Warm Toes and Warm Hearts

On November 16, attendees from selected Spokane area schools, Anna Ogden Hall, a women’s shelter, and Family Promise, a homeless transition program, were able to select boots at the Windermere Annual Boots & Gloves event. This event has been put on each year since 1999, through a long standing partnership with Windermere and Big 5 Sporting Goods. At the event, 119 pairs of boots were selected and 114 packages of socks were distributed to those who attended. (Gloves were not available this year due to inventories not being available in time for the event.) Agents from all the Spokane area Windermere offices were there to assist the kids while they picked out their boots and a package of socks.

“Every year for the past 10 plus years, the Windermere Foundation has been providing shoes and socks every fall for former or currently homeless families. Each child gets to choose any pair of shoes on the entire wall. As the shock wears off and the smile bursts across their faces, the moment is priceless.” ~ Steve Allen, Director of Family Promise

Many of our Windermere offices throughout our network were hard at work this month, helping local organizations in their communities. Here are just a few:

Napa Coat Drive
Windermere Napa office participated in Napa’s America Recycles Day on November 16, helping to collect coats for children and adults. Items collected were to be distributed to those in need through the Salvation Army.

Thanksgiving for Mukilteo families
Windermere Mukilteo office adopted two families for the holidays through Columbia Elementary School. The office assembled a Thanksgiving food basket for a family of four and a family of six.

Coats for Nickelsville
Windermere Ballard office collected clean, reusable coats in November to be donated to the displaced residents of Nickelsville.

Socks of Love
Windermere Bellevue West office worked with Eastside Baby Corner, gathering donations in November for the “Socks of Love” drive, benefitting children from birth to 12 years of age.

Coat & Blanket Drive
Windermere offices throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington are collecting new or gently used coats and blankets in November through December 20 for their annual coat and blanket drive. Click here for locations.

Food Drive for Eloise Cooking Pot Food Bank
Windermere Tacoma-North, Tacoma-Professional Partners, and Tacoma-University Place offices held a food drive to benefit the communities of east and south Tacoma, WA. On November 21, they delivered 1,613 items to the Eloise Cooking Pot Food Bank. Items collected were distributed with other food items for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanksgiving for Yelm family
Windermere Yelm office worked with a community agency and the Yelm Chamber of Commerce to select a family in need to help for Thanksgiving. Donations made by the agents were collected to fund a Thanksgiving meal and other holiday items.

Holiday Support for Treehouse
Windermere Mount Baker office dedicates the month of November each year to Treehouse, an organization which provides clothes, toys, and school supplies, and access to critical extracurricular activities and community resources to children in foster care. Agents donate and collect funds in order to shop for items such as clothes, toys, electronics, and personal grooming items for Treehouse.

Food Drive for South Kitsap Helpline
Windermere Port Orchard office collected and delivered 591 pounds of food to South Kitsap Helpline in support of their food drive.

Gig Harbor Basket Brigade
Windermere Gig Harbor, Gig Harbor-Downtown, and Gig Harbor-Key Peninsula offices were drop off points for the Gig Harbor Basket Brigade in November. Last year, the offices put together over 500 food baskets for local families in need.

Food Drive for Hopelink – Kenmore
Windermere Northlake office is holding a holiday tree lighting event and free Santa photos on November 30. They will be collecting nonperishable food items at this event to be donated to Hopelink in Kenmore.

Coat Drive for Union Gospel Mission
Windermere Seattle-Wall Street office collected coats this month for the Union Gospel Mission.

University Food Bank Backpack Drive
Windermere Wedgwood office collected single-serving and take home nonperishable foods, plus young teen toiletry items for the University Food Bank in support of their Packs for Kids program. These items are used for weekend backpacks to assist children on free and reduced lunch programs at local schools.

Thanksgiving Food Baskets –Whatcom County
Windermere Bellingham-Bakerview, Bellingham-Fairhaven, Birch Bay-Blaine, and Lynden offices collected items for 60 Thanksgiving food baskets for families in need throughout Whatcom County. Agents from all of the Windermere Whatcom offices donated items for the baskets, which were delivered to local women care shelters and the Opportunity Council in Bellingham for distribution.

The Windermere Foundation is grateful this Thanksgiving holiday – and throughout the year – for the continued support from our Windermere offices, community partners and friends.