Casey and Ashley Coulter

Editor’s note: Christmas Bureau recipients come for food vouchers, toys and candy. Reporter Rebecca Nappi is collecting recipients’ stories.

Ages: 22 and 20.

Live in: Clayton, Wash.

Casey: I work construction. I’m still employed. My boss is building a house in Deer Park and luckily, we’ve been able to stay busy doing that. A lot of people I do know in construction are being put out of work.

Ashley: We heard about the bureau through my mom, who went through it when she needed help. She got on her feet and is stable now. When I was little, I’m sure I got a gift from here, but I don’t remember the gifts but I remember the books. We always got some books.

Ashley: Older people give us advice, like don’t spend your money on stupid stuff. Pay your bills first.

Casey: The most helpful advice is everything I didn’t listen to before I had a family.

Casey: I hope we can raise our kids good. We go to church and hope we can raise them the church way. And raise them to be functional in society.

Ashley: I hope they learn to accept things as they happen.

Casey: When you work construction in this weather, you get a cold face, cold feet and wet gloves. When I’m out there in the cold, it keeps me going just knowing that if it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t have a home to come to, a place for the two of them to play every night, a warm place.

Ashley: In my hard times, Casey tells me to trust that there’s always somebody who is willing to help if you help yourself. We just bought a house, and we got to keep going and be strong for our kids. We pray about it and trust God will provide.