Two opportunities for holiday giving are concluding shortly, so we’re reminding you one more time:

DAVE NEWMAN STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENCY WARM CLOTHING DRIVE: In conjunction with the West Seattle Food Bank/West Seattle Helpline, the agency (a longtime WSB sponsor) is collecting donations of clothes, coats, and shoes through the end of this week. (For undergarments and socks, please donate only new and unopened packages.) Please drop off your donations at 3435 California Ave SW. The office is open for donations today until 5 pm, tomorrow 9 am-5 pm.

GIVE JOY FOR WESTSIDE BABY: Through month’s end, the West Seattleite-founded, White Center-based organization helping babies and kids still has two ways to participate in their holiday “joy drive”:

*Donate dollars

*Send warm items our way through our Amazon Wishlist

WestSide Baby is organizing the drive to “ensure that children in our community have the basics they need, like diapers and safety equipment – and also that they have the opportunity to experience extra joy this season.”

The Christmas People sent out a call for cookies … and home bakers answered the call. Here’s the note of gratitude we received today to share with you:

Generous West Seattle and other residents donated 9,100 cookies over three days. Fourteen shelters – including Sunnydale Village, Mary’s Place Burien, Riverton Park Immigration Encampment – received cookies and provisions. (This afternoon) we (were) preparing the third dinner for distribution to 6 shelters. Altogether we will sned out 1420 meals, 2000 lbs. of bulk provisions, and the cookies.

This is our 25th year. Thank you for helping us help others.

Rev. Fred Hutchinson, Co-Founder
The Christmas People Foundation

(Added: Reader photo, from 600+ cookies baked by Tibbetts United Methodist Church ‘and friends’)

From The Christmas People, who are collecting homemade cookies through tomorrow, an update and a request:

We need a volunteer to help collect cookies on Sunday, December 24 at West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Ave SW, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The volunteer who was scheduled continues to be stuck at Iceland Airport due to a volcano eruption.

Home-baked Cookie response has been amazing. Residents of West Seattle have been incredibly generous. First day collection on Friday yielded over 3,000 cookies. Cookies are distributed to 10 shelters in King County area.

This week we have distributed more than 2000 lbs. of dry, staple supplies to 8 shelters. Saturday, Sunday, Monday we will deliver 1750 snacks, lunches, and dinners to 6 shelters.

To volunteer please call Rev. Fred Hutchinson, Christmas People Co-founder, at 206-719-4979 or email pialley@jps.net. This is our 25th year. We are are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit.

If you’re in The Junction shopping/dining, you might hear the holiday sounds of We Carolers 3 – they’re busking on the northeast corner of California/Alaska, raising money for local food banks, until 1 pm.

P.S. If you missed them, here’s how to donate money to local food banks: West Seattle Food Bank here, White Center Food Bank here.

Throughout the season, our <West Seattle Holiday Guide features a list of local donation drives that welcome your help. Some of them are about to wrap up so that the beneficiary organizations have time to get the gifts to recipients, so we’re nudging you in case you’ve been meaning to drop something off. Here are three that are about to conclude:

JOY DRIVE FOR WESTSIDE BABY AT VILLAGE GREEN: Through today, Village Green West Seattle (2615 SW Barton; WSB sponsor) is collecting items for WestSide Baby – see this flyer for the wish list. Bring donations to Building 2 (The Hearthside).

TREEHOUSE DONATION DRIVE AT ALKI BIKE AND BOARD: Tomorrow is the last day for this drive.You can go here to see what Alki Bike and Board (2606 California SW; WSB sponsor) is collecting. One request: “Please make sure all items are NEW or in GREAT used condition.”

ADOPT-A-FAMILY ASSISTANCE: Also concluding tomorrow: West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has adopted a family for holiday help – details here.

Some others have later deadlines, and our Holiday Guide list also includes some requests for monetary donations. Any last-minute additions? Please email info to westseattleblog@gmail.com – thank you!

In that short video, you’ll see and hear the students of Skunk Works Robotics 1983, an organization we’ve told you about before, serving youth in West Seattle and beyond. As one of the West Seattle participants, Jonah, explains, “Skunk Works is truly amazing. I have learned or improved so many skills like leadership, computer aided design (CAD), communication/presentation skills and so many more. We also teach programming, fabrication, data analysis, and electrical skills, plus many other soft skills. All this is taught by building a robot in 6 weeks and then competing at multiple competitions across Washington and the United States.” Getting ready for, and going to, those competitions costs money. Skunk Works launched a fundraiser for Giving Tuesday, and while we missed the chance to tell you about it then, they’re keeping it open through the holidays – you can donate here.

If you could give a few hours Wednesday afternoon, Neighborhood House asked us to share this last-minute call for holiday-party help:

Volunteer at Neighborhood House
December 13 | 2 – 5 pm

The Winter Wonderland event is Neighborhood House’s winter celebration for children and their families living in the West Seattle High Point area. The event provides a fun space for children and their families to engage outside the preschool classroom.

We’re seeking 20 volunteers to set up the event, help with children activities, serve food, and clean up. Link to sign up: x.gldn.io/e/lQmiqI30hFb

Neighborhood House is at 6400 Sylvan Way SW.

Another holiday donation drive in The Junction – this one until 1 pm at Seattle Fire Station 32 in The Triangle (38th/Alaska). There you’ll find U.S. Marines on behalf of Toys For Tots, accepting new, unwrapped toys – and, this year for the first time, nonperishable food. In our photo are Lance Corporal Boze, Private First Class Camacho, and Lance Corporal Nguyen.

P.S. If you can’t get to this collection point, other drives with at least a few days left are listed in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide – scroll down to Giving Opportunities!

Here’s an advance reminder about two one-day donation drives on Sunday:

(2020 photo courtesy WSFB, when 500+ coats were donated!)

COCOA AND COAT DRIVE AT WS FARMERS’ MARKET: As the West Seattle Food Bank – which handles much more than food – reminded us earlier this week, warm clothing is a BIG need right now. So Sunday’s West Seattle Junction Hometown Holidays Cocoa and Coat Drive event is just in time. Between 10 am to 1:30 pm, bring coats and other warm clothing to the Kiwanis Club of West Seattle booth at the south end of the market (California/Alaska) and have a cup of cocoa.

TOYS FOR TOTS AT FIRE STATION 32: The Seattle Fire Department is partnering with Toys For Tots for one-time collection events at five fire stations around the city tomorrow, and Fire Station 32 (38th/Alaska) in The Junction is one of them. On Sunday between 11 am and 1 pm, firefighters will be ready to receive your donation of new, unwrapped toys. This year, they’re collecting nonperishable food, too.

As we continue sharing community needs this holiday season, Friends of Roxhill Elementary are hopeful you can assist them in brightening the season for some of their school’s families:

Every child should have a holiday meal and present, and parents and caregivers could use less stress this holiday season. You can make a difference by donating today to Friends of Roxhill Elementary, our school’s non-profit PTO.

Bring holiday cheer and help families cover basic household needs (e.g., groceries, cleaning supplies, utilities). Our goal is to provide each family with $200 in holiday and household support this year.

While we typically have about 50 families in our community who need support through the holiday season, Roxhill Elementary School’s counselor, Ms. Amber, has shared that the need for assistance has increased this year.

“Roxhill Elementary has the most amazing community of bright, loving kids and caring, generous families,” said Ms. Amber. “I know how hard it is to ask for help, so I honor every parent that has had the courage to let me know they need help right now. This is what community is about.”

Roxhill Elementary is a small but mighty Title I school with approximately 245 students, located in the south end of West Seattle. 60% of our students are on free and reduced lunch. Over 72% of our students are from BIPOC communities (Black, Indigenous, Person of Color). Our school has a strong sense of community. We come together to celebrate and support each other.

You can help us show every family that they are seen and cared for. Make your gift today. This is a moment when we need to come together.

We’ve been sharing news of many ways to help others this holiday season – and West Seattle Runner (WSB sponsor) has a very up-close-and-personal drive going on:

West Seattle Runner has adopted a family for the gift giving season. We are helping a family with 3 children and a single mom have a nice holiday. We have a wish list, and if you are interested in donating gifts to help give our family the items they are in need of, please email lori@westseattlerunner.com for what still needs to be purchased. We thank you for your consideration!! The gifts are due at West Seattle Runner by December 15th at 6pm so we can drive it out to the organizer that night after work.

The shop is at 2743 California SW. See our full list of holiday giving opportunities in the WSB West Seattle Holiday Guide!

Many opportunities to give this holiday season – but usually just one asking for homemade Christmas cookies! The Christmas People just sent the announcement asking for cookies again this year; we’re sharing it so bakers can plan ahead:

The Christmas People are once again asking for home-baked cookies for distribution to homeless and other marginalized people in our midst.

Home baked cookies may be brought to West Seattle Coworking, 9030 35th Ave SW, Friday, Dec. 22 and Saturday, Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 24 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Cookies may also be dropped off at Artisan Community Kitchen, 10836 E. Marginal Way, S, Tukwila 98168 during the same hours as above.

The Christmas People also need volunteers for food prep and delivery to shelters. Contact Rev. Fred Hutchinson, cofounder, at 206-719-4979 or pialley@jps.net.

Here’s an explanation of what The Christmas People are all about.