PHOTO ESSAY | In Hillman City, a ‘Best Day Ever’ Event Combines Community Service and Community-Building

Close to 60 people from neighborhoods across Seattle filed into Black & Tan Hall in Hillman City on Sept.19 for a full day of activities designed to introduce them to the South End neighborhood and to foster human connection. 

Called “The Best Day Ever,” the free, six-hour event was a collaboration between the Seattle Department of Neighborhoods and the Seattle Chamber of Connection. It was the fourth in a six-part series of neighborhood events scheduled this year, with previous events held in South Park, Ballard, and downtown. Another event will take place in Lake City in October, and the year’s last gathering will occur in the Central District in November. 

Even though each event is based in a specific neighborhood, they all offer opportunities to participate in five core activities: community service, physical movement, learning about a local neighborhood, sharing a meal provided by a local business, and participating in conversations. 

The Hillman City participants began the day sharing donuts, pastries, and coffee provided by King Donuts and Onda Origins, a family-owned coffee roastery. As participants ate, Karen Toering, a partner in Black & Tan Hall, and Charlotte Massey, the executive director of the Seattle Chamber of Connections, spoke. 

Massey introduced the chamber’s six points of connection: neighborhood contact, community of identity, one-on-one relationships, experiencing a third place, community of play, and community service. For the service portion of the day, attendees chose between picking up trash around the neighborhood or helping paint the interior of Champ Boxing Gym. 

After an hour of volunteering, participants returned to Black & Tan Hall to eat a lunch provided by Habesha Cafe and have a conversation about the day’s activities. Following lunch, the group created flower bouquets facilitated by Stephanie Morales with Made Space Seattle, and they danced and learned about African culture with Adefua Cultural Education Workshop.

As the event drew to a close, participants talked about what the experience had meant to them. Henrietta Cottingham said she was impressed to find so many like-minded people that put “yes” first: “Yes, we can do this; yes, we can be nice to each other; yes, we can get things done,” Cottingham said. “Now, I love Kevin [Loyal, the owner of Champ Boxing Gym], and I want to box. I feel like he’s in my community even though he’s not in my ZIP code. So I have friends in new places, especially in this room.”