Donated services aid effort

The Christmas Fund solicits financial donations between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and the Christmas Bureau distributes holiday fixings to the poor between Dec. 7 and Dec. 20. But behind the scenes, a number of people and local businesses contribute goods and services to this holiday charity throughout the year.

Donations of $2,618.60 brought the Christmas Fund to $28,258.25. Much more is needed to reach the goal of $485,000. Donations of all amounts are welcome.

Setup of the Christmas Bureau at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center will take two days next week, and the bureau opens Dec. 7. After the bureau closes Dec. 20, the chairs, tables, computers and leftover toys must be stored.

Several local businesses have donated storage units, including ABC Mini-Storage in Spokane Valley and National Storage Centers.

“We really want to be available for organizations like the Christmas Bureau that need our help,” said Richelle Gearhardt, manager of National Storage Centers on East Francis. “We have donated the use of a unit that’s 10-by-30-feet and the use of a 15-foot box truck.”

The truck will be used next week to move 2,000 gift bags from the Catholic Charities offices to the fairgrounds, according to Karen Orlando, Christmas Bureau organizer.

National Storage Centers’ donation amounts to about $1,800 if the bureau had to pay for the services.

ABC Mini-Storage donates the use of two storage units at a reduced rate, according to Angela Flint, manager of the Spokane Valley facility. “We have been donating the use of one but will offer a second next year for the office chairs that were donated to the charity,” Flint said.

ABC’s storage donation is worth nearly $1,750.

The bureau needs a significant storage space.

“We have 35 6-foot folding tables, 150 folding metal chairs, 20 office chairs, 20 computers and a couple of printers, and three large coffee makers and assorted kitchen supplies,” said Orlando. “And we’ve done pretty well the past two years with the toys, but we still had more than a hundred left over that we needed to store.”

Because the computers need to be kept in a heated space, they are packed into cardboard boxes and taken to Assumption Parish for the year. Orlando sought out a donor to give the charity a couple of dozen large boxes and approached Bobbie Fischer, the manager of Postnet Postal & Business Services at Indian Trail Shopping Center.

The story of how that connection was made is interesting, said Fischer. “I had originally donated those boxes to the Katrina effort. They were to be used to send backpacks to New Orleans for the children. There were some boxes left over from that, and I got them back. At the same time Karen Orlando came in and asked about boxes. There must have been an angel on her shoulder and the boxes got donated again,” Fischer said. The boxes would retail for about $140, she said.

“It’s hard as a small business to give cash donations,” Fischer said. “Everybody’s cause is great but as a small business you can’t give to every cause. But sometimes it works out.”

Some of the equipment needed to serve 10,000 families at the bureau is loaned to the charity. “Lowe’s and Costco have each loaned us two flatbed carts for the entire two weeks, and Norlift is loaning us six hand trucks,” Orlando said.

Of course, the bureau wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations from Inland Northwest residents. The donors and their donations will be reported daily in the newspaper. Donors who wish to remain anonymous should indicate their wishes on their donation check or in an accompanying note.

Following are the donors and their donations:

Gregory and Alice Prekeges, of Spokane, gave $200, as did W.O. Pemberton, Bettina and William Bell, William and Deborah Pierce, and the Southside Newcomers, all of Spokane.

James Spencer, of Spokane, donated $150.

Sharon and Skip Boyer, of Spokane Valley, gave $130.

Donna Roloff, of Spokane, sent $100, as did Edward and Shirley Bell, Michael and Ione Howson, and Virginia Robinette, all of Spokane; an anonymous donor, of Ione; an anonymous donor, of Deer Park; and two anonymous donors, also of Spokane.

An anonymous donor, of Spokane, sent a note and $100, in memory of Deborah McBride McDowell, “who celebrated relationships and loved Spokane’s generosity at Christmas.”

Jordan McCabe donated $96.80 through PayPal.

Gene and Jackie La Liberte, of Liberty Lake, sent $50, as did an anonymous donor, of Spokane.

Rose Bartoletta-Dubois, of Spokane, gave $25, as did an anonymous donor of Odessa, Wash., and an anonymous donor, of Spokane.

Jack Strom, of Spokane, sent $20 and a note: “I am a retired senior citizen who recently moved back to Spokane from Albuquerque after 14 years. I am pleased to donate to your fund and wish you every success.”