Christmas Bureau’s buyers bargain hunters
The Christmas Bureau toy buyers had a lengthy shopping list. Stand-up kitchenettes and nursery sets, electronic keyboards and guitars, sporting equipment, scooters and skateboards, dolls and remote control cars, makeup and music players, lava lamps and karaoke machines, bath products and board games.
In total, they’ve bought 18,000 gifts so every less-fortunate baby, child and teen in the area has something fun to open come Christmas morning.
“We want the wow factor for the kids. When the child opens it up at Christmas we want their eyes so happy and excited to get this toy,” said volunteer toy buyer Cheryl Taam, who works with volunteers Reesie Smith and Janelle Kortlever to pick out presents for the Christmas Bureau.
Funded by reader donations, the Christmas Bureau ensures needy families have a happy holiday by providing a gift for each child and a book for each child through age 14, as well as a $15 to $30 food voucher for each household, based on family size.
To keep costs low and quality high, the volunteer toy buyers begin their holiday hunt in January, scouring the catalogs, toys aisles and online reviews, poring over last year’s numbers and hunting down the best deals.
“Cheryl, Reesie and Janelle are truly amazing with the time and heart they put into researching and getting the best toys possible, in terms of variety, quality, age range,” said Christmas Bureau Coordinator Judy Lee.
By the time the buyers finish their shopping at the end of April, they’ve done well to maximize donor dollars.
Most gifts would retail between $25 and $30 but cost the charity between $8 and $15, thanks to wholesale pricing and efficient bargain hunting.
“I’d like people to know, if they’re donating their money, we’re being good stewards, so we can buy the best quality for the money,” explained Taam, noting they also spend many hours ensuring the toys are safe, durable and likely to be happy hits.
“There’s a lot of time and effort that goes into everything we buy,” said Taam. “I’ve been known to go to a store and talk to a kid that same age to see if the toy is something they would like.”
They also double-check online reviews.
Taam described how they’d considered buying a baby toy by a recognized manufacturer but decided to keep looking after reading the reviews. “All the reviewers said it kept rolling back and bonking my baby on the head,” said Taam. “We try to research each review to make it worth the money we spend.”
Now the Christmas Bureau needs your help. To pay for those gifts as well as the books and food vouchers, it needs to raise $525,000 this season. Donations of any size are welcome and wanted.
Last year, more than 1,700 donors contributed, a sign that Spokane still supports this monumental endeavor of goodwill that has lasted since 1945. Organizers hope this year will continue that tradition of caring so needy families can select something nice for their children’s Christmas.
“It’s a key part of the Christmas Bureau to have a wide range of toys and as high as quality a toy we can buy. That’s why donations are so important,” said Lee. “We can provide toys that these families would not be able to purchase, and we want them to last and be meaningful.”
New donations
Bill and Mabel McInerney, of Priest Lake, Idaho, gave $750. “Thank you Spokesman-Review and all the volunteers that make this event happen,” they wrote.
Laborers’ Local No. 238, of Spokane, gave $300.
William and Deborah Pierce, of Spokane, gave $250.
Michael and Kathy Eaton, of Spokane, gave $150. “The Christmas Bureau and Toys for Tots are important to me because they reach the children. Thank you,” wrote Kathy Eaton.
Maurice and Rosemary Twomey, of Oak Brook, Illinois, gave $100.
Longtime Christmas Bureau volunteers Mary and Dean Duncan, of Spokane, gave $100.
Mary and David Larsen, of Spokane, gave $100.
An anonymous Spokane donor gave $100, writing, “We are so grateful we are able to donate and help a family have a nice Christmas.”
Joseph M. Toombs, of Spokane, gave $100 in memory of Lois Toombs.