Christmas Bureau fundraising reached $582,000 to help thousands of people with food, books and toys

Donations to the Christmas Bureau topped $582,000 this year amid a one-month fundraising flurry that helped offset the cost of holiday meals and ensured that thousands of children received a book and a toy. Many received new pajamas and a stuffed animal, too.

The annual giving campaign topped the collections of the previous couple years, but fell just short of the bureau’s $600,000 goal.

Christmas Bureau coordinator Heidi Meany said she is grateful for everyone who gave their time, talent and treasure to the bureau. Hundreds of volunteers gave hours to help the bureau run smoothly and local crafters in the community worked all year to hand -carve small wooden cars and trucks to be given out as extras, though some went the extra mile and created tractors, planes and cement trucks with drums that spun.

Meany said she loves giving out the wooden toys and small stuffed animals from the Spokane Chiefs Teddy Bear Toss in the bagging area as parents are leaving.

“That’s the happiest place in the bureau, it really is,” she said. “We just treat them like family, throwing little extras in their bags.”

In the end donors amassed $582,417.86 in donations, a total that is remarkable in part because the traditional fundraising period between Thanksgiving and Christmas was a week shorter than usual this year because of the later than usual Thanksgiving. It’s up significantly from the $542,579.06 donated in 2023.

Now in its 78th year, the Christmas Bureau is a joint effort by Catholic Charities, Volunteers of America and The Spokesman-Review to help families in need.

The bureau served 27,083 people in 8,576 households this year, including 12,601 children. That total includes 2,836 households with no children in the home who received a grocery store voucher in the mail. A total of $257,310 in grocery store vouchers were distributed. The number of households served is up over the 7,924 assisted in 2023.

A big push this year to recruit more businesses, schools and churches to hold pajama drives resulted in the donation of 4,373 pairs of pajamas, which is about triple the amount usually collected.

Spokesman-Review publisher Stacey Cowles said the community again showed its caring nature.

“There aren’t many of these collaborations left,” he said. “It’s extremely gratifying to see this generosity this time of year.”

The bureau’s $600,000 goal during the past three years came as prices for many things, including food, toys and even storage, rose. At the same time, residents were also affected by inflation, particularly at the grocery store, and the need increased.

The Christmas Bureau fundraising has also been hampered by inflation, as some regular donors on fixed incomes became unable to donate or had to reduce the amount of their donation. But this year, donors seemed to put in an extra effort, with a few including notes that they were donating more than usual this year because of the need.

It was a year when every donation was important. Every year the bureau receives a mix of large and small gifts, with many of the larger donations sent in by local companies. Garco Construction boosted their annual contribution to $49,430 this year and Travis Pattern and Foundry, also a longtime generous donor, gave $40,000.

While the Christmas Bureau depends on large corporate donations, it also depends on the donations that come in from everyday residents. It’s the $100 from grandparents donating in honor of their grandchildren and the $50 from a retiree who wants to help provide a better Christmas for local children that are also the foundation on which the Christmas Bureau is built.

Both types of donors are needed to fund the Christmas Bureau each year. This year 1,019 donors contributed to the fundraising total, up from 967 donors in 2023.

People from near and far made donations, including those from Arizona and Cabo Verde, a small island country in West Africa.

Meany said the bureau ran smoothly in 2024, thanks to the hard work of vendors, in-kind donors and volunteers. “This was probably the most seamless event that we’ve done,” she said. “It just felt good for everybody.”

Donations

The final $26,541.68 in donations received since Christmas has brought the year-to-date total to $582,417.86. Any donations received after the Dec. 30 cutoff will be counted toward the 2025 Christmas Bureau.

Keith Slater, of Spokane, donated $2,500.

An anonymous donor sent $2,200 via PayPal, writing “Happy holidays to the entire Christmas Bureau volunteers!”

An anonymous donor contributed $2,000 via Schwab Charitable. Donna Sweeny donated $2,000 via PayPal.

An anonymous Spokane Valley donor sent $1,000 “in memory of Don Kelly.” An anonymous donor gave $1,000 via PayPal. Chris and Lisa Jorgensen Sams donated $1,000 via PayPal. The Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund contributed $1,000 “to buy books, if possible.”

Mark Schultz gave $1,000 via PayPal. “Gary Steinke and I are pleased to present this donation on behalf of our company, S&S Coatings,” he wrote. “We thank the Bureau for all they do for our community.”

Nollette Investments, of Spokane, donated $500. Dennis Kelly sent $500 via PayPal “in memory of longtime Christmas Bureau volunteer Don Kelly.” David Maccini gave $500 via PayPal. Stacey Goddard contributed $500 via PayPal, writing “Thank you for all you do.”

Linda Cannon, of Spokane, gave $500. “Wishing everyone in need that they get some help from the Bureau!” she wrote. “And appreciate all those that help with the donations.”

An anonymous donor from Yuma, Arizona, sent $500, writing “Thank you for all you do for the underserved.” An anonymous Spokane donor contributed $500.

Linda Lee Wood contributed $500. Diane Pantry and Beth Kenney each donated $500 via PayPal. An anonymous Spokane donor sent $500.

Sharon Arnold, of Deer Park, donated $413.68.

Leslie Zilka, of Liberty Lake, gave $300, writing “Thanks for all the good you do!” Joyce Colclough, of Veradale, contributed $300. Clayton Dunn, of Spokane, sent $300. James Braukmann donated $300 via PayPal.

Christopher Sherfey, of Spokane, donated $250. Teresa Landa gave $250 via PayPal “in recognition of the many volunteer hours of Jay and Kay Walter.” Victoria, Alex and Gabriella Van Inwegen sent $250 via PayPal “in loving memory of Patrick, who made the world better.” Tom Edlin donated $250 via PayPal “in memory of JoNell Seger Edlin.”

Dena and Marc Kaplan, of San Diego, California, donated $250 “in honor of Don Kelly, who always made Christmas magical.”

An anonymous Airway Heights donor gave $200, writing “Thank you for making this event happen year after year!” An anonymous Spokane donor sent $200. An anonymous donor from Ione, Washington, sent $200 “in memory of Patti Fowler.” An anonymous donor from Harrington, Washington, gave $200.

Nancy James contributed $200 via PayPal. Paul Jalufka sent $200 via PayPal “in honor of Jean Jalufka.” James Auth gave $200 via PayPal.

Two anonymous Spokane donors each sent $150. Craig Thielman gave $150 via PayPal. An anonymous donor contributed $150 via PayPal.

Mike Yake, of Liberty Lake, donated $125. Andrew Caster, of Spokane, contributed $125.

An anonymous donor gave $113 via PayPal.

Mary and Tony Madunich gave $100, as did Colin and Kimberly Mulvany of Spokane. Pamela Medley, of Spokane, contributed $100, as did Patricia Hostetter of Nine Mile Falls. Megan Mulvaney and Gary Saling sent $100. An anonymous Spokane donor donated $100. Nancy Mackerrow, of Spokane, gave $100.

The following donors each sent $100 via PayPal: Ellen Sizer, Steven Slehofer, Robert Crider and Marilyn Cooley. V.K. Misterek gave $100 via PayPal “in memory of Vera Actor.” Stephen Cromwell donated $100 via PayPal “honoring long-time volunteer Sharon Carson.” Tammy Reid contributed $100 via PayPal, writing “Many thanks to those of you who work so hard to brighten our community at Christmas time!”

Ben and Julie Webinger sent $100 via PayPal. “We appreciate all you do every Christmas for the Spokane community,” they wrote. Catherine Dixon sent $100 via PayPal “in Richard Dixon’s name.” Harvey and Diane Morrison donated $100 via PayPal “in the name of Randall Buckenberger.”

Jeff and Ellen Carpenter, of Spokane, gave $100.

Virginia Hottel, of Spokane Valley, gave $50 “for a very worthy local cause.” Betty Thompson, of Spokane, contributed $50. Denise Potter and her son, Ian Potter, donated $50. Kathy Walker, Jeri McGuire and Patrick Kennedy each donated $50 via PayPal. Two anonymous donors each contributed $50 via PayPal.

Lynn Harty sent $50 via PayPal, writing “Thank you, Christmas Bureau, and Merry Christmas to all!” Hershel Zellman donated $50 via PayPal “to support our local community.” Nancy Pike, of Spokane, gave $50.

Nadine Schulte, of Spokane Valley, sent $50. “Thanks for all you do with the Christmas Bureau!” she wrote. “It is one of the many reasons living in Spokane is so special.”

Ilene Treewater, of Spokane, contributed $40.

Vicki McBride, of Spokane, donated $35 “in memory of Scott Neills.” Susan Van Plew, of Nine Mile Falls, gave $30.

Nancy Beeman donated $25 via PayPal. An anonymous donor sent $25.

An anonymous donor gave $20. Lynda Crow, of Spokane, donated $20, writing “Thank you to all you volunteers! You made my childhood holidays so special.” Vicki Mangum sent $20 via PayPal.