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!

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

I wanted to share this photo and story of one of my friends – Dr. Darin Collins is a veterinarian at Woodland Park Zoo.

I met Darin last year at the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation auction when he and his partner bought my Mom’s Gujarati Thali dinner last year. We threw an amazing party for them and their friends with not only authentic food, but Indian decorations and garb for folks to adorn themselves in. I wonder who is the lucky recipient this year?!

For several years now, the members of Emerald City Business & Professional Women (ECBPW) stuff 300 Christmas stockings for the homeless women served by Angeline House – a women’s day shelter in the Belltown neighborhood. This year is no different.

The stockings are filled with toiletries, socks, gloves, and goodies. Their goal is to give these women a little something special at this wonderful time of year. “We want them to know that they are not forgotten,” says a ECBPW representative. “For so many of these women, this is their holiday.”

The ECBPW members have donated many of the items necessary. Due to the large number that they are filling, they are asking members of our community for help. If you would like to donate goods, time, or funds to this rewarding project, they would appreciate your help!

Goods they need include: socks and scarves, individually packaged goodies…candy, chips, cookies, nuts, hot chocolate or specialty teas, paperback books, individual beauty and hygiene items, and, of course, jewelry! Contact me to coordinate your donation at vijya@vijya.com or 206-418-6260.

Want to feel like Santa? Volunteers are needed on Monday, December 14th to help fill the stockings. They’ll be meeting at the Best Western Executive Inn in Seattle at 5:45pm. I’ll be there and hope you can join me!

To make a cash donation, checks may be made out to ECBPW Foundation (a non-profit 501(c)3; #37-1423219) and sent to ECBPW Foundation, c/o Dolores Gohndrone, 1511 3rd Ave #520, Seattle WA 98101.

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.

BuiltGreen (the green building arm of the Master Builders Association) has a series of checklists to help builders (and homeowners) determine the level of green building implemented in a home. The checklists are divided by the type of project – and really cover the spectrum from remodels and single-dwelling residences to multifamily and even communities. You can download the checklists (in pdf form) from BuiltGreen’s website.

I know several contractors that focus on sustainable and/or green building. Contact me if you would like a referral. email; 206.418.6260

BuiltGreen is also hosting their annual BuiltGreen Conference this Friday – more suited towards builders, developers, architects, engineers, and other professionals than an average homeowner though. If you’re interested check it out at: builtgreenconference.com