Christmas Fund: Donors sweeten holiday season

Thanks to some area businesses, the Christmas Bureau will be a little sweeter this year.

Licorice and candy bars for kids will be given along with toys and books to about 9,000 needy families. Inland Northwest Albertsons-Safeway stores donated about $2,000 worth of confections for the first time.

The bureau in recent years spent a small amount toward buying tiny candy canes, something it didn’t have to do this year because of the stores’ contribution, coordinator Judy Lee said.

“This is all for the kids,” Lee said. “Before, we had about $1,500 to buy little candy canes. By having Albertsons-Safeway provide the candy, that means more money goes toward the books, toys and the food vouchers.”

Such in-kind business donations all help toward keeping the event’s operations running smoothly and focused on serving about 30,000 people overall. The families receive free toys, books and $15-to-$30 food vouchers.

The event held at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center opens Thursday, operating until Dec. 19 except for Sunday.

To help fuel workers over the bureau’s nine days, Spokane’s Donut Parade will deliver even more sweets, donating about five dozen donuts each morning as the volunteers prepare.

Some 100 to 115 volunteers during busy days of service will get sandwiches to keep them on the move. Local Arby’s restaurant owner Dave McGann donates lunches for those workers each day. They can snatch some caffeine, too, thanks to more than 20 pounds of coffee provided by Cravens Coffee and URM.

For Donut Parade’s co-owner Christian Reno, she can’t think of a better community service.

“It’s such a great cause,” Reno said. “I want to help those who help others. It’s amazing to me that they have so many volunteers. A handful of those volunteers are our customers, too.”

Between now and Christmas, The Spokesman-Review will collect donations to the Christmas Fund. That money will go to pay for the Christmas Bureau, a collaboration of Catholic Charities Spokane and Volunteers of America.

To help reader donations go further and keep costs low, the bureau also relies on sponsorships and in-kind donations from businesses, and some gifts include the following:

• Fred Meyer annually provides a $25,000 sponsorship for the literacy program, enabling the bureau to provide new books for children 14 and under.
• House of Charity kitchen staff makes soup every day for volunteers, and Pizza Pipeline gives a deep discount on food for a volunteer orientation session.
• ABC Mini Storage gives the bureau yearround storage of supplies. The business also donates use of a moving truck for hauling supplies to and from the fairgrounds, for set-up and tear-down days.
• Parsons Construction Co. and Penske donate the use of trucks. Parsons also offers labor on set-up days.
• Numerous stores give supplies for smoother operations, from large flatbed carts supplied by Costco to plastic bags to carry books and toys from Bunzl Spokane, Wal-Mart, Rosauers, Albertsons and Yoke’s Foods.
• Jim Custer Enterprises & LCD Exposition Services gives whole room set-up, including pipes and drapes to create lines, book and toy area facilities, and lighted holiday decor. Clint Brantz with Jim Custer Enterprises coordinates.
• Spokane Chiefs Hockey Club coordinates and delivers stuffed animals donated by fans at the annual “Teddy Bear Toss” game night, this year held on Dec. 12. Central Valley High School students also collect stuffed animals with “Teddy Bear Tosses” at basketball games later delivered by students.
• Hoo Hoo Express Club of Brookdale Place at Harbor Crest makes and donates small wooden trucks for kids to play with in a child care area. The children can take them home if they want.
• Providence Health Care held an employee toy drive that this year donated sports balls and equipment.
• St. Mary’s Catholic School holds “PJ Drive” for children’s pajamas to give away at the bureau. This is the fourth year for the drive.
• Earthworks Recycling provided a large cardboard recycling container and will do pick-up service for the duration of the event.

Each year, The Spokesman-Review readers make it all possible with donations large and small to fund the toys, books and food vouchers. The goal is to raise $525,000 this season, and donations of any size are welcomed.

New donations

Gail and Roberta Keeling, of Otis Orchards, gave $900. Their note said, “This certainly has been a crazy year and needs in all directions for so many people. We are so grateful for all we have been given and wish to give back. In honor of our three grandsons Taylor Merkley, 19, Kolby Keeling, 11, and Ryan Keeling, 10, and in loving memory of dear friend Judy Kruiswyk, we send this check so that others will have a warm and joyous Christmas.”

Dorothy Clode gave $700 via PayPal.

Peter and Gay Witherspoon, of Spokane, donated $500.

An anonymous donor from Lamont, Washington, gave $200.

An anonymous Spokane donor contributed $155.

W. H. Selzer, of Spokane, gave $100.

Harley B. Reckord, of Spokane, donated $100.

Amy and Bob Lutz, of Spokane, gave $100 via PayPal.

Lydia Vila, of Lake Forest Park, Washington, gave $100 via PayPal with the note, “ In honor of Addy Hatch of The Spokesman-Review who always volunteers generously for The Spokesman-Review/ Christmas Fund.”

Marcia Oranen gave $100 via PayPal.

Tom Sahlberg, of Liberty Lake, gave $100 via PayPal with the note, “Help the S-R Christmas Fund provide for the needy during this special season.”

An anonymous donor from Liberty Lake gave $50.

Marge Boyles, of Spokane, gave $50.

Audrey and David Nemitz, of Spokane Valley, donated $50.

Note: For donations made through PayPal, The Spokesman-Review contributed the PayPal processing fee.