Woodworkers make hundreds of small toy trucks and cars as Bureau gets ready to open Thursday

The wreaths have been hung and the trees decorated as volunteers work hard to turn a building at the Spokane County Fair and Expo Center into a festive place for the Christmas Bureau to make holidays bright .

The Christmas Bureau, which opens Thursday, is a joint effort by Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America and The Spokesman-Review to provide grocery store vouchers for families in need as well as a toy and a book for each child.

Volunteers are also hard at work arranging for little extras that are given away while supplies last. That includes wooden toy cars and trucks made by mostly retired woodworkers that are given away in the bagging area and pairs of pajamas in children’s sizes. A steady stream of both have been dropped off this week, making it nearly impossible to keep an accurate count. Organizers estimate there are at least 800 cars and trucks, and the pairs of pajamas number in the thousands.

Dave Heitstuman is one of the most prolific woodworkers, dropping off 456 toy trucks along with Dave Volker, who helps him assemble them. “It’s primarily me,” Heitstuman said. “The other Dave is a huge help with the first part of the assembly.”

This is the third year Heitstuman has made trucks for the Bureau, but he’s been familiar with the mission of the organization for years. “I can remember reading about the Christmas Bureau all my life,” he said.

A few years ago he saw a story about how the Christmas Bureau wanted more wooden toy cars and trucks and in 2023, he got to work. “I thought, you know, I can do this,” he said. “I found some plans and got to work.”

He makes four types of trucks: A dump truck, a cement mixer, a water truck and a flatbed tow truck. “I enjoy the dump trucks the most, but I like them all,” he said.

Heitstuman said he worked all summer making the parts for the trucks, then started putting them all together in November. “It was a push the last couple of weeks,” he said.

Tom Schemmel also makes several different styles of wooden cars, but his are unique because they have small painted people in the driver’s seat. “This year I got one of my granddaughters to paint the little people,” he said. “She did a really nice job.”

Schemmel, a retired psychiatrist, has been a woodworker all his life. “My dad was a carpenter,” he said. “I had three brothers. We all knew what to do with a saw and a hammer. Even when I was in grade school, I had a little shop in the basement.”

He’s made cars for the Christmas Bureau for four years and this year he made about 50 cars of various styles. He doesn’t work from plans and said he just makes it up as he goes along. “I get a big kick out of the fact that people like them, especially the kids,” he said. “It’s just fun for me.”

Donations

New donations of $53,185 have come in, providing a much-needed boost to bring the year-to-date Christmas Bureau total to $187,290.53. The goal is to raise $600,000 to provide a Christmas celebration for those in need.

Travis Pattern and Foundry, of Spokane, donated $40,000. “The owners and employees of Travis Pattern and Foundry again wish to donate the funds that we would have spent on a Christmas party to your fund,” wrote company president Travis Garske. “We hope we can help make Christmas a little brighter for some Spokane families. We wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a great new year in 2026.”

The Altringer Fund at the Innovia Foundation donated $4,000.

Richard Williams, of Spokane, sent $1,000. The Bud and Sue Eugster Fund at the Innovia Foundation gave $1,000.

Mark and Kathleen Casey, of Spokane, contributed $750.

Karen Dahl-Darling and Stephen Darling, of Spokane, gave $600.

Roger and Judith Paine, of Spokane, donated $500 “in memory of all our lost family members who have gone before us. Thank you for all you do to help the needy.” Anita Lamp and Kristina Murray, of Issaquah, Washington, gave $500.

An anonymous Cheney donor gave $500, writing, “Thank you to the Christmas Bureau and all that you do to make Christmas better for so many.” Peggy and James Ellingson, of Colbert, contributed $500. An anonymous Spokane donor sent $500.

Tim and Darlene Holliday, of Spokane, sent $400 “in memory of our son, Russell ‘Air Hoss’ Holliday.”

Zoe and Christopher Foltz, of Spokane, gave $300.

Jeff Morris and Joani Diskin Saran, of Spokane, donated $250. John and Alexis Chasse, of Spokane, contributed $250.

Jon and Judith Gardner, of Spokane, donated $200, writing “Thank you!” Barry Benoit, of Hauser, gave $200. Janel and Ryan Medley, of Liberty Lake, sent $200. Michele Attwood, of Spokane, gave $200. “Merry Christmas to all at the Christmas Fund,” she wrote. “Thank you for all you do!”

An anonymous donor from Colbert gave $150, writing, “Merry Christmas to you!” Lane Klees, of Spokane, sent $150.

The Ann M. Kawar Family Trust, of Spokane, donated $100. John and Kathy Olsufka, of Marysville, Washington, gave $100. David and Evelyn Graves, of Medical Lake, sent $100. The Preston family, of Nine Mile Falls, gave $100, writing, “Merry Christmas and blessings to all!”

Joe, Laura, Joseph and Cobi Guerrinha, of Spokane Valley, donated $100, writing, “Looking forward to volunteering again this year.” Timothy Braun, of Spokane, sent $100. An anonymous Spokane donor gave $100. Luella Palmer, of Spokane Valley, donated $100.

Joyce Kretchmer, of Spokane Valley, sent $50. Leach Consulting, of Coeur d’Alene, gave $50.

Barry Newberry, of Spokane, contributed $50, writing, “Just want to thank everyone who volunteers. Could not be done without you. Merry Christmas.”

An anonymous Spokane Valley donor gave $35. Marie Kauffman, of Spokane, contributed $30.

Bernie and Robin Rodseth, of Spokane, gave $20.