Meet Our Rainmakers: Teresita Capuli

Rainmaker Teresita Capuli supports the Emerald "to keep this type of small journalism alive, because it matters!"

by Amanda Sorell

Welcome to a new series: Meet Our Rainmakers!

Rainmakers are readers like you who make regular donations to the Emerald — their contributions help us amplify the authentic voices of the South End, and we couldn't do it without them.

Stay tuned for more Rainmaker mini-profiles, where you can learn more about the communities that support the Emerald.

Want to be a Rainmaker? Head to our official Kindful website to support BIPOC-led media in South Seattle with a monthly contribution of any amount.

Already a Rainmaker? Thank you! '

Teresita Capuli

Interbay resident Teresita Capuli has been a Rainmaker for about four years; her connection to the Emerald began during the pandemic, when she and her partner were looking to support mutual aid groups in the South End, and the Emerald was posting about how to support and where to go. "I read about the Emerald and was drawn to the subjects you cover and the communities you support," she said. "And we got connected with a couple aid organizations. … And I loved that the mutual aid groups were specifically supporting the BIPOC community. And so that was really important to me, and working with farmers that were Latino and Black. … At the time when we were all hit so much by the despair of COVID, it was sort of uplifting in a way. And the Emerald did that. So that's amazing."

Volunteering is a primary way Capuli engages with the community, spreading her support among BIPOC-led organizations, including Celebrate 18!, a statewide birthday party for young women who are aging out of foster care; REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade), which supports survivors of sex trafficking; and Youth Care, which works to end youth homelessness.

Capuli is a case manager and adviser for a youth reengagement program at Shoreline Community College up north, but outside of work, she and her partner spend a lot of time in the South End, from visiting Kubota Garden to frequenting Rainier Beach and Beacon Hill for a meal or a show. "For fun, we love music. So we go to shows, support local musicians. I always check the Emerald for the arts stuff you guys have," Capuli said. Some of her favorite local bands are Spirit Award, The Black Tones, Racoma, Shabazz Palaces, King Youngblood, and Enumclaw.

She continues to support the Emerald "to keep this type of small journalism alive, because it matters!" Recently, she appreciated the Emerald's Juneteenth roundup and its "Beat the Heat" guide, which she shared with friends in the South End. Also meaningful to her was the recent opinion piece about funding mental health services and restorative justice practices. "That's a very impactful piece for me because of the work that I do," she said. "I would absolutely share that piece with people that I know and colleagues and people that care about the work that we do."

Amanda Sorell is a storyteller who lives in Seattle. She's an editor for the Emerald. Read her newsletter at eClips.Substack.com.

Featured Image designed by the Emerald team; photo courtesy of Teresita Capuli.