Silent Auction Sneak Peek

Hamomi License Plate Guitar

by Doug Casady

Unlike anything you've ever seen before - a true labor of love. This playable acoustic guitar, lined with license plates specifically for Hamomi. Not only does it say "Hamomi" up the neck, it is filled with Hamomi-isms like "Love", "Life", "Art" and "Educate". 

A must-have work of art for one lucky Hamomi lover.

Bidding will start at $200.

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Cabo San Lucas Timeshare

Enjoy one week at the luxurious Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort.

This Executive Suite can sleep 6 people and has two full bathrooms.  The resort swimming beach faces the landmark arch at the end of the Baja 

Peninsula and has a large pool. It is within easy walking distance of the town of Cabo San Lucas.  The resort also boasts a world class spa and workout facility (extra fees 
apply). Package covers 7 nights stay.  Airfare and meals are not included. Value: $1,500. 

Bidding to start at $800

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Willie Wonka Skateboard

by Brolic Designs

Brolic Designs has generously donated 2 Skateboards. Pieces you can display as art or use to cruise!

See second board below.

Bidding will start at $75
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Female Astronaut Skateboard

by Brolic Designs

Bidding will start at $50

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Nike FuelBands

See product details.

With the Nike FuelBand you can track your day, set a goal, connect and go! An incredible tool for tracking your activity.

Retailing for $150 before tax (and shipping), we are offering them for a flat price of $135.

9 available in the "Hamomi Store", the flat-price area of the auction - so don't miss out!

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Longhorn

by Bryan Dubreuiel

An original abstract painting, rich with colors. This artwork is all paint, acrylic.

Medium: Professional grade acrylics on gallery-wrapped 100% 

cotton canvas.  The sides are painted, so there's no need to frame them. It has varnish and a gloss to protect the painting from UV and dust.

Support: Wooden stretcher bars.

Bidding will start at $250
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Enjoy a 2 night stay for 2 people in a King Harbor View Room with a private balcony at the Catalina Island Inn in Avalon, CA.

A luxurious stay and you could snag it at a great value!

Bidding to start at $250.

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Hope and Life

by Carmen Sylvia Spiers

An original painting for and about Hamomi! Reading "Hope and Life Through Education, Hamomi" and with "Hope" in many different languages throughout. A beautiful display of the spirit of Hamomi.

Bidding will start at $150

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And so much more... Over 120 items - come ready to shop!

Remember check out the Buy-in Items here. You can see more Event Logistics here. See you there!

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Buy-In Silent Auction Items

Buy-In Silent Auction Items

The battle is not to bid the highest, the battle is a race to get the open spots!

We have four items that are buy-ins. If you want more than one spot, you can write your bid number in more than one of the empty slots. If you and your friends want all the slots, you need race to fill in all the them! 

Canopy Blue Shopping Soiree

Come spend an evening with “the girls” at one of Seattle’s boutique gems! Enjoy sparkling wine and hors d'oeuvres from the renowned Luc Restaurant, while you shop urban chic but casual clothing and accessories.  Canopy Blue is a true find nestled in a corner of the Madison Valley neighborhood.

In addition to a fun evening, each purchaser will receive a 20% discount during the shopping event, a chance to win a monogramed Boulevard Tote bag and a special gift from Canopy Blue.

Wednesday, March 27 - 6:30-8:00pm

$40.00 buy-in, 15 open spots!

   

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 Traditional Moroccan Dinner

Prepared by Moroccan native, Houda Hachad

Dinner, drinks and desserts provided for 6 people. Hosted at the Christensen Residence in the Denny Blaine neighborhood of Seattle. Dinner will be held in 2013 on a date mutually agreed upon by hosts and guests.

$100 buy-in, 6 open spots!

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2.5 hour Kundalini Workshop 

taught by Colleen Crowley in Queen Anne

 Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan, is an ancient science and is called the “Yoga of Awareness”. It is extremely powerful in providing clarity of mind, vitality and health. It centers you from the inside, which is imperative in this world of constant stimulation from the outside.

Benefits of Kundalini Yoga:

1. Promotes muscle strength and flexibility

2. Increases circulation and purifies the blood

3. Promotes relaxation in times of stress,

4. Helps with various dysfunctions by balancing metabolism, digestion, and the body-mind-spirit configuration.

In this workshop you will learn breathing techniques, movements, postures, meditation and chanting to strengthen your immune and nervous systems and to work on spinal flexibility. There are no intermediate or advanced levels in Kundalini Yoga. From your very first class, you will experience a feeling of well-being. Regardless of your age, fitness level or flexibility, you can reap those benefits this sacred tradition offers. With practice, you will become more aware and have more vitality.

$30 Buy-in, 8 Open Spots!

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Learn How To Cook An Indian Vegetarian Meal

Right At HOME!

You will learn to cook a sumptuous Indian vegetarian meal including Dal, Sabjee (side vegetable), Indian Bread, raita and a dessert. Recipes and all ingredients will be provided and brought to your house. All you need to do is reserve a couple of hours, free up your knives and utensils, and invite some friends.

$70 buy-in, 6 open spots!
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And there will be a huge Silent Auction of over 120 items! Check out a sneak peek here. Read about Event Logistics here.

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February 2 Logistics

Hello All!

We are so glad you'll be joining us for the Fourth Annual Hamomi Dinner and Auction! This page is just to give you logistical details to help you be prepared and have as much fun as possible!

St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Boyer Ave E, Seattle, WA 98112

• Parking. Big parking lot around back, lots of free parking on the street. Please be safe and assign a designated driver. Or even take a taxi home and come get your car the next day.

• Check-in. 6:00 PM. All night, your bid number will be currency. You can use your bid number to get silent auction items, raffle tickets, drinks, etc. So at check-in, you'll be asked to fill out a payment information form, giving us a little insurance on that bid number. If you don't buy anything, no harm done. 

• Credit Card vs. Check. We have to pay a 3% charge on all credit card fees. We believe your donations should go directly to Hamomi, so if you prefer to pay by credit card, please consider adding 3% to your tally at the end of the night. If you don't like that option, bring a checkbook or cash! Reminder below: cash only bar after 9:30 PM.

• Drinks. There will be lots of beer and wine available! One temporary bar will greet you at check-in, one bar will be in the Hall and a second bar will open in the Hall once dinner starts. You can avoid waiting in line by asking any volunteer to grab you a drink. All they need is your bid number!

• Silent Auction. Closes promptly at 7:30 PM! Make sure to get there in time. Check out some items previewed here. And don't forget the Buy-Ins!

• Dinner. Is going to be delicious! An Family Style African theme with plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. No buffet lines this year!

• Program. There will be lots of entertainment including children doing African dance, a Hamomi video and the ever popular Dessert Dash! There will be a paddle raise at the end of the night with an option to pledge privately if you prefer. Check out will be at 10 PM.

• Check-out. Since we have your payment info already, check-out is super duper fast. If you're paying by credit card and don't have an item to pick up, you can just leave at the end of the night and we'll contact you with your itemized receipt later.

• Cash Only Bar after 9:30 PM. To make sure check-out is all set to go by 10 PM, we will stop taking drink orders by bid number at 9:30 PM. If you would like a drink after that, it will be a cash bar.

• After Party Dance Party. Stick around! We will clear off the dance party after the event has closed to finish the food, dessert and drinks. No reason to rush off! Remember - this part of the night will be cash only.

How Things Work

Today is Day #1 of earning an independent consulting fee with Hamomi. I've been a bit surprised by how many people heard I'm going full time and didn't realize how this worked before now. I have been a Hamomi volunteer since October, 2007. An average day was 9 AM - 3 PM with Hamomi and 3 PM - 7 PM nannying. (Also many days included an additional babysitting shift til midnight or so.) I am endlessly thankful to the families I nannied for - they are huge supporters and wonderful friends. But that being said, it was really difficult.

However, a fee for my work has always felt complicated.

It feels the same to spend a lot of money to put on a major fundraiser. If everybody just gave me the money instead of having the fundraiser, we'd raise $10-$15,000 more than we do. Do you know what I could do with that money? Do you know how many people that would benefit? But I try not to fall into that rabbit hole, because the truth is that nobody will give me the kind of money we raise without the fundraiser. It would be beautiful if they did, but that's asking for people to donate on faith without me putting in any of the work to prove that we are organized, know how to market ourselves, can speak articulately about what we do, can sell you our story, etc. That's why people donate - and donors are not wrong for behaving that way - that's just how it works. But writing big checks to hire caterers and rent banquet halls will always feel unsettling.

So I guess it's just about accepting how things work.

The goal is to be obsolete so that Hamomi-Kenya doesn't need Hamomi-USA or any foreign donations for that matter, but we're not there yet. So for now Hamomi-Kenya needs Hamomi-USA and therefore a better Hamomi-USA makes a better Hamomi-Kenya. For example, today was my first official full-time day with the only stress-free time to get things done that I've ever had and I wrote personal emails and notes to every donor who I received a donation from. I shared with them what their donation really does. I let them know I'm here, that we're small, that their donation matters and that they can contact me directly any time.

In the last five and a half years, this is the first day I have had the time to do that - no exaggeration. And it will make Hamomi better. Those people are already emailing back their thanks for the personal emails and phone calls. Those people are already impressed and visiting the website and reading this blog post I have the time to write. Those people understand on a deeper level the personal impact their donation makes at Hamomi so much better than they did when all they received was an automated message from Lift Up Africa. Those people feel good today about their donation and I feel good about opening up dialogue with them.

In the past I would have been dreading actually getting a phone call from one of them with a question, because who had the time for a phone call? Now I welcome those calls. I want those challenging questions and those drawn out conversations over coffee. I want the push and pull that is integral to a truly grassroots, community project.

This is not to mention that the other half of my job isn't even administrative. Half of my job is program development, long term sustainable investing, forming partnerships with organizations to donate their services to Hamomi, being in Kenya and conducting our internal auditing and planning workshops, etc. Mostly: preparing the Hamomi-Kenya team for a future where Hamomi-USA is obsolete.

If an income means that my time in Kenya will be spent without my freaking out over an empty bank account, that I can actually go for whatever length of time is required by Hamomi's needs, that a text from Raphael, Hamomi's founder, will never come in at an inopportune time because I'm babysitting or too exhausted to think about Hamomi; if this means that when I reach out to a partnership organization and they can only meet after 3 PM, I don't have to say no, then this income isn't complicated at all.

So, when I look at the flat amount on that monthly check, I will not think of it as a flat amount that I would have done so much with. Because now it is a dynamic amount that I will do so much more with. That is just how it works, and I'm learning to not only accept, but welcome how things work.