Our Giving Tree Ministry Team serves eight agencies, and up until this year our Holiday Giving Tree project meant our agencies provided us with a list of needed gifts for the folks they served. The “Gift Tags” were hung on our Christmas tree, gifts were purchased, returned to the church and delivered to the agencies. Each agency was allowed a specific number of gift requests, so we could track progress on how gift fulfillment was going, and in total we fulfilled 300 gifts each year!
With the COVID-19 pandemic, it became necessary for us to envision a new way we could once again this year help out our agencies with Holiday Gifts. Many social service agencies in our Eastside and Greater Seattle community have created Amazon WishLists making it super easy for folks to give much needed items to agencies. Some agencies have gone the route of requesting Gift Cards, and others offer both those choices for gift giving.
Our Agencies & How You Can Give
Childhaven
- Website
- Mission Statement: Where Hope Grows and Families Flourish.
- Requests: $25 Safeway, Fred Meyer, or Walmart Gift Cards
- Deadline: Sunday, December 6
- East Shore Contact: Janis Pock
Friends of Youth
- Website
- Mission Statement: Envisions all youth having every opportunity to succeed.
- Requests: Friends of Youth Amazon WishList; $25 Target or Fred Meyer Gift Cards
- Deadline: Sunday, December 6
- East Shore Contact: Trish Webb
Hopelink
- Website
- Mission Statement: Promote self-sufficiency for all members of our community; we help people make lasting change.
- Requests: Donations
- Deadline: Sunday, December 6
- East Shore Contact: Milly Mullarky
Olive Crest
- Website
- Mission Statement: Transforming the lives of at-risk children through the healing power of family.
- Requests: Olive Crest Amazon WishList
- Deadline: Sunday, November 30
- East Shore Contact: Jan Fleck
Sno-Valley Senior Center
- Website
- Mission Statement: Inspires, supports, and empowers seniors to lead healthy, enriched lives.
- Requests: $25 Safeway Gift Cards; $15 Starbucks Gift Cards
- Deadline: Sunday, December 13
- East Shore Contact: Barbara Elliot
The Sophia Way
- Website
- Mission Statement: Committed to ending homelessness for women in King County.
- Requests: The Sophia Way Amazon WishList
- Deadline: Thursday, December 3
- East Shore Contact: JoAnne Way
Sound Mental Health
- Website
- Mission Statement: Providing effective and innovative whole health care for the people and community we serve.
- Requests: $30 Target Gift Cards
- Deadline: Sunday, December 6
- East Shore Contact: Kathie Moritis
YouthCare
- Website
- Mission Statement: Ending youth homelessness and building bright futures for homeless youth.
- Requests: YouthCare Amazon WishList; $25-$50 Target Gift Cards
- Deadline: Sunday, December 6
- East Shore Contact: Emily Winstrom
How will East Shore folks actually GIVE the GIFTS?
Amazon WishLists: Click on the WishList link for agency you choose to give to, and just as you purchase anything from Amazon, click on your choice and be sure to designate you want it to go to the agency address provided as you go through the ordering process. Because you are sending a gift, you can indicate on the Gift Message that Amazon lets you fill in that you are from East Shore Unitarian Church. To help us track, please send an email to Jenny with what you got!
Gift Cards: Purchase Gift Cards as requested by the agency of your choice, and mail those Gift Cards directly to East Shore, addressed c/o Giving Tree. It will be very important that you indicate which agency your Gift Card is intended for. Our Giving Tree Ministry Team will sort the Gift Cards and mail to the respective agencies.
Donations of Money: If you prefer to just donate money you can give to East Shore online here or mail in a check (12700 SE 32nd Street, Bellevue, WA 98005). In both instances, please put “Giving Tree” in the memo line. The money will be distributed evenly between the eight agencies. Please note, all donations go to the East Shore Operating Fund to support programs like Giving Tree and more.