July, 2025
Earth Day, Every Day
Every day is a day of service for We Heart Seattle, but Saturday, July 12, is different. This day – dubbed by Mayor Harrell as the One Seattle Day of Service – is a citywide day of volunteerism and We Heart Seattle will participate by hosting a super-charged event focused on continued trail restoration in the SW Queen Anne Greenbelt connected to Kinnear Park. Learn more about the One Seattle Day of Service and We Heart Seattle in this ARC Seattle interview with We Heart Seattle founder, Andrea Suarez.
Sign up HERE – we are #19 in the event map, and we’re looking for 100+ volunteers to join us between 10AM – 12PM. Our previous One Seattle Day of Service events have been truly epic and we expect nothing less this year!
Big Taste, Big Thanks
Thanks to everyone who joined us to celebrate the 2025 Big Taste held at the historic Sandpoint Naval Air Station Hangar 30 in Seattle’s Magnuson Park. Wine, cider, spirits, and a variety of non-alcoholic offerings were enjoyed by all AND over $20,000 was raised to benefit three organizations – Outdoors for All, the University Sunrise Rotary Foundation and We Heart Seattle.
thanks the generous event sponsors and accepts a portion of the proceeds.
Become a We Heart Seattle Trail Steward
More Coverage of We Heart Seattle’s Impact
We Heart Seattle Featured in the International Business Times
This excerpt from a recent article in the International Business Times perfectly reflects We Heart Seattle’s mission and impact (and also shows that word of the organization’s impact is spreading far and wide).
As We Hearts Seattle enters its fifth year, its mission remains both simple and revolutionary: to empower the community, both the housed and the unhoused, by organizing movements to clean up trash across the city. For founder Andrea Suarez, litter is more than waste. It’s a gateway to community transformation, civic engagement, and ultimately, the reclamation of human dignity.
But it’s what lies beneath the trash, both literally and metaphorically, that defines We Heart Seattle’s true power. “The trash is the surface,” Suarez says. “What lies beneath are people living with trauma, drug addiction, and broken relationships. When we clean up the environment, we start to heal the people, too.”
We Heart Seattle is not a traditional nonprofit. It doesn’t follow the typical scripts of large-scale social services, nor does it rely on top-down institutional interventions. Instead, it follows a simple but profound mantra: empowerment, not enablement. Suarez emphasizes: “We believe in offering a hand up, not a handout. And it just so happens that clearing trash is the perfect vehicle for this.
~
Drug Rehab before Housing: A Testimonial
Watch this powerful video testimonial that highlights the impact of leaning into drug rehab before housing, something that We Heart Seattle has woven into its outreach model since day one. This testimonial refers to the city’s pilot program, championed by City Council President Sara Nelson, to provide immediate access to private substance use treatment. We Heart Seattle is the number one referring partner to Lakeside Milam (the treatment facility the city contracted with as part of the pilot) and is thrilled to report that four referred individuals have graduated from Lakeside and are taking next steps in recovery. As Steven Dowd, one of those graduates who was referred by We Heart Seattle said in the testimonial: “We Heart Seattle was the first one to even mention the word treatment… He [Timothy Emerson] said as soon as you say you’re ready we make it happen that day.“
with We Heart Seattle’s Timothy Emerson
Rinse & Repeat?
Nope, WHS Wants to End the Cycle
“You never know what you will find in lush Kinnear Park on the west side of Seattle’s Queen Anne Hill.” That’s how Komo News started their recent coverage of We Heart Seattle’s continuing efforts to clear and maintain Kinnear Park and connecting trails.
In Kinnear Park alone We Heart Seattle has removed some 150,000 pounds of debris, including organs (musical), mattresses, weightlifting equipment, Halloween costumes, suitcases, couches, ottomans, camping equipment, boxing gear, shopping carts, bicycles, electric scooters (typically stripped of batteries), tires, empty propane tanks, weapons, needles, etc. The list goes on and on; if you can name it, We Heart Seattle has probably removed it from Kinnear or another public park in Seattle.
We Heart Seattle has also assisted numerous individuals from Kinnear into safer, more stable living conditions, one of whom summed up his experience in a recent KOMO interview (see the full story HERE).
“I used to live up there for like five years with my wife and my son. It was pretty rough. We were in the snow and everything,” said Jason Sudderth, a We Heart Seattle volunteer who was formerly homeless. “Now I get a chance to give back. I came back to the very same place that we were before and I can kind of just give back. It’s like full circle.”
But despite We Heart Seattle’s positive impact, there does exist a dismaying cycle; disruptive and destructive campers living in shockingly unsafe conditions in public parks, who leave having been offered services by the City, are often back within weeks, if not days, and, after a clean-up, trash proliferates at a shockingly quick clip. Trail stewards (see the help wanted ad above!) are a positive step toward clean and activated green spaces but keeping larger, harder to reach spaces free from unsafe encampments and illegal dumping may ultimately require some fresh thinking on public-private partnerships. We Heart Seattle is always brainstorming solutions to collaborate – please share your thoughts with us!
What’s Coming Up?
Check out We Heart Seattle’s summer calendar and reach out if you want to schedule a clean-up in your neighborhood or along your favorite hiking trail. And watch for announcements of a possible We Heart Seattle 5th anniversary celebration.
Vote and engage with the candidates! This is a critical election year for Seattle, with the Mayor, King County Executive, city-wide Council positions 8 & 9, along with the City Attorney all up for election. Ballots will be mailed mid-July for the August 5th primary. As an IRS 501(c)(3) organization, We Heart Seattle does not endorse candidates or engage in political activity, but we DO wholeheartedly believe that VOTING IS YOUR SUPERPOWER. Check that your voter registration is up to date with the following resources: Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission & King County 2025 Candidate Filing, and keep an eye out for candidate events and forums (there is a virtual City Attorney forum on Wednesday, July 2nd, at 7PM. Details here: July 2nd – City Attorney Candidate Forum on Zoom).
four-legged We Heart Seattle supporters
Please reach out to me with comments, questions and ideas!
Andrea Suarez
Founder and Executive Director
andrea@weheartseattle.org
206-850-4290
weheartseattle.org
Four Years of Making a Difference in Seattle
The MacLean Park Trail in 2021 (top) and 2025 (bottom)
April, 2025
Earth Day, Every Day
April 22, 2025 marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day (and is also just about five months from We Heart Seattle’s FIFTH anniversary – keep a look out for that!). We have Earth Day clean up events scheduled throughout April but for us, every day is Earth Day. Rain or shine, the We Heart Seattle team is boots-on-the ground, walking the streets, parks and trails, picking up litter and engaging with those we meet along the way. We know that our 2000+ volunteers across the city are equally committed just look at these pictures below and consider that we are removing an average of 20,000 pounds of trash each month, quickly closing in on a 2-million-pound total! We look forward to seeing you at our Earth Day events and beyond (check out our calendar). If you can’t make it to one of our events, there will be loads of other community events and you can also consider King County’s offerings during what its dubbing “Earth Week”, April 19 – 26.
Join the Big Taste – April 19th
We Heart Seattle is thrilled to once again participate in The Big Taste, held this year on Saturday, April 19, 4-8pm, Hangar 30, Magnuson Park. Details below, including how to buy tickets (buy early as this is often a sold-out event!)
The University Sunrise Rotary Club and Seattle Uncorked present a tasting smorgasbord of the latest local beverage creations at The Big Taste! Complementing these new flavors in the historic Sandpoint Naval Air Station Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park will be great food from local food trucks. You can purchase bottles of the beverages that you like best as you leave! And we feature live music from the Ranken File band.
Our Featured Spirit Makers for the 2025 Big Taste are:
• 2BAR Spirits
• Cooper Cat Distillery
• Fast Penny Spirits
• James Bay Distillers
• Madrona Distillery
• Mastrogiannis Distillery & Winery
• Swede Hill Distilling
• Whidbey Island Distillery
• Wild Roots Spirits & Broken Top Mountain Whiskey
• Wohlfert Craft Distilling
• Zzaphoria Spirits
• Alpenglow Cocktail Co. Mixers
Choose from over 100 wines, beers, and ciders, PLUS offerings from twenty nonalcoholic beverage vendors and mixologists. Our special guest will be the Honorable Sara Nelson, Seattle City Council President!
Buy Tickets! https://www.tickettomato.com/event/9074
We Heart Seattle in the News
Seattle pilot program expands access to private substance use treatment
Andrea Suarez, We Heart Seattle founder and Executive Director, was recently interviewed for a Seattle Times article on a new city pilot program to expand access to private substance use treatment. Championed by City Council President Sara Nelson, this $300,000-funded initiative aims to help provide immediate access to private substance use treatment for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“Not until he crossed paths with a case manager from We Heart Seattle was he told about a possible opening to Lakeside Milam.”
We Heart Seattle is one of three organizations tapped to refer individuals to Lakeside Milam, the treatment facility the city contracted with as part of the pilot. Discussing why We Heart Seattle was included in the pilot project, Ann Gorman, senior policy adviser in the Seattle Department of Human Services, said “There’s trust, there’s ongoing knowledge of what that person’s circumstances are like.” We Heart Seattle’s Andrea Suarez commented that We Heart Seattle’s involvement shows the city is more open to tapping all resources including those like We Heart Seattle that offer a different approach.
Read the full story in The Seattle Times: Seattle pilot program expands access to private substance use treatment
~
We Heart Seattle Executive Director Andrea Suarez was also recently profiled by ChangeWA along with Caitlyn McKenney and Ginny Burton. Read the story here: Three women champion common sense homelessness policies
Civic Engagement = Empowerment
Part of We Heart Seattle’s impact model is to engage with individuals we meet in the field, offering them the chance to clean their living areas or join us on clean ups elsewhere. We also partner with Uplift Northwest (formerly the Millionair Club) to provide engagement opportunities for individuals facing poverty or homelessness, and collaborate with other organizations such as Battlefield Addiction to provide meaningful opportunities for individuals in recovery. We Heart Seattle’s recent cleanup efforts in Tukwila, coordinated with four other organizations, along the salmon culverts and Gillian Creek that feed the Duwamish River was a great example of such collaboration. Watch the KOMO news story on our work HERE, and see in particular that many of the volunteers working side by side with the We Heart Seattle team are individuals in recovery. The empowerment that civic engagement evokes is truly remarkable.
Join Battlefield Addiction’s Run for Recovery 2025
Battlefield Addiction is sponsoring a Walk/Run for Recovery May 10th, 9am – 1pm.
Learn more about this event HERE
Please reach out to me with comments, questions and ideas!
Andrea Suarez
Founder and Executive Director andrea@weheartseattle.org
206-850-4290 weheartseattle.org
January, 2025
A Message from Our Founder
Dear We Heart Seattle Supporters,
My heart is full and I am bursting with optimism as I consider what 2025 holds for We Heart Seattle. Our boots-on-the-ground team has been bolstered by the full-time addition of Patrick (who we helped off the streets a few years ago) and the ever-present, compassionate Tim (who is now a certified recovery coach). I also recently celebrated my 50th birthday, surrounded by family and a handful of dear friends – it has been a contemplative time for me. (If anyone wants to commemorate my birthday, I would be delighted if you would buy tickets to the Big Taste – see details below.) I also have my eye on the fall when We Heart Seattle will celebrate our fifth anniversary!
I am committed to setting some bold goals for the year, continuing to collaborate across the city, and making an impact every day. I am also humbled by the fact that at its core We Heart Seattle is a community-inspired organization, powered by a tremendous group of dedicated volunteers and donors. This moving video captures just some of our work in 2024. Thank you for all you do and looking forward to 2025!
Andrea Suarez
We Heart Seattle
Questioning what works (and doesn’t)
I encourage you to listen and explore the questions raised by KUOW’s Will James’ recent “The Housing First Approach: A Documentary.” We Heart Seattle weighed in with our boots-on-the-ground insight as to the importance of substance abuse treatment options, but James cast the lens more broadly, diving into the genesis of Housing First and challenging listeners to consider what works, what doesn’t and how we measure “success” in dealing with homelessness. With policy changes potentially coming at the national level and crisis levels continuing within our city, these conversation starters are more critical now than ever. Take a listen and let’s engage as a community.
One Man’s Powerful Testimonial
I am also sharing below the heartfelt testimonial of Matthew — a gentleman we met in an open-air drug camp where he was struggling with profound grief and turning to drugs as an escape. Matthew is just one of countless individuals we have referred into drug detox and ultimately, reunited with family to provide the support needed to continue the recovery path.
Hello, my name is Matthew, but I go by many titles. Son, brother, father, uncle and veteran.
A couple of years ago I lost my brother and best friend to a fentanyl overdose and my life as I knew it was over. I couldn’t do anything but cry.
I went from being the guy that joked and was raised moral to a person that carried gloom everywhere I went. I resigned from three jobs including a general manager position that I held and spiraled out of control. Since then, which seems like an eternity ago, I’ve been on the streets of Seattle. I was and am ashamed of my decisions.
Two weeks ago I was standing on the ledge of a bridge thinking of how much pain it would end compared to the pain I was causing my loved ones. As I looked at the parking lot below, I thought of Jarrett and knowing the pain that I still feel from losing him made me think of my daughter, sisters, Mom, and everyone else that I love. I saw them crying like I did walking this world in a daze. How could I?
I stepped down, went back to my dilapidated dwelling, got on my knees and cried out to God. I couldn’t see a way out. I had tried detox twice without success, but as I awoke the following day, two Angels walked in trying to pull people from the depths of our self-made hell.
Andrea and Tim were more excited than I was to have me accept their offer of help. They didn’t hesitate to start finding solutions to the mess I made. I didn’t make it easy, but Tim’s tenacity would not be defeated. He kept showing up when I didn’t, even on the Saturday, just a few days before Christmas.
Words cannot express my appreciation. Without Andrea, Tim, and all of WE HEART SEATTLE’S supporters I would not be here today. My family and I thank you all.
Camp United We Stand – Tent City
One of the touchstones of We Heart Seattle’s boots-on-the-ground outreach work is a commitment to nimble, individualized engagement. In addition to doggedly finding detox options, we have developed a strong referral relationship with Camp United We Stand, a community designed by the homeless for the homeless in transition. They are City-sanctioned encampment but receive no funding from city, local, state or federal agencies – as they say on their website “[We] survive strictly on the love and monetary support of our friends.” Learn more about this amazing community HERE.
Big Taste
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 19th, 4pm – 8pm when We Heart Seattle will again partner with the University Sunrise Rotary Club and Outdoors for All in hosting the Big Taste at Hangar 30 in Magnuson Park. Discounted advance tickets and more information about the amazing array of wines, beers, ciders and nonalcoholic offerings can be found HERE. Keep in mind that a part of the funds raised will be donated to We Heart Seattle – thank you in advance for your support!
Please reach out to me with comments, questions and ideas!
Andrea Suarez
Founder and Executive Director
andrea@weheartseattle.org
206-850-4290
weheartseattle.org
Tim Emerson (right) is now a Certified Recovery Coach
November, 2024
Message of Civic Engagement from Andrea Suarez, WHS Founder & Executive Director
Dear We Heart Seattle Supporters,
I recently ran for office to represent Washington State Legislative District 43. I ultimately did not secure the win but this journey strengthened my commitment to creating a safe and beautiful Seattle and bringing our community together in this mission.
Over the last few months, I connected with countless Seattleites from all walks of life – listening to them was incredibly valuable, and one message was clear – people feel a deep sense of urgency coupled with a love of their community. They’re concerned about safety, want a clean and vibrant city, and have compassion for their neighbors. This feedback has inspired me more than ever, confirming the critical role that We Heart Seattle plays in bridging gaps, advocating for meaningful change and bringing our community together.
Coming off this campaign cycle, I am, quite honestly, also a bit exhausted (and suspect most of you may be too) but its in moments like these that communities can focus on shared values, collective goals, and the kinds of actions that create positive, lasting change. Indeed, in the coming weeks and months, we will be working even more closely with community leaders to showcase the impact We Heart Seattle can have in building a safe and beautiful Seattle. We will also continue to offer opportunities for you to join our boots-on-the-ground efforts – be it a pop-up litter pick in your neighborhood, a full-blown event in one of our parks or greenbelts or talks over coffee about what more we can do.
Let’s continue our good work together.
Andrea Suarez
We Heart Seattle
Please reach out to me with comments, questions and ideas!
Andrea Suarez
Founder and Executive Director
andrea@weheartseattle.org
206-850-4290
weheartseattle.org
Many thanks to volunteers from Merrill Gardens for collecting thousands of pounds of garbage (right photo above).
June, 2024
PBS Highlights We Heart Seattle
We Heart Seattle was recently featured on KTBC PBS affiliate Cascade’s Northwest Now. This in-depth interview is well worth the watch. Click here to see the video.
The positive impact of We Heart Seattle is documented, and serious airtime is also devoted to addressing the rhetoric, turf wars, and controversies in the homelessness space. We Heart Seattle founder and Executive Director Andrea Suarez cuts to the chase, asking if it is compassionate to leave people in the throes of mental illness and addiction on the streets? And is it compassionate to provide individuals with housing but not provide supportive services that pave the way to long-term stability and greater independence? In a moment of levity, interviewer Tom Layson says some people may refer to Andrea as a “Karen.” To which Andrea responds “Did Karen go around and pick up 35,000 needles?” Give it a watch (or listen), and let us know your organizations, and city leaders!
‘A Burden Shared is a Burden Halved.’ – T.A. Webb
This quote came to us in a letter of thanks from the mom of a young adult who We Heart Seattle is working with on a new pilot program.
My heart is bursting with gratitude for Andrea and the We Heart Seattle volunteers for coming through after my various attempts to get help were going nowhere. Thank you for being the tangible ‘feet on the ground’ with love in your hands and in your heart.
I am the mom of a young adult who lives independently in Supportive Housing but has a hard time keeping his studio apartment clean on his own. I live out of state so I am not there to step in when it is needed even though I try to fly to Seattle twice a year to do some deep cleaning and purging. For various reasons, it has not worked out this year. For MONTHS I’ve been desperately searching for a person or group who could help G once or twice a month but have only hit dead ends. I reached out to G’s Treatment Team, Case Worker, the building’s Supervisors but no one had answers. Hiring someone online just seemed unworkable given the circumstances and G’s very limited income.
Then I remembered seeing this group posting about their outdoor cleanups and outreach. Having never met, I sent a message to Andrea out of the blue and introduced myself and explained my situation. I was thinking that even if the We Heart Seattle organization couldn’t help, maybe they could direct me to someone who could. Andrea committed to brainstorming options and met with G to assess the situation. Andrea matched up the perfect volunteer to help G, and, a week later, I received photos of all of the trash bags outside of G’s door, the clean countertops and floors inside of G’s apartment, and, best of all, the huge smiles on the faces of two people working together to accomplish a practical goal. “A burden shared is a burden halved”.
Thank you to Andrea and the We Heart Seattle volunteers and donors for taking on this seemingly trivial task and for making a huge difference, not just for G but for my momma’s heart.
A grateful mom.
Community Collaboration
Close to 100 volunteers came together on the Mayor’s One Day of Service last month and cleared some 10,000 pounds of trash from the Queen Anne greenbelt. We have since revisited the spot multiple times to continue the monumental environmental restoration and clean-up effort. Despite the wet weather, the camaraderie among our hard-working volunteers carried the day. We were also delighted that District 7 Councilmember Bob Kettle stopped by to lend a hand. Keep an eye on our online calendar for regular clean-up events and another large-scale event slated for the end of the summer. In the meantime, check out the wonderful event photos courtesy of volunteer Garrett Padera – many examples of “a burden shared is a burden halved.”
We Need YOU!
You are all aware of We Heart Seattle’s boots-on-the-ground work but you may not
know the critical, behind-the-scenes operational role the We Heart Board of Directors play. This is not a staid, “meet once a quarter” governing body! The We Heart Seattle Board is hands-on, driving communications, finance, strategic planning, fundraising, legal/compliance, public relations, marketing, and more. Our Board members all wear multiple hats and turbocharge the organization! And now, we are looking to add to our current slate. Read more about the potential opportunities HERE. These are exciting times for We Heart Seattle and we value your support.
In Closing
More WHS highlights:
We Heart Seattle engagement booth at the Atlantic Street Center’s Juneteenth event. Atlantic Street Center, founded in 1910, provides wrap-around services to families in need
Teamwork at the Queen Anne greenbelt clean-up.
May 14, 2024
Lights, Camera, Action
Yes, that’s actor Billy Baldwin pictured below with the We Heart Seattle crew. Billy Baldwin was in town for a VIP screening of Americans with No Address and spent a day in the field with We Heart Seattle.
Americans with No Address is a documentary based on countless hours spent visiting shelters, missions, and organizations across the country (see the trailer here which includes a cameo of We Heart Seattle Executive Director and founder Andrea Suarez). Produced by Robert Craig Films, a company focused on social impact projects, the documentary is part of the larger No Address project that also includes a feature film, a book and other resources. The project calls out failed policies but more significantly, highlights projects and organizations (including We Heart Seattle) that are effective and encourages practical conversations on how to save lives, improve communities, and reduce homelessness. Also uniquely positive is that 50% of the net proceeds from the No Address project will be distributed to nonprofits.
Following the VIP red carpet screening on Thursday, May 2nd, Discovery Institute founder Bruce Chapman moderated a panel including Billy Baldwin, Andrea Suarez (We Heart Seattle founder and Executive Director), Amy Smith (Acting Chief of Seattle’s Community Assisted Response and Engagement (CARE)) and Robert G. Marbut, Jr. (former Executive Director of the US Interagency Council on Homelessness). With close to 200 people in attendance, this event was a fantastic showcase for We Heart Seattle’s proven empowerment versus enablement, boots-on-the-ground model.
Speaking of Impactful Videos
Almost as exciting as Billy Baldwin on the red carpet, we are pleased to share this short VIDEO of We Heart Seattle in action. It includes comments from Council President Sara Nelson, Councilmember Bob Kettle and Deputy Superintendent of Parks and Recreation Christopher Williamson on the good work that We Heart Seattle is accomplishing. Another fun video highlights We Heart Seattle volunteers in action can be found here.
May 18th – One Seattle Day of Service
Communities all across the city will come together on Saturday, May 18th to clean parks and beautify streets as part of the Mayor’s 3rd annual One Seattle Day of Service. Our litter picking event – #21 on this master event MAP – will run from 10am to 12pm in the NW Queen Anne Greenbelt. Register HERE and find specifics regarding location, parking, etc. on our calendar. Last year’s WHS-sponsored One Seattle Day of Service was one of our most memorable and impactful community events of the year and we look forward to more of the same this year.
Individualized Outreach, Unique Outcomes
“Not every person staying on the streets are homeless, this man clearly has a home and a family that loves him, but not the drug he was doing.”
This is what We Heart Seattle Program Manager Tim Emerson posted on social media earlier this month in reference to a recent outreach effort. Tim had responded to a call from neighbors concerned with nearby heavy drug use and camping. Tim made contact with every camper, assessing each situation and offering detox and other options. One gentleman (we’ll call him Red) asked if Tim would be willing to help arrange detox and of course, Tim said yes. A plan was made. Two weeks and multiple missed appointments later, Red finally called Tim and said he was ready. Tim immediately picked Red up and started the two+ hour drive up north. As they crawled through rush hour traffic approaching Everett, Red mentioned that his mother lived there. Tim made a quick decision to take Red to see his mom in the hopes of some words of encouragement. On the second leg of the trip, Red FaceTimed with his wife and children in Oregon who told him would they take him back with open arms as soon as he finishes his treatment program.
Red’s journey will surely have ups and downs but We Heart Seattle was honored to have played a small part in helping him seek recovery and reconnect with his family support system. This is also an example of We Heart Seattle going the extra mile (literally, in this case), and providing unique means of empowerment – bus tickets home, a haircut and clean clothes for an interview, a cell phone charger, paint and paper for art therapy, even a fishing rod to encourage a long neglected hobby.
This is where Red was living before connecting with We Heart Seattle
Community Sustainability
To date, We Heart Seattle has organized more than 350 public litter picks across the city, with over 1000 active volunteers providing more than 12,000 person-hours, removing more than 1.2 million pounds of trash. While the impact from these efforts is undeniable, sustainability requires true community partnerships to activate spaces, encourage continued use and support environmental restoration.
One example of a successful community partnership is Friends of MacLean Park + NE Queen Anne Greenbelt – a volunteer group that came together following a massive 2-month cleanup and concentrated outreach effort led by We Heart Seattle during the summer of 2021. Since early fall 2021, this group of neighbors has kept MacLean Park and the Greenbelt trails clean by organizing litter picks twice a month, and regularly walking the trails to identify potential trouble spots. We Heart Seattle provides support with weekly walk-throughs, outreach and other proactive efforts against the re-establishment of encampments and further environmental degradation. The group has also worked to encourage community financial support of We Heart Seattle and shared widely their efforts.
Amy Smith from CARES (above left) joined a MacLean Park Friends litter pick and engaged with an individual with whom We Heart Seattle has been working to find more suitable and humane living arrangements. A few days later, We Heart Seattle successfully assisted this gentleman into a sanctioned outdoor community (Camp United We Stand) – he is pictured (above right) cooking dinner with Tim!
We support stewardship projects in other areas including Denny Park and Dr. Jose Rizal Park, and would love to deploy this model city-wide. Ultimately, civic engagement is key to making Seattle safer and more beautiful for all.
What can you do?
- Invite We Heart Seattle to speak with your council, church, club, neighborhood block watch, etc.
- Join with We Heart Seattle to organize a litter pick in your community or as a team-building event – we can start small and build from there!
- Follow us on social media and share our posts with friends and colleagues.
- Share your talents as a high-impact volunteer or join our Board
- Keep the Seattle City Council and the Mayor’s office informed of your (and our!) progress. Here is how to reach the Council: https://www.seattle.gov/council/meet-the-council.
In Closing
Other highlights from the last few months:
We Heart Seattle with the Cosmic Star Certificate of Appreciation
January 30, 2024
Here We Come 2024!
We Heart Seattle has carried the momentum of 2023 into the new year, clearing 27,900 pounds of trash in January alone.
This record breaking month included our routine litter picks throughout the city along with two large community-wide events – one in West Seattle where we partnered with A Cleaner Alki and one off of Dexter Avenue North close to the Fremont Bridge where we partnered with Rotary District 5030. The collaborative litter pick with the Rotarians was particularly challenging given the steep muddy slopes (which the city avoids) and layers upon layers of years-old embedded debris. Ultimately, about 55 volunteers hauled out approximately 10,000 pounds of garbage, with dedicated smaller WHS teams set to return for final clearing.
While the group on that muddy Saturday was full of gratitude, the team couldn’t escape the harsh truth that a few weeks prior, We Heart Seattle had made a grim discovery – the remains of an individual who tragically perished in the woods.
Kaj Pedersen, Rotary International District 5030, 2023 – 24 District Governor, who participated in the January 20th event, commented: “The sad reality of benign neglect when it comes to mental health and homelessness is the grim reality of people dying. The work We Heart Seattle undertakes helps to remind us of the importance of community and looking to make a difference, even for those who are no longer with us. At least this unfortunate individual will be treated with some belated dignity through the team’s discovery of their remains.”
We welcome opportunities to collaborate with community groups like Rotary District 5030 – this amplifies our impact, brings together resources, expertise, and a shared commitment to community betterment. Reach out if your church, employer, sports team, etc. would like to schedule a community litter pick. High schoolers in need of volunteer hours should also reach out!
WHS Nominated for Denny Park Award
We Heart Seattle and Andrea Suarez were both honored to receive multiple nominations for the Denny Park Award. Here is the full list of winners and nominees (including We Heart Seattle partner, Friends of MacLean Park [Cindie Moulton]). At the awards ceremony, Parks Superintendent AP Diaz (pictured below) chatted with the very spirited We Heart Seattle attendees. We intend to follow up to remind him that We Heart Seattle has cleaned 31 named parks, 20 landmarks and hosted litter picks in every zip code in Seattle!
Individualized Outreach
We Heart Seattle continues our individualized outreach efforts, having now assisted 202 people off the streets and offered 32 individuals work opportunities through Uplift Northwest, with countless others provided stipends and gift cards as part of our clean-up model. During the recent deadly cold weather, We Heart Seattle was out daily (and nightly) conducting wellness checks and guiding individuals to warming shelters. See the King 5 coverage of this important work HERE.
Helping individuals navigate recovery resources is increasingly part of our day-to-day outreach work, particularly clean and sober housing and transition-to-work programs for people exiting treatment. One of these individuals, whom we have had the honor of helping over the course of several months, recently shared his experience:
I wanted to take a minute and write about how Andrea Suarez and Timothy Emerson have helped me change my life… so they found me in a homeless encampment…it was really dirty and they brought in a dumpster. I helped load the dumpster…wheelbarrow after wheel barrow of trash. Andrea said she would help me with weekend jobs helping her crew and it gave me something to look forward to…I would remember her or Tim coming to my tent early Saturday mornings and waking me up to go help…before I knew it I was actually staying a little more sober to be available on Saturdays… then the day came I went to treatment for drugs and alcohol… I got out of treatment and went to a clean and sober house… I ended up helping out on Saturdays and Sundays again. Clean and sober… after 4 months I relapsed for a weekend. I admitted the relapse to probation and to the clean and sober house and got put out on the street…I called Tim and said “Hey man if I’m on the street it won’t be long before I go right back to where you found me.” He said “we can’t have that you’ve been working too hard to let this get you down.” He called me back an hour later and said “I got you into a new clean and sober house with good people…they assisted with funding and here I am now…working full time for the last 6 weeks…I have 73 days clean. I ended up becoming the house manager for the clean and sober house I moved into and I am still attending SUD treatments weekly, I go to NA meetings daily and I finished my probation complete…I was released yesterday…I also bought a little truck.
I wanted to take a minute and write about how Andrea Suarez and Timothy Emerson have helped me change my life… so they found me in a homeless encampment…it was really dirty and they brought in a dumpster. I helped load the dumpster…wheelbarrow after wheel barrow of trash. Andrea said she would help me with weekend jobs helping her crew and it gave me something to look forward to…I would remember her or Tim coming to my tent early Saturday mornings and waking me up to go help…before I knew it I was actually staying a little more sober to be available on Saturdays… then the day came I went to treatment for drugs and alcohol… I got out of treatment and went to a clean and sober house… I ended up helping out on Saturdays and Sundays again. Clean and sober… after 4 months I relapsed for a weekend. I admitted the relapse to probation and to the clean and sober house and got put out on the street…I called Tim and said “Hey man if I’m on the street it won’t be long before I go right back to where you found me.” He said “we can’t have that you’ve been working too hard to let this get you down.” He called me back an hour later and said “I got you into a new clean and sober house with good people…they assisted with funding and here I am now…working full time for the last 6 weeks…I have 73 days clean. I ended up becoming the house manager for the clean and sober house I moved into and I am still attending SUD treatments weekly, I go to NA meetings daily and I finished my probation complete…I was released yesterday…I also bought a little truck.
We were inspired by DJ sharing the above testimonial on social media. He also discussed his recovery in an interview with MYNorthwest, highlighting, in particular, the dangerous variations of methamphetamine currently on the streets. Here are some photos of DJ cleaning the very area he used to live in and working alongside We Heart Seattle volunteers.
By the Numbers
We continue to meticulously track our metrics and are pleased to share our results:
- 1,113,700 pounds of trash removed
- 202 people assisted off the streets
- 326 trash events
- 1000+ volunteers
- 32 individuals accepted work opportunities through Uplift Northwest
- 12,000+ person hours logged
- Over 25,000 needles removed from parks and green spaces
- Thousands of followers and supporters on social media. Join the conversation!
We have closed our 2023 financial books and are happy to share where we landed in terms of donations and expenditures. As you can see, our grassroots effort continues with a significant amount of our funding coming from individual contributions.
We Heart Seattle was again awarded the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency – the highest level of recognition offered by Candid (formerly GuideStar) for an organization’s standards of transparency and accountability. Want to take a deep dive into our public financials? You can find our IRS filings here, with our 2023 IRS 990 form expected in Q2.
What’s Next?
We populate our calendar with litter picks on a rolling basis, often responding to community requests and prioritized needs. But go ahead and mark your calendars for an annual Valentine’s Day litter pick (location TBD) and a multi-day Earth Day series of events (April 19, 21, and 22).
On March 23rd, we plan to ditch our work boots and head to the historic Sandpoint Naval Air Station “Hangar 30” in Seattle’s Magnuson Park for the annual Big Taste. Choose what you want to taste from over 100 wines, beers, ciders, spirits, and nonalcoholic options from the Pacific Northwest. Event benefits go to We Heart Seattle along with Outdoors for All and the University Sunrise Rotary Fund. Get your tickets!
We are happy to report that five of the nine City Council members have joined We Heart Seattle volunteers in the field– in 2024, we are aiming for 100% engagement!
And last but certainly not least, remember that November 5th is election day! We will be active again with voter education and citizen engagement efforts. Let us know if you need a Voting is Your Super Power t-shirt (modeled below by WHS four-legged supporter Lupo), and if you’ve moved, don’t forget to update your voter registration.
April 15, 2022
Huge Milestones Reached with Big Plans Ahead
We Heart Seattle (WHS) recently reached significant milestones – 500,000+ pounds of trash removed from the city’s parks and public spaces and 100+ individuals helped off the streets. That’s 250 tons of trash, along with more than 20,000 needles removed, all thanks to our 300+ volunteers and dedicated second-chance work team. Our proven model of trash removal and individualized outreach, coupled with community engagement has also resulted in the restoration AND maintenance of 30 parks across the city.
How It Started and Where We’ve Come
Who would have dreamed that WHS founder and Executive Director Andrea Suarez’s decision in the fall of 2020 to start picking up trash in her Belltown neighborhood would spark a city-wide grassroots movement – one that would grow into an innovative, nimble, boots-on-the-ground organization making a visible and measurable impact on our wonderful city. Along the way, WHS is:
- disrupting entrenched, ineffective systems,
- saying “no more” to excuses, and
- paving the way for citizen-led solutions to Seattle’s humanitarian and environmental crisis.
We Heart Seattle’s Impact is Grabbing Attention
We Heart Seattle’s unique model of civic engagement has attracted global attention. Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer and special correspondent for Getty Images John Moore recently joined the We Heart Seattle team in the field for several days. Moore’s stunning images (featured in The Guardian and Geek Wire) illustrate the degradation of our public green spaces but also showcase the power of our dedicated team.
Kevin Dahlgren’s New Leadership Role
We Heart Seattle is thrilled to announce Kevin Dahlgren is assuming the role of President of the organization, bringing 27 years of expertise in homelessness, social services/public health, and substance abuse counseling to our city. The remarkable documentary on Kevin’s success in helping bring Gresham, Oregon to functional zero for homeless is linked below along with Andrea and Kevin’s recent discussions with Mike Solan, national law enforcement expert and President of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, on his Hold the Line podcast.
What’s Next?
Amidst the often-polarizing discourse in the city and across King County, We Heart Seattle remains laser-focused on its mission of making Seattle safer and more beautiful for all. And to sustain and scale that work, WHS needs to make a significant investment in its infrastructure.
Trusty BBQ tongs are our tools of the trade but to continue and increase our impact, WHS needs to build its infrastructure by adding an operations manager, additional drivers, volunteer coordinators, and dedicated case managers. We must also fund our basic needs stipend (gift card) program that empowers those living unhoused to join our clean-up efforts. Finally, WHS must fund our second-chance work team – individuals we hire through Uplift Northwest (formerly the Millionaire Club) to participate in our daily boots-on-the-ground team, many of whom have lived experience and welcome the experience with We Heart Seattle as a means of making their way back into the working environment.
None of this would be possible without YOU – our generous donors and tireless volunteers. Together we are reinventing how to approach longstanding and seemingly insurmountable problems while disrupting the inertia that has long gripped our city.
Our heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support. Onward from here!
Andrea Suarez
Executive Director