Pike Place Market Foundation: Transforming the Low-Income Community of Seattle

When most people think of Seattle, they think of the iconic Pike Place Market (and of course Starbucks) in all of its glory – the farmers market, crafts market, shopping and restaurants. However, the Pike Place Market is so much more than flowers, fish and your favorite eatery. It is also home to a medical clinic, senior center, food bank, preschool and about 350 low-income senior citizens. In 1982 the Pike Place Market Foundation was established to help support the market’s low-income neighbors and to help the Market remain a thriving and caring community.

Dan Moore, a member of the Brighton Jones community, has lived in Seattle for more than two decades and like many others initially associated the Market with its produce, flowers, coffee, and so forth.  Dan joined the Pike Place Market Foundation six years ago and became incredibly passionate about the history and richness of not only the market itself, but all of the social services that the foundation supports as well. As an active member of the Pike Place Market Foundation, Dan volunteers his time to support the nonprofit’s community outreach, advocacy and awareness, food bank drives and charitable giving campaigns.

Over the years, the Pike Place Market Foundation has contributed to a neighborhood model that allows Seattle’s diverse community to live and thrive at the Market. The foundation, along with its volunteers, feed the hungry, care for the sick, educate children and find homes for those in need. And now, the Pike Place Market is planning for an expansion in 2017, to include more retail and restaurant space, expanded social services and housing for low-income seniors, 30,000-square-feet of public open space and a critical new connection between Pike Place Market and the new Central Waterfront after the demolition of the Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Both Brighton Jones and Dan are actively involved in fundraising for the expansion through the PikeUp! Campaign. The MarketFront expansion is 40 years in the making and provides donors with an opportunity to support the biggest transformation of a civic asset since the building of the Seattle Center. While construction began in June 2015, there is a planned completion date for early 2017. In order to complete the funding of the $73 million project, the Pike Place Market Foundation is working to raise the final $3.8 million from community supporters with tax-deductible charitable giving.

Brighton Jones is located in the Pike Place Market neighborhood and feels very strongly about supporting the foundation’s initiatives. For more than five years we have supported the Pike Place Market Foundation through sponsorship of the Sunset Supper, volunteering at the food bank, charitable auctions and now donations to the PikeUp! Campaign.

You can participate in an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put your name in the Pike Place Market! The PikeUp! Campaign is underway and runs until July 31, 2016.  To learn more about the Pike Place Market Foundation, visit pikeplacemarketfoundation.org.