LYNNWOOD — Hisham Shams Eddin wants his young sons, Muhammed and Omar, to give back to the place that has welcomed them.
After fleeing violence in Syria, his family is grateful to be in the U.S.
“We like to make it beautiful and help it stay beautiful,” he said.
The @lynnwood volunteers include Hisham Shams Eddin and his sons Muhammed and Omar. They are Syrian refugees. He wants his sons to give back and help beautify the community that has welcomed them. pic.twitter.com/i9zqxQrFpb
— Rikki King 📝 (@rikkiking) May 12, 2018
On Saturday, the family was taking part in Clean & Green, a city-led volunteer effort in south Lynnwood. Local businesses, nonprofits and places of worship sent teams of folks, totaling more than 100 people, and some shared an interfaith meal afterward.
One group focused on yard work outside the YWCA Pathways for Women.
“It is part of our beliefs as Muslims,” said Naser Dakhil, who serves on the board of the Dar al-Arqam mosque. “We have to be involved with our neighborhoods and the community around us and help with whatever we can.”
Down the street at South Lynnwood Park, another group represented the Filipino American Christian Fellowship.
The city plans to renovate the four-acre park. One of the early phases will replace the playground, an effort that is receiving funding from The Trust for Public Land and Kaiser Permanente, which has a clinic nearby.
South Lynnwood is the city’s most diverse and underserved neighborhood, said Sarah Olson, deputy parks director. Volunteers on Saturday were encouraged to spend more time at the park and to report back on what improvements they’d like to see.
Mabel Hume, 10, wants a working water fountain. Pulling the roots was hard, she said. She had tagged along with her father, Keith. For Mother’s Day, she has a much easier outing planned: Pedicures.
Neighbors are having a work party today at S. Lynnwood Park as part of a @lynnwood citywide volunteering day. pic.twitter.com/bRPSrWenVr
— Rikki King 📝 (@rikkiking) May 12, 2018
In the part of the park that connects to the Interurban Trail, Rhoda and Phoebe Naguit encouraged each other as they pulled on vines and dug at stubborn blackberry canes. The mother and daughter have lived in Lynnwood more than 30 years.
“Being a part of the community, you need to be concerned about the needs of the community,” Rhoda Naguit said.
They’ve driven past the park a bunch of times but never stopped by, even on long walks. Now, they said, they and others can benefit from their work.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @rikkiking.,invasive
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