The Latvian Church and Center was designed and built for our community in 1971 by the hands of our hardworking and talented community members. The purpose was clear: Latvians needed a place for worship and a place to not only mark life’s milestones, but also share our cultural traditions and pass them along to our children and grandchildren. We have been married there, baptized and sent our children to Latvian school there, celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, confirmations, and the lives of our loved ones who have passed.

The Center has fostered Latvian culture through music, dance, theater, education and food all under one roof. It is in this spirit that we write to you to ask for your help. That very roof under which all these activities take place needs to be replaced. The roof was last replaced more than 25 years ago, but water damage over the last few years has seriously weakened its structure and it can no longer be safely repaired or patched. The roof must be fully replaced. Due to the size of the building and the challenging steep angle of the Church portion of the roof, the estimated cost is $100,000.

After finalizing an agreement this past year with Sound Transit, our facilities are no longer in jeopardy from light rail. While the transit settlement did provide significant funds, the majority of those funds will be needed for impacts and renovations caused by light rail construction. We must safeguard our Center from the elements now.

In 2018, the Church and Center were used more than 250 times by Latvians and other community groups close to us, including a very special celebration to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Latvian Republic! To continue using the facility with this frequency, without any disruption of services and events, we must replace the roof this year. We must commit to a contract no later than the beginning of June and schedule the replacement work for this summer or early fall.


We are asking you to please join us in funding a new roof for the Latvian Church and Center by making a generous contribution by May 31, 2020. We ask individuals to consider a gift of $300 and families consider a gift of $1,000. Of course, your donation in any amount is greatly appreciated.

We will post fundraising updates on the church web page, www.SeattleLatvianChurch.org, as well as the Latvian Church Center Facebook page. Checks may be written to the Seattle Latvian Church, with a notation of roof replacement. Donations are tax deductible. Thank you for your support!

Jānis Šulcs, Chairman of the Board
Seattle Latvian Lutheran Church

Ed Leitis
Latvian Center Manager

Sarmīte Davidson, President
Latvian Assoc. of the State of Washington

P.S. A special thank you to those six families who have already contributed $9,000!

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