full hour earlier than it is here. I missed our long summer nights.

6.  LA Fitness: I joined the new LA Fitness in Covington in February 2009 and have enjoyed going regularly to try out the classes, do cardio, work out with weights, and to pal around with friends Dena and Robin. Aside from a Curves here or there, I didn’t see a single gym in my Maine travels. I walked instead, but it wasn’t the same.

7.  The People of Kent: Maine was great and the people were friendly. Everyone knew everyone including my husband, but no one knew me. The town we stayed in – Falmouth – had a population of about 15,000 and was a very close-knit community. Kent is about 90,000 and is just as close-knit…in a liberal, we-love-everybody kind of way. I like shopping downtown or visiting Kona Kai Coffee Co. or Cypriana and having folks know my name. While gone, I realized how much I value that.