Hugo Annual Campaign

 Shanay, a senior at Nova High School, had been quietly writing for a while when a friend suggested she come and take a poetry class at Richard Hugo House. Shanay signed up for "Solo Performance," taught by National Poetry Slam Team member Karen Finneyfrock. Shanay had never written for a poetry slam before but she wrote a new piece, polished it for the stage, and with Karen's encouragement, went on to compete at the city-wide youth poetry slam.

She won.

Shanay is just one of the more than 850 kids from 25 Seattle area schools who come to Hugo House to participate in Hugo Youth Programs. These programs include a suite of year-round creative writing opportunities for kids. Thirty-five percent of Hugo Youth Programs students (including Shanay) receive full scholarships. Hugo House offers Saturday writing classes for teens, a one-on-one mentorship program, a free monthly "drop-in" writing workshop an open mic and a two-week summer creative writing camp.

The Hugo Youth Programs experience isn't just about taking a class—it's about belonging to a positive community that is focused upon helping young writers grow as thinking individuals and as artists. As one Hugo youth writer-in-residence said, "Hugo House is where I claimed my identity as a writer."
 
Hugo House programs aren't just for kids. We offer year-round creative writing classes for adults, commission new work from prominent authors, promote talented local writers and present some of the most exciting literary programming in the region.

And we need your help. For our annual campaign this year, our goal is $25,000. The annual campaign pays for those things that aren't always exciting to big funders but are crucial to our daily operations: keeping the Web site up, the lights on and the doors open.

I'd like to ask you to consider making a gift of $25 to support Hugo House today. If you can give $50, you will get a free membership to Hugo House. Or, go large and get a free subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine with your $100 contribution.

If you want to go REALLY large: we have a special matching challenge for all gifts at the $1,000 and above level. Double your support and help Hugo!

In 2010, we're planning to expand our youth programs and present an exciting new series, the Homegrown Writers Series, to promote local talent. But we can't do it without you.

Best wishes,
 

Sue Joerger
Executive Director

P.S. Contributions to Richard Hugo House are tax-deductible as charitable contributions to the extent allowed by law!