Seattle Seafarers Center
An Affiliate of The Mission to Seafarers and Stella Maris
SEATTLE SEAFARERS CENTER NEWSLETTER
October 2023
It's Time for Ditty Bags!
Every fall, the Seattle Seafarers Center gives over 1,000 “ditty bag” gifts to seafarers in Seattle. These bags contain personal necessities such as shampoo and shaving cream, a hand-knit hat, and fun items like candy.
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You can help! We are actively collecting toiletries, hats, and bags, as well as monetary donations to help us purchase more supplies.
Email office@mts-seattle.org to arrange a pick-up or drop-off of donations by November 8.
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Please see our ditty bags page for more information, including a full list of the supplies we are collecting, patterns to knit hats or sew ditty bags, and how to donate financially.
Save the Date - Ditty Bag Stuffing Day 2023!
Once again, we will host our annual Ditty Bag Stuffing Day on the Saturday before Thanksgiving in West Seattle. Join us to stuff ditty bags, share stories about seafarers ministry, and bless the bags to be given away.
When: Saturday, November 18, 10am-12pm
Where: St. John the Baptist Church, 3050 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA
You can optionally RSVP on Eventbrite.
Giving Tuesday - November 28
Mark your calendars for Giving Tuesday 2023! Last year, over 35 million adults in the US participated by giving to their favorite causes. Please consider joining this movement of generosity by making a financial gift to the Seattle Seafarers Center on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
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This fall we will specifically be raising funds for our Ditty Bag Program, and the first $5,000 of gifts will be matched dollar-for-dollar by the Archdiocese of Seattle!
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For more information or to make an early gift, see:
https://www.wagives.org/organization/the-mission-to-seafarers-seattle.
A Successful Cruise Ship Season
On Monday, October 16, the final cruise ship of the 2023 season departed from Pier 91. Since the end of April, staff and volunteers from the Center have been providing an almost-daily shuttle service for crewmembers so they can get into town for shopping and sight-seeing during their brief shore leave.
This season, we transported over 6,500 cruise ship crewmembers! We are so grateful for our many volunteers who made it possible to provide this service.
Invite Us to Speak with Your Parish or Community!
Rich Shively, Executive Director
These past few months, the Seafarers Center has been welcomed at a number of churches. We have been to St. Cecilia on Bainbridge Island, St. Madeleine Sophie in Bellevue, St. Bede’s in Port Orchard, Holy Cross in Redmond, and Our Lady of Guadalupe in West Seattle. We have also done presentations to groups at the Covenant Living Center on Mercer Island and St. Benedicts Senior Luncheon in Seattle.
It has been a great opportunity to share the news of the Center, as well as find so many people who have been open to helping with their time and talents, as well as financial gifts. These presentations have certainly been an affirmation of the ministry here, and also a sign of so many communities rallying around the needs of these men and women who just need a little extra support.
We have new presentations and forums scheduled for St. Mary’s in Lakewood, Saint Mark’s Cathedral, Christ Church in Puyallup, Ascension in Magnolia, and in the Spring - Holy Family in Kirkland.
If you are interested in having your community hear more about our work, please call our office at (206) 935-3439 or email Rich: rich@mts-seattle.org.