SKYWAY, Wash. — Some seniors take it easy in their later years. But Alesia Cannady is no ordinary grandmother.
"There was so much negative, negative media and everything about Skyway. And I was like, oh, there has got to be something up here good. And if there's not, then I'm going to figure out a way to create it."
What she created was the non-profit, Women United Seattle.
"What we do is we support grandmothers that are raising their grandchildren," Cannady said. "We grandmothers, you know, sometimes we get put by the wayside, and people don't think we have value, but we have a lot of value. And we have a lot of stuff inside of here that we want to glean to them that they can sit in or sit by our knee or whatever and learn from us."
One of the ways grandmothers are helping kids is through their Pepper Pot Kinship Support Group.
"It's a grandmother's adding spice to their life. We're not sitting back, we're doing things, we're giving to the community, we're shining. And we're shining the light where there is none.”
Another bonding experience they organize happens at Cannady’s house.
"We do what we call a backyard social," Cannady explained. "What they're learning is social skills, team building, support for one another, and friends, and fun. That's the biggest thing, fun."
But the biggest community event Women United puts on is their annual block party called The Love Train.
"You don't need no ticket to ride. Just get on board," Cannady said. "It's basically kinship and community-based so anybody can come. We provide backpacks, give a shout-out to Doug Baldwin. And we get Kicks4Kids from the Blitz. And we got help from the Safeway and Albertsons Foundation. And we basically dance in the street to the Love Train, O’Jays. We have good food, good friends, good fun, and community."
And doing good for her community is what Women United Seattle is all about.
"Unity in our community! That is exactly what I want. That's what I'm aiming for. And that's what I'm going to do."
You can support non-profits like Women United and have a great time too. The Champions of Change celebrity basketball game will bring together athletes like Marshawn Lynch, Gary Payton, Sue Bird and many others for a game of hoops unlike Seattle has ever seen. The money raised from the game will go towards change-making non-profits in the Puget Sound region. The game is Sunday, June 26 at Climate Pledge Arena. You can find ticket information for this event at the Champions of Change website.
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