What is Harambee?

Harambee is a center for community development located at 316 S. 3rd St in downtown Renton. Our name comes from the Swahili word that means "together pushing forward," which in many African cultures is a rally cry: Let’s come together to accomplish something great for the community, and embodies our vision of being a diverse community working together for the betterment of the community by loving and serving the city and its people.

We exist to provide a holistic approach to community development in Renton and South King County by providing a “3rd Place*" community gathering for the continued physical, mental, emotional and spiritual development (mind, body & soul) of youth and their families. Our desire is to form a collaboration of community leaders and organizations (potentially through a separate non-profit: Harambee Community Development Association) to join us in our vision for the following programs hosted at Harambee:

1) A free, after school drop-in (“The Hall”) primarily for Renton High students because of our strategic location to it, but open to all, where they can:
- Have a safe place to hang out after school
- Engage in a mentoring relationship
- Receive tutoring, help on homework, WASL prep class, etc.
- Participate in dance, drama, music and the arts (practice & record music, hip hop dance class, pottery, etc.)
- Develop athletic skills: speed skills camp, play basketball, etc.
- Receive computer training and other life skills
- Participate in leadership development classes
- Meet with an onsite counselor to discuss substance abuse, family, school and other issues

2) A Café that is:
- Operated by a local organization that can use it for job training for youth, homeless, etc.
- Open to all in the mornings and to the after school program in the afternoon
- Open for concerts and special events
- Displays local artists

3) A Concert Venue (“Harambee Venue”) to give local musicians and fans a place to enjoy live music on Fri & Sat nights, as few venues exist between Seattle and Tacoma, hosting:
- Hip Hop Emcee battles
- Alternative, indie, punk, hardcore & hip hop shows
- Open mic (poetry slams, spoken word, etc.) and more


4) A Homeless Resource Drop in Center (“The Refuge”) on Sat Evenings providing:
- A place to rest, warm food/drink, and people to converse with
- Food packages from the Emergency Feeding Program
- Onsite DSHS assistance
- Mobile Medical Unit

* A good explanation of the “3rd Place” concept can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Place

Harambee Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Aren’t you guys really just a church?

A: Currently, the vision and all funding/resources are from Harambee Church, but as mentioned above, we desire to form a collaboration of community leaders & organizations (City of Renton, Renton School District, Renton High School, local non-profits, etc.) with a similar vision. If the best vehicle for this type of collaboration is through a separate non-profit, we have established the Harambee Community Development Association (HCDA), a separate 501(c)3 non-profit organization; however, it is in it’s infancy and would require key stakeholders from the community to invest in it’s development (board formation, etc.).

A couple of local examples of youth/teen drop in centers with a similar vision are the Old Redmond Fire House (http://www.theoldfirehouse.org/aboutus.htm), Kirkland Teen Union Building (http://www.ktub.org/about-us/), and Ground Zero in Bellevue (http://www.bgcbellevue.org/teenprograms.htm

Also, we do not consider our building a church, but rather a center for community development that Harambee Church (the people) also uses, and have designed the space to be flexible in its usage with that concept in mind. For example, we have intentionally limited the amount of religious literature, publications, and displays (i.e. crosses, etc.), so as to not exclude people who are uncomfortable with them. Those that do exist can be easily covered/removed after church usage.

Q: How do we know you’re not trying to proselytize kids?

A: Our aim is not to convert, but rather to love and serve. In addition to the activities outlined in our vision above, we do have church activities (i.e. Worship Gathering on Sunday at 10 am, Youth Bible Study on Wed at 6:30 etc.) that we welcome people to attend. However, we try to be very clear on which activities are considered church activities and which are not. We don’t believe in “bait and switch” tactics (i.e. offering tutoring and using the Bible to teach kids how to read, etc.). The Salvation Army is an example of an organization with a similar approach of offering church services in addition to their community services.

Q: What progress has been made to date?

A:
Hall After School Drop in: 06-08:
- WASL Math Prep Class: 06
- Speed Skills camp: 06-07
- Hip Hop Dance Class: 06
- Established partnership with Catholic Community Services to provide onsite counseling one day a week
- Established partnership with Multi Service Center to provide monthly youth employment assistance
- Pursuing partnership with Renton Rec Dept for additional rec activities
- Pursuing partnership with Union Gospel Mission or World Vision Youth to provide tutoring

Venue:
- Shows every other weekend: up to 300 in attendance
- Open Mic Hip Hop Emcee Battle: 06-07: 150 high school students in attendance

Refuge Homeless Drop in: 06-08:
- Distribution of homeless care packages
- Established Partnership with Emergency Feeding Program: 07

Q: Where can I find out more about Harambee?

A: You may contact Bryan Nelson (bryan@vivaharambee.com, 425.271.6700).

Our Story

The Harambee story is a bit wrapped up in my (Mike Gunn’s) story. The vision of Harambee began about 10 years ago as I began to feel the need to plant a church that represented the diversity of God’s creation, as well as a gospel that centered on God’s glory and not our own needs. I was prompted by the Spirit to engage the culture in a more meaningful and direct way, so God decided to send me and my family on an unknown journey to Seattle to begin a campus ministry for athletes at the University of Washington. This began to hone our skills in apologetics, evangelism, and discipleship, creating a desire to reach this generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.