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Seattle Kraken honor former DNDA board president and staff member
At the Seattle Kraken vs. Vancouver Canucks game on February 22, the Kraken and their partners honored longtime Delridge community leader Willard Brown as a “Hero of the Deep,” which included a $32,000 donation to a nonprofit of his choice. Willard dedicated the Kraken Unity Fund grant to Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) to support…
Partnering with DNDA’s environmental educators for forest restoration field trips
Call them lessons in “applied ecology.” At the start of 2024, Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA) worked at Camp Long with multiple classrooms of fifth graders from Fairmount Park Elementary. The fifth graders planted ferns, native shrubs — including salmonberry and thimbleberry — and various conifers trees. Students joined the regular restoration work parties that…
Nurturing Our Neighborhoods: Nepantla’s new community tradition
Nepantla Cultural Arts Gallery in Delridge, Seattle, saw record-breaking attendance at its third annual Lowrider Block Party for local Latinx, Chicano/Chicana, and Hispanic communities, hosted last summer using funding from Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association (DNDA). Co-owners and co-directors — and co-life partners — Jake Prendez and Judy Avitia-Gonzalez opened the doors to Nepantla Cultural Arts…
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…