Community Corner

Gear Up for Giving

The busiest holiday shopping weekend of the year is filled with opportunities to help kids and families in need

A number of charity events are under way or beginning on this, the biggest shopping weekend of the year. So while we're planning for Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, it's also a good time to plan to make the holidays a little brighter for neighbors in need.

Here are a few of the organizations and businesses in the area that are hosting donation drives:

Fill the Truck with Eastside Fire & Rescue

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Starting at 10am Friday, Nov. 25 through 5pm Sunday, Nov. 27, members of will be working to fill a 24-foot moving truck located at the Issaquah Commons Shopping Center to benefit the Issaquah Food & Clothing Bank. Captain Ben Lane will be camping out by the truck until it’s full. Eastside Fire will be collecting items including: new or gently used children’s winter clothes,, diapers, baby formula, flour, sugar, cooking oil, healthy snacks, for children’s lunches, pinto beans, fresh produce, pasta, evaporated, milk, cereal, juice, raisins, and dried fruit. 

Christmas Toys for Foster Children

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Sleep Country USA is hosting a Secret Santa Toy Drive to benefit local children in foster care, through Dec. 11. New unwrapped toys can be dropped off at any Sleep Country store Monday through Friday 10am to 9pm, Saturdays 10am to 8pm, and Sundays 10am to 7pm. The Issaquah store is located at 730 NW Gilman Blvd. Not sure what to get a foster kid? Not a worry.  Sleep Country has collected wish list items from local foster organization partners including Treehouse, Bethany Christian Services and Olive Crest. Here are the top requested items:

For boys: Legos, Star Wars, action heroes, sports equipment (footballs, soccer balls, basketballs and baseball equipment), movies, music players (iPods, mp3 players) and headphones

For girls: Clothing and hair accessories (scarves, gloves, barrettes), make-up (lip gloss, nail polish), diaries/journals, baby dolls, books

For all children: Gift cards, board games (Monopoly, Sorry, Candy Land)

For young children: Stacking cups/blocks, cars and trucks, play kitchen/cooking supplies, electronic learning toys (like LeapFrog), ride-on toys

To get people in the giving and getting spirit, Sleep Country is hosting a Facebook contest allowing those individuals who donate to potentially win a new Kindle Fire.  

Toy 'N' Joy Drive

is once again partnering with the Salvation Army to provide holiday gifts to children in need by collecting new, unwrapped toys during its 8th annual Salvation Army "Toy 'N' Joy" drive through Dec. 11. Toys collected at all 58 Bartell Drugs locations will be distributed to low-income children and youth the week before Christmas through the Salvation Army's "toy warehouses."

A number of donation options are available at Bartell stores in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, including: Choose a "gift request tag" from the "Toy 'N' Joy" display in the store and return the gift to the donation barrel with the tag affixed to it; or donate new, unwrapped gifts appropriate for children up to 17 years of age.

For more information on Bartell Drugs, visit www.bartelldrugs.com.

Toys for Tots

If you would like to contribute a new gift for a needy child, the will accept donations at City Hall, 801 228th Ave. S.E. until the end of business on Dec. 12. It's all part of the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots program, a non-profit effort supported by the city of Sammamish and headed up locally by Deputy Amy Jarboe. If you would like to participate, please bring a new, unwrapped gift and drop it in the collection bin just outside the police station office in City Hall. Donations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 12. More information is available at www.toysfortots.org/default.asp. You may also contact Deputy Jarboe at 206-205-1865 or amy.jarboe@kingcounty.gov.


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