SPARK PLUGS AND GLUE: SOME FOLLOW-UP

Back in December of '07, we published a short article about Emmaus Road functioning as SPARK PLUGS AND GLUE in our neighborhood.  Later, at a spring retreat, we considered cultivating GREEN SPACE.  It's time to follow-up! Here are a couple ideas:

THIRD/CEDAR OPEN HOUSE

Could Emmaus Road host an open house for the neighborhood?  Not by ourselves, but in partnernship with New Horizons and Streetbean Espresso, we could spark some awareness and activity in our microhood.  Here is an idea and a rough plan for accomplishing a relatively short-term project:

The Idea: 

Hosting an OPEN HOUSE - Emmaus Road, New Horizons, and Streetbean Espresso - for the neighbors across the street at Mosler Lofts, as well as the Vermont Inn and some of the surrounding buildings.

The OPEN HOUSE event would accomplish several goals at once

• share hospitality with Belltown neighbors
  
• cast ministry vision and expose what we each do for and in our neighborhood
  
• invite neighbors' participation in a variety of ways (future customers at Streebean, volunteers, etc.)

The Plan:

Form a group comprising a project leader, a person from each of the three ministries, to plan the event and lay out the next steps:

• choose a date
  
• publicize
  
• line up music?
  
• etc.
  

GROWING A GIVING GARDEN IN BELLTOWN

In South Lake Union, the Cascade P Patch brings neighbors together around growing vegetables and harvesting them to  combat hunger among the local homeless. Could the same thing happen in Belltown?  This is much more of a long-term project.

The Idea:
Gathering a coalition of "giving gardeners" in Belltown, from among the ministries and neighborhood residents, to grow and harvest vegetables, to be given away to local homeless. Could be a single-site or multi-site operation.  The Giving Garden project could conceivably accomplish several goals:

• feed the hungry
  
• learn from and respond to "slow food" movement
  
• develop community among neighbors from the towers as well as the streets

The Plan:

• Find a project leader/recruiter who can form a Giving Gardeners team
  
• Learn from the Cascade Giving Garden, the Belltown P Patch, or any other local/regional co-op type farms
  
• Identify possible partners among the City agencies, Belltown Business Association, Belltown Community Council, and Belltown Covenant partners