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The Olympian's Light of Hope

LISA PEMBERTON; For The Olympian | • Published November 29, 2009

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Nationally, 49 million Americans - 1 in 6 - went hungry or had insufficient food at some point last year, according to a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report.

Statewide, 310,984 people were looking for work as Washington’s unemployment rate climbed to 9.3 percent in October. In some areas of the state, including Lewis County, the unemployment rate hit double digits.

Locally, 1,069 people reported that they were without housing during the 2009 Thurston County Homeless Census. That number was up from 722 counted the previous year.

All of those numbers equate to an increase in clients for local shelters, food banks and other social service organizations – and a larger number of South Sound neighbors struggling.

“Most people are only one paycheck away from disaster,” said Gail Wells, executive director of City Gates Ministries, which provides blankets, clothing, survival gear and other emergency help to people on the street and those on the brink of homelessness in South Sound. “When this economy took a dip this summer, the full impact really hit us. We see more people who lost their jobs, lost their houses, are living on the streets, or living in a tent in the woods somewhere.”

But readers of The Olympian can help.

Every year, South Sound residents turn out in force to support The Olympian’s Light of Hope, an annual list of holiday wishes from local individuals and families in need. The charitable campaign connects readers with social service agencies and community groups that are collecting holiday donations on behalf of their clients.

”Every single year I am amazed by the generosity of our community,” said June Moore, an assistance specialist with the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Agency. “It’s stunning, just stunning.”

Many of the requests published in Light of Hope are small: A new blanket or a pair of non-skid slippers for an elderly person; a pair of gloves for somebody who lives on the street; books or toys for a child whose family cannot afford gifts this year.

Grab some Kleenex because some of the requests really tug at the heart strings.

“If I happen to put a pet (request on the list), oh my goodness, I end up with my office full of dog food,” Moore said. “When it comes to pets, people really relate to that client. For so many of our clients, that pet, that’s their whole family – that’s their reason to get up in the morning.”

Some of the folks probably never imagined they’d end up on the receiving end of charity. But the recession changed the paths for many.

Bankruptcy? Foreclosure? Food stamps? None of those seem to have the social stigma they had before the country’s economic bust.

In 2008, the Thurston County Food Bank served 37,000 clients, a 39 percent increase from 2007. Demand is up by about 20 percent this year, mostly with first-time recipients, according to officials.

“I’ve noticed an increase in the number of people to get food,” said Paul Grudis, who operates a satellite food bank at Evergreen Vista Apartments on Olympia’s west side.

“And even more than that, some of them are in tears of gratitude to be able to get food like this. That really tells me that there are a lot of people hurting in the community.”

As in years past, Evergreen Vista is looking for Light of Hope donations of new and gently-used items for its after-school program.

It’s also collecting items for an effort known as Carolyn’s Closet.

“Through that program, we provide housewares, dishes, pots and pans to anybody in need at no charge,” Grudis said. “And we’re especially trying to help people transitioning from homelessness.”

Over the years, Evergreen Vista has benefited from Light of Hope in many ways, Grudis said.

It usually puts out a call for used musical instruments so that Evergreen Vista children can participate in their school band programs without paying rental costs. One year, a generous Light of Hope reader donated a spinet piano. Now, several children take weekly piano lessons at Evergreen Vista from a volunteer piano teacher.

“Several of our children are participating in the school music program, thanks to past donations,” Grudis added.

The Light of Hope campaign is an easy way for co-workers to share the holiday spirit, families to teach children about philanthropy, and people to reach out to others in the community.

The concept is simple: After reading the list of requests, select a family or program you’d like to help, and contact the agency directly to make donations.

Some of the programs have requests meant for specific clients; others don’t have strict guidelines for donations. “We’ll take anything – whatever they would want to donate is great,” said Blossom Reyes, manager at Yelm Community Services. “We’re helping kids this year from zero to 18 years. We could use help with anything, really, whether it be clothing, food, toys for kids.”

Short on cash? Some of the programs are in desperate need of volunteer labor.

For example, City Gates Ministries recently began sending a third van out on the streets on Thursday nights to distribute sack lunches, baby clothes and other essentials. But those extra services require more people to help stock the vans, hand out the items, and work behind the scenes to help the operation run smoothly.

“We always welcome volunteers to help us; we always have room to integrate more people into the serving team,” Wells said. “And I’m always looking for someone who knows how to fundraise, who can look for contacts in the community.”

It’s not unusual for past recipients to find ways to participate in the Light of Hope. They were touched by the help they received, and want to pass on the holiday magic to others.

“Most families are very grateful,” Reyes said. “(One year) there was one family who got on their feet before Christmas, so they left their stuff for another family because they could afford to get their own stuff.”

It’s also not unusual to have return donors.

For some, giving through the Light of Hope is as much a South Sound holiday tradition as eggnog, “The Nutcracker” and catching up with friends and family.

“I have one lady who throughout the year goes to sales, and then at Light of Hope, she’ll bring us 20 baskets full of different food things, and sweatshirts, or socks,” Moore said. “All year long she looks for us for Light of Hope.”