Lacey recognizes 3 organizations for compassionate acts

Two nonprofits and a Lacey business were recognized Thursday for the compassion they have shown the community.

The honorees, which were announced during a City Council meeting, were Homeless Backpacks, South Puget Sound Mobile Search and Rescue, and Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics. Representatives from each were on hand to receive the awards.

It was the second such awards program for the city. The awards are an extension of the “compassionate communities” campaign spearheaded by North Thurston Public Schools and the city of Lacey. The city’s public affairs director, Liz Gotelli, who introduced the winners, also announced that the Lacey South Sound Chamber of Commerce has signed on to the campaign.

Information about each winner was shared during the meeting.

▪ Homeless Backpacks provides food for the weekend to homeless middle and high school students in Thurston, Mason and Grays Harbor counties during the school year. Founder Kelly Wilson told the council the organization served as many as 430 students a week last year.

▪ South Puget Sound Mobile Search and Rescue, which was created in 2004, volunteered to connect missing children with their parents during the city’s July 3 fireworks celebration at Rainier Vista Park. About a dozen children got lost in the large crowd, but were quickly reunited, Gotelli said.

▪ Gabi’s Olympic Cards and Comics has been part of Lacey for more than 20 years. The business, which recently added a second floor, has been providing breakfast and some lunch items to school-age children.

In accepting the award, owner Gabrielle Trautmann said that providing food was partly inspired by Homeless Backpacks.

“This exists because of your idea,” she said to Wilson.

This story was originally published September 9, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Lacey recognizes 3 organizations for compassionate acts."