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How DNDA’s watercolor classes build community through creativity
Room 102 at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center has been buzzing with creativity and laughter every Wednesday during Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association’s (DNDA) watercolor mixed-media art classes. DNDA’s Art team started offering watercolor classes free to the community in fall 2023 in hopes the activity would bring neighbors together. Our team’s hopes were exceeded when the…
Our Vision for a Vibrant Delridge: DNDA’s 2024 goals
A message bringing us into the new year from DNDA’s co-executive directors — Mesha Florentino, director of housing and finance, and Imani Sims, director of people and programs. Delridge — a neighborhood with a rich tapestry of history and diverse communities — is on the cusp of transformation. Our vision for the future of…
Help restore our forests for MLK Day of Service!
Join us in honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. by participating in our upcoming volunteer event on MLK Day, January 15! Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) will host a community service event at Pigeon Point Park. This time of year, our community members always look for opportunities to volunteer for MLK Day —…
A farewell from David Bestock, DNDA’s longtime executive director
A farewell message from David Bestock, DNDA’s longtime executive director. It is bittersweet to reflect on my time at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) after I chose to step away after 11 years of service. I have absolutely loved this work, this organization, and all the incredible people I have had the pleasure of working…
Artist Spotlight: EcoArts with Franc Monke
Franc Monke, a nature-based artist, is teaching a new EcoArts class at Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association’s (DNDA) Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, based in West Seattle. Franc has dedicated their artistic journey to intertwining art and community, and we wanted to tell a sliver of their story for this month’s “Artist Spotlight.” Franc was exposed to…
Nurturing Our Neighborhoods: Proyecto Saber’s mural of resilience
When Albert Albanes heard Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) launched applications for arts and culture grants to fund local initiatives, he was thrilled to apply. Albert and his team in the Proyecto Saber program at Denny International Middle School were looking for grants to develop a cultural arts project for Latinx students. “We wanted to…
Camp Long Gateway Project: Honoring the life of Sheila Brown
Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) is happy to share with our community that the Sheila Brown Gateway Project at Camp Long is open for visitors! The construction project honors Sheila Brown, who served as the director of Camp Long for 13 years. The gateway, which leads into the park, was funded through a community donation…
Reflecting on October STEAM lessons for youth
This year, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association’s (DNDA) fall STEAM lessons reached 120 students through September and October — nearly as many students as we typically serve in a whole year! October’s “Watershed Wonders” nature workshops were a hit with the kids. “I didn’t realize water was all around us!” one student said. Jules Hepp, DNDA’s…
Behind the scenes of renovations at the historic Youngstown Cultural Arts Center
In October, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) began heavily anticipated renovations on our home at Youngstown Cultural Arts Center, located in Delridge, Seattle. The construction follows an architectural needs assessment of the 100-year-old building. The major projects include upgrading the kitchen for commercial use, replacing part of the roof and HVAC units, restoring settling slab,…