Rainier Beach Action Coalition
About
Rainier Beach Action Coalition stewards the Rainier Beach neighborhood plan and serves the Rainier Beach neighborhood in partnership with many organizations in the Rainier Valley.
Website: www.rbcoalition.org
CREST Representative: Amanda Lopez-Castanon (she/her)
Why did you join CREST?
RBAC wanted to be at the table of learning as we are about to dive into the realm of community stewardship of land. I personally wanted to be the one at the table as the project is my area of focus: healthy food, community gathering space, job creation.
If you are working on a project, what is the project, where is it located, and who is it for? What is the vision and purpose of your project?
RBAC @ MLK is what we are currently calling this newly acquired property which will be stewarded by RBAC on behalf of the residents and community of Rainier Beach to be formerly names the Food Innovation Center upon completion. The vision is to combat the effects of gentrification by providing a space where our residents can find a place to get together for community events, learn about health & nutrition as it relates to our cultural needs, connect with partner organizations, etc. There will also be space to provide much needed cold storage for food service use, value-added food processing which may provide local jobs and business opportunities for our residents. We will have space for our summer farmers market in this space too.
What are you proud to have accomplished so far related to your project or related to your community stewardship of land efforts?
The building is now owned by RBAC who has worked for 10 years to make this a reality.
What are the next steps for your organization in realizing your project vision?
Tenant improvements to make the building useable in the interim, setting up a capital campaign to raise money for the development, needs assessment and more community outreach
What support and expertise are you looking for?
fundraising support, thought partners
TraeAnna Holiday, CREST cohort member from Africatown Seattle:
"I am so honored to be a part of what Puget Sound Sage is doing in this city. They brought together 20 organizations who may not have known each other, and together we are taking progressive models that are happening across the nation to reform and develop our spaces, have ownership in our spaces, create and rebuild our communities, and reclaim what has been taken from us. I represent Africatown Seattle, and if you know of what the Central District has gone through - it has suffered a great deal of gentrification, inequity and displacement. Africatown is working hard on the ground to develop buildings that are bringing our communities back.
For me, this is very personal. My family was displaced in 2003 and my parents had to buy a home in Federal Way. I have never known of Federal Way before. I grew up in the Central area, and it was all I knew for my whole life. It was so heartbreaking to my mother for us to have to move. We are one family, but displacement has affected so many more. This is why I’m so excited to be a part of this cohort. With the work of Puget Sound Sage, I am learning more on how to do this in a progressive way, ensure that we keep affordability for our communities and for our people, and to come back to spaces that we grew up in that we know and love.”