Christmas Bureau Snapshot: Charee Discenza

Editor’s note: Christmas Bureau recipients come to the bureau for food vouchers, toys and candy. Reporter Rebecca Nappi is collecting some of their stories.

Age: 27.

Lives in: Spokane.

I felt joy when I saw the Christmas stuff coming up . I like Christmas, because it’s all about giving and not receiving.

I’m the type of person if I see that someone needs something , I give it to them, whether it’s money or food or things that they need. I think of others before I think of myself. I just gave one of my friends $50 for …

Editor’s note: Christmas Bureau recipients come to the bureau for food vouchers, toys and candy. Reporter Rebecca Nappi is collecting some of their stories.

Age: 27.

Lives in: Spokane.

I felt joy when I saw the Christmas stuff coming up. I like Christmas, because it’s all about giving and not receiving.

I’m the type of person if I see that someone needs something, I give it to them, whether it’s money or food or things that they need. I think of others before I think of myself. I just gave one of my friends $50 for food. She kind of hinted towards it, but I just knew that she was in need. She said, “Oh, I can’t accept this.” I said, “Why? You end up giving to people all the time, and you can’t accept something when someone gives to you?” She said, “Uh, fine.” She bought food with it.

My service dog’s name is Denver. He’s a boy. What kind of dog? Your guess is better than mine. I have chronic pain and I get panic attacks and I fall and my hips lock, and I can’t get up out of chairs and stuff like that. He helps with that. I’ve had him 4 ½ years.

I’ve come to the bureau for nine years. I have three kids. They are 9, 8 and 7.

Denver talks. When he has to voice his opinion, he goes whoo, whoo, whoo, whoooo! He is the friendliest dog in the world. I trained him up as a pup and he was finished training at 6 months. Nan Kelly and I from CORD, the Coalition of Responsible Disabled, help people with their dogs. Denver helps me by getting me out there, getting me exposed to people.