Volunteers Raise Funds For Center Of Sharing

One evening this week, 19 volunteers raised $5,250 for the Valley Center of Sharing. They did it by telephone, asking Spokane Valley residents to help their neighbors in need.

The center helped 9,000 families last year with food, clothing, health care, senior services and more. That takes support from many hands.

The volunteers manning the telephones were from the Spokane Teachers Credit Union. They met with highs and lows: plenty of answering machines, some no-thankyou’s, a multitude of pledges in the $10 to $25 range and a few bigger gifts as well.

“Steve (Wilson) just got $800!” announced Tammy Barham.

“All at once?” asked another volunteer.

“No, total.”

In the basement of the credit union on Sprague, volunteers filled a cluster of desks. Not everyone was “hot.”

“They just hung up on me,” said Noreen Schofield. “When people call me I’m not going to be mean any more. Now I know how it feels.”

“Yes, is Donald Trump in?” Wilson quipped.

Overall, the money came pouring in.

“We just raised $2,125 in 45 minutes! Isn’t that great?” said Kay Lewis, vice president of the Valley Center board of directors.

With two phone campaigns so far, Valley center’s annual campaign has raised $24,000. Its goal is to raise $80,000 by the end of December.

The overall annual operating budget for the center is $143,000, which includes ongoing support from 28 Valley churches.

, DataTimes MEMO: Want to help? To support Valley Center’s annual fund-raising campaign, send your donation to Valley Center of Sharing, P.O. Box 141360, Spokane, WA 99214-1360. Want to get involved with the fund-raising effort? Contact Valley Center director Barbara Olson at 927-1153.