Community donates gifts for families in need SNOHOMISH - The Snohomish Food Bank collected hundreds of toys for its Christmas gift drive this year and handed them out in droves last week.
“We are the recipients of generosity from all over the community where so many people are doing food and toy drives,” food bank executive director Elizabeth Grant said.
The biggest contributor, Grant said, was Bickford Motors, which not only matched donations it collected, but went “above and beyond” donating extra money. Bickford Motors’ contribution totaled $10,000.
“We had eight volunteers shopping all day,” Grant said of receiving the money. “You should have seen it — we had 17 shopping carts all full, lined up at Fred Meyer.”
The Snohomish Food Bank was expected to give gifts to about 500 kids this year from newborns to 18 year olds. Nearby AIM High School hosted the toy distribution Friday, Dec. 14. Parents got to “shop” for three to four toys per child.
Members of the high school’s National Honors Society were there to wrap the gifts.
The Maltby Food Bank near Monroe sponsored a two-month-long toy drive that was expected to serve 400 to 500 children in need.
The gifts were given out at a Christmas party sponsored by Hos Brothers, where Santa sat for pictures and gave out an additional stuffed animal to every child.
Hos Brothers sponsored single-parent families as well as provided all party-goers with a luncheon at the party on Dec. 15.
“There’s oodles of toys for everyone,” food bank executive director Fran Walster said.
