Opportunities for holiday kindness

MOSES LAKE — The Christmas season is traditionally a time of charity, and there are still opportunities out there to donate to charities for people in need. 

Donations of toys and cash to buy toys are being accepted through Thursday for Operation Friendship, the toy drive sponsored by the Moses Lake Food Bank. New and unwrapped toys and money can be dropped off at the food bank, 9299 Beacon Road NE, its new location. 

In fact, food bank director Peny Archer said people who can’t make it by Thursday will have one more chance on Saturday morning. Saturday is the day toys are distributed.

“We’ll take (donations) up to that morning,” Archer said. 

The goal of Operation Friendship is to distribute as many of the toys as possible to as many children as possible, Archer said in earlier interviews. Ideally, all the toys are gone and in the hands of children for Christmas.

Toys should be in the $15 to $20 range, Archer said. 

The need is pretty great in 2023 — Archer said the food bank distributed 1,704 dinner baskets at Thanksgiving, about double what was distributed in 2022. 

Donations are being accepted through Thursday for the annual Othello Christmas Basket distribution, also scheduled for Saturday. Donations of food, toys, gifts and cash can be dropped off at Johnson’s Glass, 20 S. Broadway in Othello. Johnson’s Glass is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. 

The Christmas basket project is almost half a century old in Othello and involves almost the whole town in one way or another. Businesses, churches and schools hold fundraisers and food drives; volunteers sort the donations and get them ready for each family. Other volunteers deliver the baskets far and wide throughout the Othello area.

Quincy residents can donate to a year-round project, the Care Closet at Quincy High School and Quincy Middle School. District social worker Tessa Poortinga said the program provides new and almost-new clothes for middle and high school students. Hygiene products are also accepted. 

Donations can be made by contacting Poortinga, 509-237-0826, or fellow QSD social worker Andrea Cortes, 509-794-9389. 

Columbia Middle School, 111 E. Nelson Road, Moses Lake, is accepting donations for its annual food drive through the end of school Friday. Counselor Chris Mason said it’s an annual event at CMS, and the students work hard at it.

“Historically we have given anywhere between 4,000 and 12,000 pounds of food to the food bank — and a serious cash donation, too. I think the last few years it’s been $800 or more,” Nelson said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Ralli Archer, left, and Rafaela Anberg, right, look through the options in a bin of toys on distribution day for Operation Friendship 2022. Donations for Operation Friendship 2023 are being accepted through Thursday.
  

    Jennifer Baginski, right and her nephew Eli Baginski look for just the right hat while bagging toys for the Othello Christmas Basket project in 2021. Donations for 2023 are being accepted through Thursday.
  

    Mireya Alaya, left, and her sister Nayeli Ayala, right, look for just the right book while sorting toys for the 2021 Othello Christmas Basket project. Donations for 2023 are still being accepted.