LinksOver the past year, several local groups say they have experienced a deluge of poverty-stricken families and individuals who are in desperate need of help with rent, utilities, food and other basics.
“There’s definitely a greater need,” said Shelly Willis, executive director of Family Education and Support Services, which offers parenting classes and other support for high-risk parents and caregivers. “Families who were off the radar before are showing up now. ... The need is much more.”
South Sound residents have an opportunity to reach out to many of those families – and scores of other folks – through The Olympian’s annual Light of Hope. The annual charitable campaign connects readers with social service agencies and community groups that are collecting holiday donations on behalf of their clients.
Readers are encouraged to scan the accompanying list, find a wish they’d like to grant – whether it’s a gift card for a teenager, a pair of warm slippers for a senior citizen or some educational toys for a toddler – and contact the
organization directly to make arrangements for their donation.
Many of the requests seem so simple. They’re often small needs that don’t fit into a tight budget and can’t be purchased with food stamps, such as diapers, shampoo, pet food, socks and underwear.
Ever think of a blanket as a gift that keeps on giving? For many elderly clients served by the Lewis-Mason-Thurston Agency on Aging, a warm blanket allows them to nudge the thermostat down so that they can save on their power bills during the chilly winter months.
“We literally have some clients that their Light of Hope gift is their entire Christmas,” said June Moore, an assistance specialist who helps link senior citizens and younger people with disabilities to community resources, such as nutrition programs, family caregiver support and personal care programs. “Many of them don’t have family in the area. (Light of Hope) is a very big deal for them, and they look forward to it from year to year.”
But some of the people on this year’s list have never been there before. A quick look at the local statistics shows why.
Last month, 9,230 workers in Thurston County were unemployed, compared with 6,750 in October 2008, according to the state Employment Security Department.
Nearly 9,600 children in South Sound’s three largest school districts – Olympia, Tumwater and North Thurston – qualified for free or reduced-price lunch programs in May, according to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
And 1,082 people were without housing during the 2010 Thurston County Homeless Census – the most ever counted in nearly a decade of the annual point-in-time tally. That compares with 629 in 2008.
“You’ve got families that have always had a home that are now living in their vehicles because of lack of jobs or finances,” said Phil Prietto, president of City Gates Ministries, a faith-based group that provides survival gear and other emergency help to people on the street and those on the brink of homelessness in South Sound. “A lot of the calls we’re getting right now are those types of families.”
The good news: The Light of Hope has become an annual tradition for many who give. It’s not uncommon for coworkers to pool resources and adopt a family – or an agency – for the holidays.
Parents sometimes use the list as a way to teach their youngsters a lesson in philanthropy.
Others feel compelled to give because they can’t stand thinking that folks in their community might go without during the holiday season.
“I love this time of year because Light of Hope allows the community to help keep our city on a good, healthy track,” Prietto said. “There are a ton of people who want to help — they just don’t know where to go.”
For those who want to help but can’t afford to purchase an item, Light of Hope includes a few organizations that will gladly accept gently-used items, volunteer labor and other in-kind gifts.
For example, Barb’s Friends and Family, which provides free Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and operates a furniture bank, is always in need of beds, especially twin-sized frames and mattresses, according to Rodney O’Neill, whose late mother, Barb O’Neill, established the program.
The organization counts on a brigade of volunteers and donations for its meals as well. In 2008, the organization served about 2,500 people at its holiday meals.
“Last year, we served over 4,000 people,” O’Neill said. “We ran out of supplies; we ran out of foods.”
To help raise money for the holiday dinners and other programs, Barb’s Friends and Family is hosting a warehouse sale of hotel-quality furniture from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and again Dec. 4 at 2621 Mottman Court Suite B, Tumwater.
The sale is one of several ways that the organization is trying to ensure that they can help the number of South Sound folks who need its meals, O’Neill said. The group also is applying for grants and working with local businesses that can donate food for the holiday meals.
O’Neill’s mom, Barb, passed away in 2008. She began the holiday dinners more that 40 years ago because she couldn’t stand the thought of someone going hungry on Thanksgiving or Christmas. “I remember when this was being held in our dining room,” O’Neill said. “Now it’s like, I have a kitchen management team. And we have, like, 100 volunteers to come and help.”
“There are a lot of people who want to help support us,” he added.
