Justus Bag’s $3,000 donation honors kindness of strangers
Individual donors to the Christmas Fund frequently share the stories behind their gift, either memories of a childhood Christmas when strangers were kind, or of people whom they found inspirational. Donations from businesses seldom come with such stories. A donation of $3,000 from Justus Bag in Spokane is an exception.
Dorothy, Doug and Darin Justus included a letter with their donation, detailing the story of the man who inspired them to be generous. This is their story:
In 1941, times were tough for Roland “Curly” Justus and his wife, Dorothy. At the time, Curly suffered a broken collarbone in an accident at the lumber mill where he worked, and he was unemployed. They had an infant son, and they struggled desperately to make ends meet, wrote the Justus family.
Curly and Dorothy had no money to pay the rent, which was $18, much less buy food. During the holidays that year, their landlord and neighbors brought the Justus family warm meals and groceries. And an anonymous person paid their rent that December.
At a recent family gathering, Dorothy recounted the story and the hardships and how grateful they still are to those people who helped them. No one in the family knows who paid the $18 rent 65 years ago.
This is why Curly always supported the Christmas Fund, they wrote.
“Thanks to some willing people who thought of someone other than themselves, Curly and Dorothy were able to make it through the tough times. So, for this reason, and in the memory of Roland “Curly” Justus, we are honored to contribute to this cause,” they continued.
The Christmas Fund pays for toys and food vouchers distributed at the Christmas Bureau at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center. On Friday, bureau volunteers distributed food vouchers totaling $17,725 to 618 families and gave out toys for 946 children. The Bureau will be open today and Monday through Wednesday next week. It closes for the season on Dec. 20.
Donations of all amounts are welcome. Donors and their donations will be published in daily stories in the newspaper. Donors who wish to remain anonymous should indicate their wishes in a note accompanying the check.
Donations of $12,210.80 bumped the Christmas Fund up to $187,492.05.
Following are the other donors and their donations:
Randal DeFelice, of Spokane, donated $2,427.20 through PayPal.
Timothy and Jackie Randall, of Cheney, donated $1,000.
Merit Electric of Spokane Inc. donated $500, as did an anonymous donor, also of Spokane, who wrote: “They say that giving to others brings equal pleasure to the one who does the giving. And that’s certainly true for me.”
An anonymous donor, of Spokane, gave $300.
Linda Nostrant, of Spokane Valley, donated $250, as did an anonymous donor, of Spokane.
Edna Hart, of Spokane, donated $200; as did Bob and Almarie Burchell, James and Beverly Johnson, and Niles and Patty Selden, all of Spokane; and an anonymous donor, of Spokane, in memory of Al and Lillian Rudolf.
Erlene Manning, of Spokane, gave $150.
Solomon and Louise Hill, of Spokane Valley, gave $130.
Vern and Patricia Kilgore, of Spokane, donated $100; as did Katherine Chew, Rita and John Leland, Thomas Bryan, Marvin and Helen Soehren, C.H. Rankin, Ruth Pearson, Paul and Kathy Cottrell, Douglas and Joan Menzies, and David and Evelyn DeFoe, all of Spokane. H.O. Wilson, of Spokane Valley, gave $100; as did Steven and Rachel Socha and two anonymous donors, all of Spokane.
Leonard, LizAnn and T-Bone Murphy sent $100 in honor of their new grandson, Nathan. “We challenge all adult family homes to help out with what they can. Thank you and everyone that helps make this very special thing work out at Christmas,” they wrote.
Robert, Irice, Alison, Chase and Haley Milligan, of Spokane, gave $100 in memory of Bonnie Brocco.
Lorraine Cannon, of Richardson Realty in Spokane, donated $100 in appreciation of her clients and customers.
Alan Amstadter donated $96.80 through PayPal, as did an anonymous donor, who noted, “I hope to make this donation the first of many and start a new tradition in our family.”
The Rockford Women’s Club, of Rockford, Wash., sent $95 and a note: “We work hard all year doing many community services. We are a volunteer organization. Our money comes from annual dues and we also sell hamburgers at our local Southeast Spokane County Fair in September. Thank you for all you do for families in need each year,” they wrote.
Carol Gabel, of Spokane, brought $80 and a note to the newspaper: “In August, I realized that by buying coffee each day at work, I was spending more money than necessary. With an extra new coffee maker taking up cupboard space, I felt like I had a new toy. I now make coffee at the office and put the money I was spending each week for coffee away for something special. Christmas is very special. I am enclosing my coffee money with the hope this can help make someone else’s Christmas a little special.”
Stuart and Terri Hart, of Spokane, gave $50 in memory of Joan.
Dorothy Cooper, of Spokane, sent $50 and a note: “As a transplanted Chicago-area resident where I always supported the Chicago Tribune Holiday Fund, it is my pleasure to be able to support The Spokesman-Review Christmas Fund. Spokane is my new hometown.”
Harold and Doreen Kafer, of Spokane, donated $50, as did Domini Sandwiches, Inc., and Northwest Treasure Hunters Club, both of Spokane; an anonymous donor, of Mead; and an anonymous donor, of Spokane Valley.
Harry Sparks Jr., of Spokane, donated $50 in memory of Nadine and Lottie Sparks.
Two anonymous donors, of Spokane, each gave $30.
Betty Wolf, of Spokane Valley, donated $25, as did two anonymous donors, also of Spokane; an anonymous donor, of St. John, Wash.; and an anonymous donor, of Fairfield, Wash. Gary and Jan Huguenin, of Spokane, sent $25 in memory of their brother-in-law, Stan Clough. Geneva Donahue, of Spokane Valley, gave $25 in memory of Ted Donahue.