2020-2021 Unofficial Mayor: The Vashon Sisters
The Vashon Sisters are the winning Unofficial Mayors of Vashon having raised a total of $9402.81! Vashon Sisterhood candidates were comprised of 4 strong & smart young ladies; Raena, Selene, Maarten & Lucca.
Vashon Sisterhood’s mission is to honor the feminine, empower youth, build connections, and create space for listening, sharing mentorship, and support. Way to go ladies!
Overall, the 4 participating local non-profit organizations pulled in a whopping total of $20,576.24! Thank you to all the candidates who participated; Barbara Steen with Vashon Island Heritage Museum, Fleur with Vashon Island Pet Protectors, & Sid with Vashon Youth & Family Services.
*The Vashon Chamber of Commerce along with the incumbent Unofficial Mayor, Eirene – Goddess of Peace (Dove Project), will plan to hold a swearing-in ceremony to welcome the new Unofficial Mayors at the next upcoming socially distanced event, date to be announced.*
“Sisterhood has given me hope for the young girls of today,” shares 13-year-old Raena. “It’s a safe place to share your thoughts and feelings and hopes. You can be yourself and hear other people’s stories and that really brings us together as sisters. Other girls should have this opportunity.” Raena’s vision for Vashon Sisterhood is to expand in order for all girls in her community to have the opportunity to experience the power of being truly seen and heard.
Lucca agreed to say, “I love Sisterhood Circles because I can be myself and talk with other girls about anything."
11-year-old Maarten added, “Sisterhood offers a way to connect with others on a deeper level than you would normally achieve in class.
“To me, Sisterhood means a safe place where you can be you, and not judged for who you are,” explained Selene.
Vashon Sisterhood is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to empowering and supporting the healthy social and emotional development of girls and young women on Vashon Island. Sisterhood currently serves more than 80 girls and female-identifying peers between the ages of 9 and 18 through Circles in Schools groups in the Vashon Island School District and The Harbor School.
“We have learned that a deep, meaningful, and lasting way to empower girls is to create a space where they belong, their voices are heard, they both speak and listen from the heart, and where they are accepted for who they are,” shares McMurray Middle School teacher and Sisterhood Circles lead Patty Gregorich, “This is the magic that is created every week in our Sisterhood Circles.”
Currently, one-third of Vashon Sisterhood’s Circles in Schools program is funded by a generous grant from the Vashon Schools Foundation. Lucca, Maarten, Raena and Selene’s campaign is aimed to raise enough money to be able to continue, and hopefully, even expand the program in the 2020-21 school year, so that they may offer programs for more girls and offer additional opportunities in mentorship, rites of passage, nature-based experiences, and activism.
“Living on an island in a rural setting results in many of our youth feeling isolated and alone, with limited resources and supports for families,” shares Vashon Sisterhood board member and McMurray Middle School counselor Yvette Butler, “Sisterhood seeks to intentionally identify and include girls who represent all socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, with additional focus on inclusion of girls that may be underrepresented or experiencing higher levels of social isolation on Vashon Island.”
The mission of Vashon Sisterhood is to honor the feminine, empower youth, build connections, and create space for listening, sharing mentorship, and support. The organization was formed in response to local community members acknowledging data that consistently identifies that local youth on Vashon Island experience an alarming number of risk factors, along with higher than average mental health concerns and substance use trends.
Maarten, Lucca, Raena, and Selene’s support of Sisterhood could not come at a better time. With everything our girls have gone through this school year being so isolated from their peers, they will need this more than ever in the fall. The community’s support of Lucca, Maarten, Raena, and Selene will go a long way to fill the financial void so this crucial program can continue for Lucca, Maarten, Raena, Selene, and their “sisters” at our island schools.
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ABOUT VASHON SISTERHOOD
Vashon Sisterhood is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to girls’ empowerment and supporting the healthy social and emotional development of young women on Vashon Island. Vashon Sisterhood seeks to intentionally identify and include girls who represent all socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic backgrounds, with additional focus on inclusion of youth that may be underrepresented and/or experiencing higher levels of social isolation on Vashon Island. The organization’s Circles in Schools mentorship program currently serves more than 80 girls in Vashon Island School District and will grow to have programs that include rites of passage, nature-based experiences, and activism.
CONTACT INFORMATION
● Margie Butcher: 206-370-9342
● Email: VashonSisterhood@gmail.com
● Website: www.VashonSisterhood.org
● Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vashonsisterhood/
● Instagram: @sisterhood.vashon