“Having our students involved in FIRST is not just about increasing educational opportunities in science and technology; but instilling well-rounded life capabilities such as self-confidence, communication and leadership,” said Koji Yugawa, lead mentor. “jcpenney’s sponsorship represents a commitment to building the future leaders of tomorrow by making youth participation in FIRST possible.”

jcpenney’s sponsorship of 900 FIRST teams this season reinforces the company’s philanthropic goal to introduce FIRST to more schools and communities throughout theU.S. and encourage greater participation among minority and female students. jcpenney’s legacy of working with national youth organizations through its signature charity, jcpenney afterschool, helps make it possible for more students to become involved in life-enriching learning opportunities during the after school hours.

Schools, communities and government acknowledge the need to improve the country’s global economic competitiveness by increasing aptitudes in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among America’s youth. Studies show that FIRST students are three times more likely to major in engineering in college, 10 times as likely to have an apprenticeship their freshman year, more than twice as likely to pursue a science or technology career, and nearly four times as likely to pursue a career in engineering.

About FIRST

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from three out of every five Fortune 500 companies and more than $14 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) and FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) for high-school students, FIRST LEGO League (FLL) for 9 to 14-year-olds, (9 to 16-year-olds outside the U.S. and Canada) and Junior FIRST LEGO League (Jr.FLL™) for 6 to 9-year-olds. Gracious Professionalism^™ is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

The benefit, FridayFest, will take place on February 10^th from 5pm-8:00pm. Each month they transform the market into a shopping party by turning up the music and providing free Wine, Beer, and Food Tastings throughout the market. There will be a silent auction and door prizes, with items and services generously donated by local businesses. Your Local Market will donate 10% of Friday’s online and in-store sales. In addition, a local donor, who wishes to remain anonymous, has generously offered to match funds.

Camp Korey, located in Carnation, Wash., offers services for families dealing with childhood life-altering and life-threatening illnesses. The camp provides hospital outreach services, summer camps, family weekends, youth programs, athletic programs, and more. Because the camp serves thousands of children and families each year free of charge, they rely on the generosity of the community.

Jason Brown, owner and founder of Your Local Market, expressed his appreciation for Camp Korey, saying “Camp Korey provides essential services for families dealing with childhood illnesses. They’re an important part of our community and I want Your Local Market to put our heart and money back into our local community. Your Local Market is honored to support Camp Korey.”

Your Local Market invites you to join them in giving back to the community by shopping at Your Local Market on Friday, and joining them for FridayFest. Valet parking provided.

About Your Local Market

Your Local Market brings you the best of local, organic, and natural products alongside the mainstream brands you trust. Your Local Market makes it easy for you to do all of your shopping in one place without having to shop a specialty store for your organics and a conventional store for your staples or guilty pleasures. Your Local Market is conveniently located in downtown Bellevue and, in addition to in-store shopping, offers online shopping for curbside pick-up or home delivery. To learn more, visit www.YourLocalMarket.com.

About Camp Korey

Established in 2005, Camp Korey is a place for kids with serious and life-altering medical conditions to come and forget about limitations, try new things, and reclaim a lost sense of childhood – all at no cost to their families. Camp Korey reaches thousands of campers and families through medically sound, adaptive programs designed to foster creativity, camaraderie and empowerment. For more information please visit www.campkorey.org.

AtWork! is a highly supportive and innovative conduit between people with disabilities and mainstream employers in the community.

AtWork! approaches its mission of helping people with disabilities be productive, integrated and contributing members of their communities from a unique 360-degree perspective. By focusing as much on the employer’s needs as on its’ clients needs, AtWork! can – and does – strategize, design and create jobs that are valuable, meaningful and deliver a measurable benefit to everyone involved.

When placing clients in new positions, AtWork! provides customized on-site training and continuing on-site support to ensure that both client and employer achieve or surpass the results they expect.

In 1998 AtWork! was created as a result of the merger of Custom Industries (CI) and Community Enterprises of Issaquah (CEI). CI, established in 1962 was Bellevue based and operated two sheltered workshop programs in Bellevue and Kenmore. It was the older and largest of the two programs. Additionally CI operated janitorial and landscaping crews operating out of a small facility in Shoreline. CEI was a smaller organization primarily known in Issaquah, established in 1965. It operated a recycling center that was enthusiastically supported by the local community and a sheltered workshop employing primarily individuals who had graduated from the Issaquah School District.

Thirty years ago when people with disabilities were released from institutions AtWork! was there to provide training. People wove pot holders and other cottage industry work for pennies. It was state-of-the-art. AtWork! was a leader. Soon those workers were saying, “Help us get good jobs, real work, doing important things just like others do at work.”

The Supported Employment movement emerged in the early 90’s and again AtWork! was a leader, launching new enterprises (janitorial, landscaping, assembly, recycling) that to this day provide jobs, training in marketable skills, and wages. Businesses saw new value in diversity. Astute companies hired the first people with disabilities and enjoyed enhanced profits and demonstrated community leadership.

Today AtWork! is a highly supportive and innovative conduit between people with disabilities and mainstream employers that designs customized jobs and provides ongoing support to create mutually beneficial beneficial work relationships.

Here is the info from their listing on the Eastside Business Directory

AtWork!

The funds will support the new Marlene “Malka” Fricks Scholarship Fund, to support students in Lake Washington Institute of Technology’s Bachelor of Technology in Applied Design (BTAD) program.

A resident of Woodinville at the time of her death in 2011 at the age of 76, Fricks dedicated her life to education, spending a good portion of her career at the Lake Washington School District teaching Spanish and Health and working as a junior and high school counselor. She also served on Woodinville’s original Public Arts Advisory Committee.

The recent gift is the second distribution from Fricks’ estate. In 2011, the Foundation received $75,000, which established the Marlene “Malka” Fricks Scholarship Fund. Four students received scholarships from this fund in 2011. The Fund will continue to provide scholarships for students in this new baccalaureate degree program for many years into the future.

“Education and the arts were deep passions of Ms. Fricks. We are pleased to be able to create this scholarship fund in her honor to help students reaching for their dreams in applied design,” said Foundation Executive Director Laurie Austin. “With college costs rising, financial aid applications increasing and funding dwindling, students struggle to stay in school. Bequests and other planned gifts such as this are invaluable to providing scholarships, and supporting our students and programs.”

To learn more about the Foundation, apply for scholarships, or plan a donation to the Foundation, please visit www.lwtech.edu/foundationgiving.

The Lake Washington College Foundation is as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation separate from Lake Washington Institute of Technology. A board of directors meets regularly to oversee the activities of the Foundation, review financial reports, designate scholarship and other support for the colleges, and assist with fundraising.

Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWIT) is a broad-based polytechnic college offering instruction in 36 programs toward a spectrum of more than 100 bachelor and associate level degrees and certificates designed to give students the latest cutting edge skills relevant to today’s workplace. Founded in 1949, LWIT offers hands-on, real-world training in manufacturing, transportation, energy, business, allied health, computer and information systems, food and hospitality, and health and fitness. 

Here is the text of their listing from the Eastside Business Directory:

World Impact Network

From their website:  Our Mission is to empower the poorest children in the developing world, with the vision thatempowering a child will lead them, their family and eventually their community… out of poverty.

Here is the text of their listing:

Child United

“We are so excited to be given this opportunity to generate awareness for our organization while holding several events to strengthen our community of over 450 students. This is really a great opportunity for our families that come from all over the eastside to hang out, play games and just have fun together. The fact that Microsoft is also allowing us to participate in software training and host a public mini concert is extraordinary. We really appreciate their generosity.” says Melissa Heilweil, BYSO Development Assistant.

The partnership with the Microsoft store kicks off an exciting year for the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra who is gearing up for the Symetra Bellevue Family July 4th, the Eastside’s Largest 4th of July Celebration, where BYSO will give an Independence Day performance on the main stage prior to and during the fireworks display.

The Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra is a non-profit organization established to provide a positive and stimulating musical environment for students. BYSO uniquely complements and builds upon both school music programs and private instruction. BYSO encourages the development of musical skills and self-confidence, as participants in all ensembles rehearse orchestral literature which appropriately challenges their skills. For over 47 years our program has provided instrumental music experience to match the ability levels of talented youth from early elementary grades through their college years.

Featured 2012 Repertoire:
Mini Performance – Ensembles – January 31, 2012 at 6:30pm Microsoft Store in Bellevue Square Mall
Masterworks Concert 2 – Youth Symphony – March 11, 2012 at 7:00pm Theatre at Meydenbauer
Masterworks Concert 3 - Youth Symphony - May 21, 2012 at 7:00pm First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue

Please go to www.byso.org for ticket information and additional details.

Alaska USA Federal Credit Union and the Alaska USA Foundation teamed up for the annual Cash for Cans fundraiser, collecting cash donations to benefit community food banks. Throughout the month, members generously gave to the Cash for Cans drive at their neighborhood Alaska USA branches and donated more than $40,000 combined in Washington, Alaska, and California. In addition to cash donations, Washington members also gave 1,143 pounds of food to benefit the following local food banks: Food Lifeline, Northwest Harvest in King County, and Help House Food Bank on Whidbey Island.

“This year’s Cash for Cans drive exceeded our expectations as members stepped up to support food banks in Western Washington,” said Cindy Fry, Vice President Branch Administration, Washington Division. “Many food banks have seen increases in demand during the last few years, which has made the need for funds even greater. As a community-minded organization, we’re proud that Alaska USA can help meet the challenge by making it easy for members to donate when they come into their neighborhood branch.”

Sleep Country’s Pajama Drive for Foster Kids January 2, 2012 through February 26, 2012

Thursday 12/15 (today) 3-6pm, Kim Shea, the N.W. Manager for Oyster Bay Winery to be on hand to answer questions on food and wine pairings for the holidays as well to promote one of New Zealand’s leading Wineries.

Friday 12/16 from 11am to 1pm, BizEnrich will be holding a Flash Mob Food Drive to benefit families of Olive Crest.

from 3-7pm Wine tasting – items from Kendal Jackson Winery and La Crema Winery will be featured,

Thursday 12/22 from 3:30pm to 6:30pm, Mary Bellando, the N.W. Manager for Dobb’s Family Estates “Wine By Joe” will be on hand to discuss her wines as well as current events at the winery and food pairing ideas.

Friday 12/23 from 12 noon to 2pm, Eric Dunham of Dunham Estate Winery will be signing bottles.

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