Jennifer Kakutani is a client of mine and founder of the Seattle-based outdoor program Itty Bitty Camps, which helps parents and toddlers connect with nature together.

Pond Day at Itty Bitty Camps

Also check out Petals and Moss for Jennifer’s arty inspirations on bringing nature into our homes.

While Jennifer is out exploring with her pint-sized pals, you can find her husband Taho and his famous crew at the legendary Pike Place Fish Market throwing fish and having fun with customers!

I have known Patricia Cameron for years – including being a past client. Her gallery, Patricia Cameron Gallery, is impressive and among the many in South Lake Union celebrating First Thursday Artwalk tonight. Hope you have a chance to stop by!

Bernice is also a board member of Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, an organization that is collecting funds to provide assistance to individuals and families in Haiti and around SE Asia and the world.

On March 4, I attended a very inspiring luncheon, hosted by the University of Washington Women’s Center, with womens’ rights activist Lilly Ledbetter, whose fight against pay discrimination culminated in the eponymous Fair Pay Act signed into law by President Obama in 2009.

My family and me with Lilly Ledbetter

Lilly had worked for nearly 20 years at a Goodyear Tire plant, when she discovered, through an anonymous note, that her salary all those years was as much as 30% lower than that of males doing the same work! In 1998, Lilly brought suit against Goodyear and won back pay and damages. However, the Supreme Court reversed the decision because she hadn’t brought suit within 180 days of when the discrimination started.

Ledbetter with moderator Kathi Goertzen (Komo 4 News)

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is a direct response to Lilly’s case, stating that the 180-day statute of limitations for filing an equal-pay lawsuit resets with each new discriminatory paycheck. Now, at 70, Lilly is a mother and grandmother in Jacksonville, Alabama, where she continues to fight for pay equity.

As a Advisory Board Member with the UW Women’s Center had several opportunities to spend one-on-one time with Lilly. As someone who deals with people’s homes every day, her story really touched me. Everyone has to live somewhere and fair pay affects every aspect of life. For me it talks about where folks can afford to live, the schools they can enroll their children in, and the general quality of their life. Glass ceilings like the one Lilly encountered can have a huge impact on families and the homes we live in.

UW Women's Center Advisory Board and Staff w/Lilly Ledbetter

Vijya & Associates hopes you will join us in a volunteer opportunity we’ve been participating in for several years now- Operation Nightwatch.

The 4th Tuesday of every other month, we make a trip to Costco, buy enough food to feed dinner to 100+ people and then we go to Operation Nightwatch – in the central district of Seattle.  Once there, we chop, dice, slice, boil, and cook until the first people arrive.  (Soup, spaghetti, and sandwiches have been our specialties so far!)

When:  Tuesday, Mar 23
Time:  8pm-9:30pm
Where:  300 14th Ave South, Seattle
RSVP: 206.418.6260; vijya@vijya.com

Once we start serving the food to those waiting to hear if they will be fortunate enough to get into a shelter for the evening – the time flies and we are cleaning up and heading home before you know it. Each time is a humbling experience, and we are newly reminded of how fortunate we are to have food and shelter and the support of friends and family around us.

Operation Nightwatch is a Christian ministry seeking to meet the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs of Seattle’s night community. They are dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor by caring for the homeless men, women and children late at night.  They provide emergency dispatch to shelter, hotel vouchers for families, meals, blankets, and pastoral care for those in need. The services they offer are free of charge and are all funded principally by contributions from individual donors. They are staffed by hundreds of volunteers. They do not require any religious activity for access.

We share this with you because we would like to invite you to take part with us the feeling of community and sharing. Giving back to our community is one way we show that we truly care! Let us know if you can join us – vijya@vijya.com or 206.418.2620

Vijya & Associates hopes you will join us in a volunteer opportunity we’ve been participating in for several years now- Operation Nightwatch.

The 4th Tuesday of every other month, we make a trip to Costco, buy enough food to feed dinner to 100+ people and then we go to Operation Nightwatch – in the central district of Seattle. Once there, we chop, dice, slice, boil, and cook until the first people arrive. (Soup, spaghetti, salads and sandwiches have been our specialties so far!)

• When:  Tuesday, September 22, 2009
• Time:  8pm-10:00pm
• Where:  300 14th Ave South, Seattle 98144
• RSVP:  206.418.6260; vijya@vijya.com

Once we start serving the food to those waiting to hear if they will be fortunate enough to get into a shelter for the evening – the time flies and we are cleaning up and heading home before you know it. Each time is a humbling experience, and we are newly reminded of how fortunate we are to have food and shelter and the support of friends and family around us.

Operation Nightwatch is a Christian ministry seeking to meet the physical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs of Seattle’s night community. They are dedicated to serving the poorest of the poor by caring for the homeless men, women and children late at night. They provide emergency dispatch to shelter, hotel vouchers for families, meals, blankets, and pastoral care for those in need. The services they offer are free of charge and are all funded principally by contributions from individual donors. They are staffed by hundreds of volunteers. They do not require any religious activity for access.

We share this with you because we would like to invite you to take part with us the feeling of community and sharing. Giving back to our community is one way we show that we truly care! Let us know if you can join us – vijya@vijya.com or 206.418.6260

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN 2009 ARE DWINDLING!
Mark your calendars today for either September 22 or November 24.

Vijya’s 13th Annual Client Appreciation Picnic is scheduled for Sunday, July 19!

The event will be held at Woodland Park again and host fabulous food, games, kiddo activities (including a bouncy house), henna, and even door prizes. (exact location details and time TBD)

Those who have been never miss it. Those who haven’t, check out this slideshow from last year’s festivities:

In our last newsletter we asked: What is the longest snake known in the modern world?

The answer is:  Reticulated Python. (source)

Email or call us (206.418.6260) with the right answer and the passcode “squeeze” to be entered into our drawing.

Our March Newsletter quizzed you on the following question:

The saguaro cactus is native only to which desert?

The Answer is: Sonoran Desert.

Saguaro cacti, Carnegiea gigantea, only grow in the Sonoran Desert. However, they do not grow in all parts of the Sonoran Desert. This map represents the range of the Sonoran Desert (crosshatch) with an overlay of the range of the saguaro cactus (solid). The range of the saguaro is limited by freezing temperatures in winter.

Saguaros are also limited by elevation. They are generally found growing from sea level to approximately 4,000 feet in elevation. Saguaros growing higher than 4,000 feet are usually found on south facing slopes where freezing temperatures are less likely to occur or are shorter in duration. [Source and a lot more interesting factoids can be found on the National Park Service website.]

Email or call us (206.418.6260) with this answer and the secret passcode (”sunshine”), and we’ll enter you into a drawing for a $25 gift certificate!

Water 1st is hosting their 4th Annual Water 1st–Beer 2nd Fun(d)raiser at Seattle’s Lake Union Park, Naval Reserve Building (“The Armory”), on Friday, February 27, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. Serving water 1st, and beer (or root beer) 2nd! Food, beverages, live music, dancing, silent auction, and a short Water 1st film and presentation, plus a Hawaii Vacation raffle. Tickets: $30/person

DIRECTIONS: to Naval Reserve Building (“The Armory”) at Seattle’s Lake Union Park
DATE: February 27, 2009
TIME: 7:00 p.m.
RSVP Online Now