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The family was not unlike scores of others who have come seeking
help at the Spokane Valley Community Center.
A mother and father - both working - arrived at the center faced
with the challenge of providing Christmas for their children. For
the center's executive director, Mollie Dalpae, the scenario has
become a familiar one.
Dalpae said she tries to alleviate any anxiety felt by new clients
by letting them know the center acts as "an insurance policy."
"I tell them at one time or another they have probably donated
or volunteered," she said. "Now, it's our turn to help
them."
Nearly 800 families have signed up for the center's Season of Sharing
gift distribution program. That's up over 200 from last year's total.
With the dispersal date set for Dec. 17, center officials are hoping
for a last-minute push in donations.
The program, now in its ninth year, seeks to involve each participant
by taking down requests for gifts. Dalpae said the approach personalizes
the process.
"We want our families to participate in it," she said.
The center is the only agency in the area that distributes gifts
to children over 12. Shelly Farwell, the center's assistant director
who helps facilitate the program, said that the attention paid to
teen-age kids means a heightened need for appropriate presents.
"People love to go out and buy trucks and blocks," she
said. "But anyone who knows a 14-year-old knows they like Christmas
too."
Many parents feel the commercial push of the holiday, Dalpae said.
The perceived obligation can create anxiety at home.
"Absolutely they feel that pressure," she said. "It's
all that's on TV anymore."
The Dec. 17 distribution will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at
the
Foundation Bingo Hall at 1212 N. Pines. It will take two days to
set up the venue. Volunteers will hand out the gifts and stuffed
stockings - made by the Valley Quilters - to families who will be
given designated appointment times. Farwell said the record number
of families should make the day an interesting one.
"Eight hundred families in eight hours is quite a feat,"
she said.
Preliminary planning for the program begins in September. The gifts
and donations begin coming in by the end of October. Farwell said
there is always a need for household gifts like sheets and kitchenware.
As with many of the center-sponsored programs, the gift drive has
attracted a growing throng of people affected by a struggling economy.
"Particularly in the last couple of years, it seems like
we've seen a real jump in need," Farwell said.
Gift drop-off tubs are located at each of the Valley fire stations
as well as the center and local churches. Money donations can also
be made to the center which, in turn, will distribute volunteers
to look for the best deals in holiday gifts.
Want to find out more?
The Spokane Valley Community Center is located at 10814 E. Broadway.
The center can be reached by calling 927-1153. Families interested
in signing up for the Season of Sharing are asked to register at
the center.
Their website is: www.spokanevalleycommunitycenter.org
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