Seattle 4 Rotary Supports Youth at Pioneer's Spruce Street

Pioneer gathered with members of the Seattle 4 Rotary Club and community members to celebrate the kitchen remodel at Pioneer’s Spruce Street youth program in Seattle. Spruce Street provides a safe place and residential services for at-risk youth who are state-dependent and in the foster care system. Pioneer is so grateful to the Seattle 4 Rotary Club that dedicated both funding and volunteer time to help paint the rooms and coordinate the demolition and remodel of the kitchen.

This celebration was also an opportunity to thank the many groups and individuals who made this remodel possible: Virginia McKenzie of the Seattle Rotary for her leadership and drive to assist Spruce Street, Longbranch Construction for being the contractor on the job, Bellmont Cabinet Co. for donating a majority of the cost of the cabinets and installation, Bill Fetterly for preparing the architectural drawings of the kitchen and Daron Vchulek for volunteering his time as the project manager for the remodel.

Thanks to their efforts, the youth at Spruce Street Inn have a place to gather for meals. Preparing and cooking meals at Spruce Street means much more than just the food that is served and consumed. Sitting around a table and sharing a homemade meal with others is increasingly foreign in many homes, particularly in the environments that Spruce Street youth come from. The social aspect of the meal is just as valuable as the meal itself; it is the perfect opportunity for youth to talk to their peers and for staff to partake in the conversation, listen and learn.