Volunteers help beautify the city for One Seattle Day of Service
A second annual Seattle Day of Service hosted by Mayor Bruce Harrell is expected to have about 4,000 volunteers help at more than 140 different events.
SEATTLE — Thousands of volunteers gave back today as part of the second annual program A working day in Seattle hosted by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
“It is always an exciting day when we have thousands of people taking to the streets to show their love for this city,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Mayor Harrell spent time helping out at International Chinatown along with several other volunteers.
“We are rewriting the new chapter after this pandemic, out of the recession,” Mayor Harrell said. “We’re rewriting it and it starts with public safety, cleanliness, making it vibrant.”
The event in Chinatown International District is just one of more than 140 events across Seattle during the day of service.
One of the other locations the teams are cleaning up is outside T-Mobile Park. This particular One Seattle Day of Service location is led by the Mariners with dozens of employees, their fans, and even Mariner Moose participating.
“I grew up in Seattle, my father grew up in Seattle, my grandfather grew up in Seattle,” said Rex Kerby, who volunteers for the Mariners.
He said the city means a lot to him and that’s why he wanted to spend his Saturday helping clean up the area.
“After COVID, I was a bit disappointed in the way Seattle looked and everything. So that’s why I’m here today,” Kerby said.
Kerby is just one of an estimated 4,000 people who have attended more than 140 events across Seattle today. Another group is working at Salvation Army SoDo Shelter.
“We’re literally building planter boxes to help beautify shelters in Seattle,” said Carolyn Romeo, a volunteer with the District 751 Coalition of Machinists, which represents many of Boeing’s employees.
Romeo said she hopes the pots they build and fill with flowers can help the more than 250 people living at the shelter feel at home. People who work for the Salvation Army say this gesture and the planters will bring joy to those at the shelter.
Felicia Grant, Director of Seattle Social Services for the Salvation Army.
The volunteers participating in this event are grateful for being able to give back to the city they care about and the people who live in it.
“If everyone gets involved and does a little bit, it goes a long way,” Kerby said.
