Delridge Neighborhoods Development Association

Arts programming and cultural development: since 2006, dnda has been providing low-cost, affordable space for programs that benefit the community at the youngstown cultural arts center. Seven tenant nonprofit organizations currently rent affordable office and program space, including sw interagency academy, an alternative program of seattle public schools. Dnda partners with these tenant organizations and other high-impact program providers to keep innovative and groundbreaking programming alive and well at youngstown. Through youngstown, dnda also provides affordable spaces for many other organizations and individuals to rent and host classes, workshops, programs, community events, and performances. Youngstown is a vital city resource, and a vibrant arts and cultural hub. Dnda's ecoarts and summer youth programs enable some of king county's most underserved youth to access quality out-of-school programs that augment their education and foster confidence and leadership, while exposing them to artistic, environmental, and cultural experiences that enrich their lives. Dnda's arts in nature festival celebrates and showcases the amazing diversity of our community, offering engaging arts and performance experiences in the woods of seattle's only campground, camp long.

Nature and environmental restoration: dnda currently runs several environmental programs, including the urban forest restoration program and the wetlands restoration and stewardship project. The urban forest restoration program is a long-term ongoing habitat restoration, stewardship and education project in the west duwamish greenbelt (wdg). The wdg is the largest remaining contiguous forest in seattle, and is an important ecological resource for the entire king county region. It is home to a wide range of bird species and wildlife, providing recreation opportunities for the region's residents. Dnda recruits and trains volunteers to properly care for 60+ acres of this majestic greenspace. Dnda's wetlands restoration and stewardship project seeks to protect, restore, preserve and expand the existing wetland at 23rd ave sw and sw findlay st., to improve water quality in longfellow creek, develop the space as a public park for all to enjoy, create an urban garden, a community orchard, and develop the space as an outdoor classroom for local students to learn handson environmental science and wetland stewardship. Dnda also has a long history working for food justice, seeking to provide healthy and affordable food options to local residents. Dnda spearheaded the healthy corner stores project, successfully bringing fresh produce into corner stores along delridge, and one of dnda's food justice programs, feest (food empowerment environment sustainability team), is now its own organization and a nationally recognized and replicated model for engaging youth in nutrition and food systems change. Dnda continues to work in support of increased access to affordable healthy foods in delridge, as part of its suite of environmental programming.