Giving gifts and help
During this time of year, television ads prey upon our desire to make loved ones happy.
Give your husband the keys to a new Lexus, and watch his face light up.
Place a diamond necklace on your sleeping wife’s neck and she’ll melt in your arms.
What if the presents you give this holiday season could bring joy not only to the people on your list, but could brighten the lives of strangers in need?
They might not be selling shiny new cars, but several nonprofit organizations in Spokane offer items that might appeal to your loved ones. At the same time, the profit from those sales could help a woman escape an abusive husband or kick her drug addiction. They might help a disabled athlete compete in a basketball tournament or support an artisan in a developing country. Buying some of these gifts might be a small step toward protecting the environment.
Beans, brownies and belief
Christ Kitchen is a nondenominational Christian ministry that helps women in need – whether they’re struggling to beat addiction, escape poverty, or leave an abusive relationship. The women earn a living bagging and selling dried food products. Once a week, they hold a Bible study in the organization’s North Spokane shop, assemble the food items, and enjoy lunch together.
“This is a place where women find safety and security,” says Kari Kelli, Christ Kitchen’s office manager. “It’s a place where women come and go, ‘Wow! Other people understand where I’m at and what I’m struggling with.”
Kelli should know. Ten years ago, she “came straggling in (to Christ Kitchen) hopelessly addicted to methamphetamine.”
Support from volunteers and other workers and a newfound faith in Christ helped turn Kelli’s life around.
”(My story) is just the tip of the iceberg,” she says. “There are lots of stories of women’s lives that have been changed here.”
Among Christ Kitchen’s offerings are cookie and brownie mixes, bean soups, hot cocoa and a salad package made with Eastern Washington lentils. The organization also is available to cater events for $10 per person, and it ships its products throughout the United States.
“Today a lady came in with a list of Christmas gifts and she had everything knocked out in one shot,” Kelli says.
About 85 percent of the profits go in to the wages of the women who work there.
Christ Kitchen, 2410 N. Monroe St., is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information visit www.christkitchen.org or call (509) 325-4343.
Coffee and tea for the team
Team St. Luke’s, a sports team for people with permanent physical disabilities, has a way to rev up the people on your gift list while giving their athletes a charge, too. The organization sells its own blend of fair trade, shade-grown organic coffee roasted by Harvest Foods, in Spokane Valley.
Team St. Luke’s also sells organic green, chamomile and northwest blackberry teas, and hot chocolate and chocolate bars.
The profits help the team’s athletes purchase equipment and travel to competitions, which are held far away because of a lack of similar programs in the Northwest.
Program director Teresa Skinner, an occupational therapist, says it can be difficult to convince people with disabilities to become physically active.
“I can’t imagine how scary it would be to want to stick your neck out there and try something new,” she says. “It’s probably just one more thing that’s hard and challenging.”
Once the participants start competing, though, they’re hooked and their self-esteem grows, Skinner says.
“Confidence, when you have a disability, is priceless,” she says. “They get to do well, to function, to go after their dreams.”
To purchase Team St. Luke’s coffee, tea and treats, visit St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute, 711 S. Cowley St., or Inland Northwest Health Services, 601 W. First Ave., or e-mail Teresa Skinner at skinnet@st-lukes.org.
Other gifts that keep giving
For the cookbook collector in your life, consider purchasing the Junior League of Spokane’s recipe collections.
“Gold’n Delicious” ($22.95) and “Still Gold’n” ($24.95) contain dozens of recipes, many of which highlight Inland Northwest crops and products, from huckleberries to Cougar Gold cheese.
Profits support the Junior League’s community service projects, including its support of foster families. For information, call (509) 325-2801 or visit www.jlspokane.org.
Support the Spokane Art School and local artists at Yuletide, an annual arts and crafts sale held at the school, 920 N. Howard St., through Dec. 21. Shoppers can choose from paintings, photography, jewelry and other items.
Visit www.spokaneartschool.org for a preview of some of the work.
For information, call (509) 328-0900.
Buying gifts from Global Folk Art, at 35 W. Main Ave., helps artisans around the world earn living wages. The Spokane store ensures that none of its products came from sweatshops and that their impact on the environment was minimal.
Among the offerings are colorful baskets made from recycled telephone wires, nativity sets made from banana fiber that support African women with AIDS, and handmade greeting cards that help fund girls’ educations in Nicaragua.
The shop is open seven days a week through Christmas, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rosa Gallica is another retail shop dedicated to fair trade products and environmental causes. Gloria Waggoner, the wife of Episcopal Bishop James Waggoner, runs the store in the basement of the Paulsen Mansion, at 245 E. 13th Ave.
Rosa Gallica carries lotions, vintage clothing, refinished furniture, garden supplies, jewelry, and other items. Sales support preservation of the mansion, which houses the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane.
The shop is open Wednesday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.