For more than eight years, the Ethiopian Community in Seattle (ECS), an organization that provides various services to Ethiopian immigrants transitioning to the U.S., has worked arduously on the development of the Ethiopian Village on Rainier Avenue. Last month, the ECS celebrated the grand opening of its new space, which features 89 affordable units for low-income seniors ages 55+, Cafe Avole, and more office and community space that will expand ECS’ programming and outreach.
Representatives from community organizations called for greater community involvement and solidarity in the wake of more than a dozen home invasions and attacks on elderly Asians in the South End.
My grandmother-in-law was like Yoda in a hijab. She was tiny, old, had leathery skin, and was apt to speak in poetry or riddles. She spent much of her time sitting quietly. This made her words more potent when she did speak. When her mood was crispy she would chide me and ask why wasn’t I wearing makeup or jewelry or when was I going to stop studying and have kids. Even though I have a tendency to take things personally, I never did with Nani. Something about the brevity of her cantankerousness combined with her adorable squishiness drew me closer to her instead of pushing me away. When I didn’t want to argue with her or my head hurt from trying to force my Urdu beyond its feeble abilities, I used to reach out for her hand and lay my head in her lap.
Legacy Letters is a friendship program in which people from different generations participate in activities that share their life stories. On Jan. 9, Legacy Letters will host a community-building reunion at SouthEast Seattle Senior Center to connect elders and youth. This event will feature new participants in their next series of sessions, which will take place weekly over the following five weeks, and introduce them in turn to previous Legacy Letters participants.
For many elders, especially those who are low-income or face language barriers, access to exercise classes is often low, even as movement is vital to aging health. But the International Community Health Services (ICHS) has a counter to these issues: its “Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance” program has been running since winter of 2020, and recently has been made available in-person to the community as well as virtually.
