Work Party at the Children’s Garden at Magnuson Park

Our second project this Fall season is to help out at the Children's Garden at Magnuson Park. The Children's Garden is an interactive garden, designed and inspired by children.

It was a fine Saturday morning and a perfect time for gardening. After we were received with a warm welcome complete with welcome banner and hot coffee, we were off to work. Here are our lovely pictures:

We make each of our volunteer work a work party! :-)

Tag team! Katey and Clint (photo on top); Jenny and Evan (photo below)

Everyone's hard at work. Ben takes a break to smile for the camera.

Happy at work.

More smiles. Marissa (L) and Jamie (R)

Always bright and sunny.

Group picture right after the Work Party

...And the fun continues at Ivar's

Watching Little World....

The first challenge this Fall Round was to support schools and the arts. We decided to check out a play at Seattle University - called "Little World"

Developed from an original design and puppets by Carol Wolfe Clay

Written and directed by Ki Gottberg

A woman creates and retreats to a little world of her own…a safe place where she can hide from all that is cruel. But this new world conjures up characters who emerge playfully, yet ultimately confront and challenge her. Inspired by and conceived through the process of grief, "little world" employs a reverse theatre-making method where design and puppets were created first followed by script and character development.

Interesting little play...

Those who survived the play :)

Back Row - Justin, Evan, Ben, Erik

Front Row- Marissa, Jenny, Erin

Drinks at the Elysian! woot woot!

Back row (L-R): Justin, Erik, Evan

Front Row (L-R): Ben, Erin, Jenny

Fall Outings, Beer Drinking, and Bromances..and Girlmances!

This Fall we've been enjoying the great weather, all the delicious seasonals and just everyone's company. Enjoy!

Seattle Works, Team Works Kick-Off!

SW - Team Works Fall '11 Kick Off. The first ones there!

From L-R (front) - Marissa, Erin

(back) - Ben, Erik

What to do when the whole team isn't there yet? Take more photos!

Beers @Linda's Tavern

Searching for Pumpkins at Carleton Farms

L-R: Ben, Marissa, Sheldon, Emily and Erin

Ben's Fall Party and things..

Pumpkin Heads :)

Erik's signature pose.

Justin and his pumpkin.

Serena

Emily

The Team

A Day with Seattle Youth Garden Works Auction

We spent our first project of Fall working with the Seattle Youth Garden Works - "agriculture and enterprise combine to create a practical and meaningful employment experience for youth. People from diverse backgrounds come together to grow food, and in the process develop personal connections to the food system."

Seattle Youth Garden Works hold an auction every year - "new starts Green Gala & Auction" and we had the opportunity to help them set up!

Showed up bright and early and to SYGW surprise, we got 98% of what they needed to set up done in only a few hours!! It's probably all the caffeine we drink ;)

Erik & Emily - hard at work!

Jane brought her friend, Erica, along to help out. What a sport, flew all the way from NY!!

Our finished product

And in good Beer View Mirrors tradition...

Lunch and beer of course! We decided to head to Murphy's for some homemade cheeseburgers - you should definitely try it. Delicious!

Back (L-F) - Jamie, Florence, Erik

Front (L-R) Wendle, Emily, Justin

Erik, Florence, Emily and Erin - we love our shirts! :)

Beer View Mirrors Goes Camping! 9/9-9/11

This past weekend, the Beer View Mirrors went camping at Lake Crescent, located in the Olympic National Park. We wer
e very lucky to have amazing weather all weekend!

Quite the drive it is to get to Lake Crescent, everyone arrive by night time on a Friday after work. Of course it would would't be right if you didn't start your night with a cold beer, the team name is Beer View Mirrors after all. :)

8 people from the Beer View Mirrors enjoyed a whole weekend of bonding, sharing stories (you can learn a lot about each other in a small amount of time, plu

s throw in some beers...) hiking, a ton of eating, lots of Kings Cup and a huge tournament of beer pong. (We're not alcoholics, we swear!)

After a whole weekend of laughter, dirtiness, stuffing stomachs...I'd say it was a pretty epic camping trip!

Enjoy the photos!

Walking on a nature trail.

Taking a breather for a group photo!

The gorgeous mountains.

Hiked the waterfalls, just the ladies!

Jenny, Erica, Florence, Emily, Serena and Erin

Saturday Morning Breakfast

Relaxing...

Your Beer View Mirrors

Back Row L-R: Emily, Jenny, Erica, Erin, Erik

Front Row L-R: Serena, Florence and Ben

Helping Out @North Helpline Emergency Services & Foodbank 8/20/11

Written by Ben Peters

On a sunny day in Seattle, we arrived at the North Helpline Foodbank. We were assigned to various places on the distribution line, handing out canned goods, frozen chicken, and fresh fruit. A few of us also helped people to their cars or nearby apartments. When things slowed down, we composted some bread that was going bad. By 1:30, we were all very hungry after hanging around all that food. So after helping with clean up, we went to a local place that was suggested by a fellow volunteer.

And here's our team photo of us grubbin and drinking beer!

P.S. In case you're wondering who is North Helpline:

North Helpline Emergency Services and Foodbank started in 1989 by a small group of volunteers who noticed many of their neighbors were not able to pay rent, cover bills or simply put food on the table. This group of people started collecting food and financial support to distribute it to those who needed it the most - awesome! the group grew to 600+ of volunteers who have contributed over 20,000 hours of work on a monthly basis (isn't that amazing!?). You and I will be helping North Helpline do work in continuing their mission to provide the community with basic human emergency services to promote dignity, self respect and hope. Check out their website if you have a chance http://www.northhelpline.org/index.html.

Cheers!

Community Orchard of West Seattle

So today was the first of the volunteering sessions for this quarter.

This time we would be going to help out at a community orchard to help build out the orchard. From making bean tepees from bamboo poles, creating a new garden to take advantage of ground and metal shipping container heat, planting edible vegetables, to making the field pretty, we did it all!

Pretty worthwhile cause because most of the proceeds do end up going back to the community, and the lady that debriefed us was pretty enthusiastic about the whole thing.

So the 10+ of us worked through the rain, and in record time, completed beyond expectations of what they hoped for us to achieve.... Yes, we rock!

Hard at Work...


Planting Perennials...


Teepees Galore!...

Their website is here.

Afterwards, onwards to the usual happy hour to warm up near a nice fireplace with some ginormous pizzas.