By Rebecca Rice
Fall 2019
Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank Holiday Gift Barn, 2018.
Every family feels the pressure around the holidays. There are gifts to buy, guests to entertain and meals to serve… Everything has to be perfect!
This pressure extends to our shoppers at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank and financial strain adds to the pinch, so it makes sense that we see stress levels rise as families’ needs increase closer to the holidays. A mom or dad without a car has an exponentially more difficult time getting gifts, holiday food, and decorations into their home. And for those with no bus access? Nearly impossible. Yet this is a reality for many of our families; Klahanie, Talus, and the upper Issaquah Highlands all provide affordable housing without easily-accessible public transit. In Talus, the need is particularly acute as there are no grocery stores within walking distance in the neighborhood.
When our Groceries to Go delivery program came to fruition at the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank, we imagined that it would primarily serve seniors and those who were physically unable to leave their homes. In actuality, nearly half of the households we serve include people, mostly families with children, who are homebound because there is simply no public transportation near their home. The inability to access basic needs resources creates a strain that is only exacerbated during the holidays.
Barriers like these make special programs like the Holiday Gift Barn – which provides brand new, free gifts and warm clothing for children ages 0-18 – even more essential. We work with parents to help them get to the event, where Pickering Barn is transformed into a giant department store. A unique and important aspect of Holiday Gift Barn is that parents and caregivers choose the gifts they know are most needed and desired for their children. Not only does this help ensure that children will receive meaningful and useful gifts, but parents also maintain a sense of ownership and dignity through the challenging holiday season.
Want to know how you can help? The most valuable way to help with the Holiday Gift Barn is to donate brand new gifts! We need unwrapped gifts for babies, kids, and teens dropped off at the Pickering Barn in Issaquah on December 2nd or 3rd anytime between 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. Shopper participation in Holiday Gift Barn is increasing year-over-year, so please help us meet the growing need by donating!
Click here to donate financially, which helps us fill any gaps in gifts that aren't received by donation!
Questions? Email Rebecca for more information.