Microgrant Winner - HOSTED

At Verity, part of our mission is building vibrant communities, and one way we do that is through our microgrant program. These small grants are available for projects that advance community wellbeing in the Greater Seattle area. Applications are accepted year round and grants are awarded twice yearly. We recently selected our spring 2022 microgrant recipients and are excited to share about each project and organization as part of our new microgrant series.

Our first highlighted winner is the group HOSTED, an affiliate of nonprofit Onboard Othello. HOSTED, which stands for “Healthy Othello Safer Through Environmental Design”, focuses on initiatives to combat crime in the NewHolly neighborhood through community-driven, non-arrest solutions. They accomplish this through a series of environmental changes for public health and safety (a method referred to as CPTED: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design).

After speaking with community members and neighbors, HOSTED identified hot spots within the Othello community to make physical changes intended to beautify NewHolly and prevent crime – adding lighting, removing visibility obstructions, and introducing artwork like murals on buildings and sidewalks. They champion community advocacy and engagement, involving the multi-generational residents of NewHolly in decision making, design, and implementation. In the future, HOSTED hopes to expand their initiatives to reach more areas of South Seattle and empower residents to take positive ownership of their neighborhoods.

Get to know them more at helloothello.com/hosted.

To follow the microgrant series, click here.