All I want for Christmas is rent: Today So Far

• KUOW gets advice on the best ways to give during this season of goodwill.
• The Little Free Bakery effort grows in the Seattle area, baking up free food for those who need it.

This post originally appeared in KUOW's Today So Far newsletter for December 16, 2022.

I don't want a lot for Christmas

There is just one thing I need

I don't care about the presents

I might not even have a Christmas tree

I just want a secure home

More than you could ever know

So I'm saving every cent

All I want for Christmas, is rent

I'm sorry/not sorry for getting that song stuck in your head. But it's a tune that a lot of folks in the Seattle area are singing this season, according to Patrick Barredo, director of social outreach and advocacy at St. James Cathedral. While speaking with KUOW about positive ways to give this holiday season, Barredo said one need sticks out more this year.

"The needs that I'm seeing are more requests for rental assistance," Barredo said. "People have been drastically affected by the pandemic. I know that we're a growing region. We are experiencing a lot of good things here. But it's also coming at a cost, where people just aren't able to afford housing. There's not enough affordable housing units, and of course, jobs. Many people want the dignity of being able to say that they are earning their own paycheck, but there are not enough jobs in our region that allow for people to be able to afford rent."

There are a lot of ways to give this season — clothes, money to charities, non-perishable food. Barredo notes that there is one other significant thing he feels people can contribute — themselves. More helpers means more help available.

"More than anything else, what we really, truly appreciate is the presence of people who are concerned, who want to have a small but significant impact, people who are able to volunteer, to join us, who are willing to encounter the people who come to St. James, who are vulnerable, who are cold, who are hungry."

Check out the full conversation with KUOW's Kim Malcolm here.

Another significant need in our region is food. Food insecurity tripled during the pandemic, and that was before inflation tightened things further. Now, food banks that many people and families rely on are reporting that their shelves are going bare. Food banks are finding ways to adapt, but that takes help.

One local adaptation has been growing in Seattle where residents have converted Little Free Libraries into Little Free Pantries. You know, those little houses, boxes, or shelves that stand in front of many homes and carry free books for passersby. Turns out, they're also a convenient place to put non-perishable food for people who need it. That's what Lanne Stauffer has done, though with some baking skills, she has taken her pantry to another level.

Stauffer's "little free bakery" in Magnolia has become a bit of a community hub where neighbors cook up free food. She's not alone. Beth Altman bakes up food for her pantry in Maple Leaf. Food writer Jill Lightner has established one in Columbia City. Deborah Voll's free bakery in Redmond not only offers free baked goods for people, but also pets.

Perhaps the best part of this effort is that it is not isolated to one season of goodwill. For the past year, Stauffer has been baking up free food every Tuesday morning; because it's not just in December that people need a little extra help. KUOW's Ruby de Luna has the full story here.

Before you head off for the weekend, here are a few more stories on kuow.org today:

• 5th Avenue Theatre performances canceled due to Covid outbreak
• Washington man charged with violent, racist threats against members of Congress
• Women suing Seattle hip-hop artist in sex trafficking case face ticking clock
• Tacoma pastor calls Pierce County Sheriff’s acquittal ‘troubling but not surprising'

AS SEEN ON KUOW

The maestro behind the moody, surreal score that brought director and creator David Lynch's vision to life was Angelo Badalamenti. The composer died on Dec. 11 at the age of 85. Soundside talks with arts writers and people who Badalamenti's music impacted. (Associated Press)

DID YOU KNOW?: Hanukkah vs Chanukah

Hanukkah begins this Sunday. Let's get linguistic!

The Jewish holiday runs December 18-26 — in other words, "eight crazy nights." If the most you know about Hanukkah comes from a holiday armadillo (which isn't much), then you may have wondered why the holiday is spelled both as "Hanukkah" and "Chanukah." Both spellings are accurate, but reflect different pronunciations of the word. The Hebrew language isn't written in the same alphabet that us modern English speakers use (aka the Latin alphabet). Also, there are sounds in Hebrew that don't exactly transfer over into English. The best example of this that I found is the Scottish word "loch." That "ch" has a guttural sound to it, unlike what we'd say when speaking "Chandler." This "ch" sound is present in the Hebrew character ḥet / chet which starts the word Hanukkah. Over the years, attempts to translate between Hebrew and other languages have resulted in a few different spellings, about 24 variations, such as the Chanukah and Hanukkah options. "Hanukkah" is the more popular spelling these days, but both remain correct.

ALSO ON OUR MINDS

Starbucks workers plan a 3-day walkout at 100 U.S. stores in a unionization effort

Starbucks workers around the U.S. are planning a three-day strike starting Friday as part of their effort to unionize the coffee chain's stores. More than 1,000 baristas at 100 stores are planning to walk out, according to Starbucks Workers United, the labor group organizing the effort. The strike will be the longest in the year-old unionization campaign.

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