Generous residents fill fund
The cumulative total of the Christmas Fund could surpass $10 million this year. It all depends on the generosity of the community. And donations to the Christmas Fund and a number of other local charities indicate this is indeed a generous community.
“One of the pleasures of my job is that I rarely hear the word no,” says Loreen McFaul, development director of Catholic Charities.
The Christmas Fund partners with Catholic Charities, The Salvation Army and Volunteers of America to distribute the makings of Christmas to needy families at the Christmas Bureau. The Christmas Fund goal is $485,000, the amount that bureau organizers think will be needed to pay the bills for the food vouchers and toys given to more than 9,000 families. The bureau opens Wednesday and will be open weekdays through Dec. 21 at the Spokane Fair and Expo Center.
Donations of $5,175.70 have boosted the fund to $52,216.50. Much more is needed. Donations of all amounts are welcome.
Last year, more than 70 percent of the donations were $100 or less. Fewer than 4 percent were donations of $1,000 or more.
Many modest contributions in the $5 to $20 range include notes from donors expressing regret that they cannot afford to give more. And every year a few needy people who picked up $15 food vouchers at the Christmas Bureau mail them back to the newspaper, with notes asking that they be given to people who are in even greater need. The average income of the people given $15 food vouchers is $430 a month.
“My experience is that persons of limited financial means often have had struggles with life’s problems, which have given them a special gift – the capacity for empathy, the ability to feel how another person actually feels,” said William Barber, a psychologist who taught for years at Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University and is a veteran volunteer at many area charities.
“These individuals can readily identify with the feelings of worry and fear and anxiety, and the awkwardness that I sometimes note among our recipients at the Christmas Bureau, and thus they are ready to be generous,” said Barber, who has also volunteered at the bureau for five or six years.
Although the economy in the Inland Northwest is still lagging behind the economic recovery many other regions have seen, those who work with the nonprofit groups here say it’s a region with unusually generous people.
“I think it is the size of the community and the kind of people here,” said McFaul. “It is a family-oriented community and families help each other in good times and bad. People here are genuinely compassionate.”
The Christmas Fund asks for donations between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. Many other charities target the holiday season for their major fund-raising efforts. It’s the season when many see the sharp differences in family resources.
“The Christmas story brings out our awareness of our gifts and prosperity,” Barber says.
Many American children receive 70 presents a year, most of them at Christmas, according to studies by Juliet Schor, a Boston College professor who researches consumer trends.
Volunteers who work the toy rooms at the Christmas Bureau say that while picking out toys for their children, parents often tell them that this will be the only toy their child will get for Christmas.
“This is another sign of the over-the-top materialism of the consumer culture we live in,” Barber says. “Most people can’t help but think, ‘Is this fair?’ They ask, ‘What can I do to balance things out more with those who are in need?’ “
The Christmas Fund has a 60-year history, dedicated to one goal: making Christmas brighter for the region’s poor.
“We find that the more educated and informed the donor is about the charity, the more consistently they give,” says Catholic Charities’ McFaul.
Following are the donors of the daily tally:
A donation of $3,000 from Taylor Engineering Inc. of Spokane included these thoughts: “The owners and employees of Taylor Engineering, Inc., are pleased to send our annual contribution to the Christmas Fund. To be sure, Spokane has had quite a year of public and private construction.
“Not everyone has had a good year, and your program serves many in need. We elected to significantly increase our commitment this year. As you have noted, the need is stronger and more urgent than ever. So, from us to you, thank you for everything you do. Along with that, we wish each of you a wonderful holiday season as well.”
Toby’s Body & Fender of Spokane donated $500, as did an anonymous donor.
Dennis and Jan McMann of Newport gave $200.
Sara Matelish donated $193.90 through PayPal.
Edward and Susan Leach of Coeur d’Alene donated $100, as did Bill and Julie McElroy of Spokane and an anonymous donor.
Bertha and Art Hansen of Rathdrum, Idaho, donated $100 in memory of Terry E. Booth and Terry Booth Jr. “Both believed that Christmas is for children and that the anticipation, the fulfillment of wishes and the magic of the season remain long after the holiday is over, lasting sometimes a lifetime,” the Hansens wrote.
Gary Redding gave $96.80 through PayPal.
Ron and Carolyn Aubrey of Spokane sent $75 and a note: “This has been such a hard year for so many. We were blessed with a new grandchild this year for a total of three. These kids don’t go without too many things. We hope this money will bring Christmas joy to some children.”
J. Overhauser of Spokane sent $50, as did Michael and Sandra Povich, also of Spokane.
Joseph Toombs Jr. of Veradale donated $40 in memory of Lois Toombs.
Will and Betty Birr of Spokane Valley donated $25, as did Edward McCormack of Spokane.
Sam Pappes gave $20.