Contribute children’s gift items to Christmas Angels Program
BREMERTON — The Kitsap Community Food Co-op is collecting children’s gift items from now until Dec. 8 to benefit the Kitsap Community Resources Christmas Angels Program.
Last year, KCR’s Christmas Angels program provided gifts to 2,231 children. The KCR Christmas Angel program makes an immediate impact in the lives of thousands of low-income families in our county.
Here are some of the items needed this year:
— Clothing, all sizes, but more for ages 10+.
— Shoes and boots (snow and rain) of all sizes.
— Jackets, all sizes.
— Bedding: twin and full size.
— Toiletries for teen girls and boys: deodorant, razors, soap, bath and body·
— Baby basics.
— Toddler beds and twin-size beds.
— Things for teens: gift cards to clothing stores, electronic stores, movie tickets, restaurants.
Drop-off location: Kitsap Community Food Co-op 851 6th St., Suite 140, Bremerton. Hours: Tuesdays, 4:30-6:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Info: Call or email Jess, (360) 813-1301 or jess@kitsapfood.coop.
Be a Santa to a senior through Home Instead Senior Care
POULSBO — Home Instead Senior Care has been providing home care services to seniors in our community since 2005.
Home Instead helps seniors maintain their independence by providing assistance with personal care, meal preparation, medication reminders, stand-by assistance if unable to walk safely on their own, and help with errands and doctors appointments.
Home Instead Senior Care is sponsoring a community service project called “Be a Santa to a Senior.” The purpose of this program is to positively impact the community by providing Christmas cheer to seniors who areleast likely to receive a present during the Christmas season. Many of these seniors are lonely, financially challenged or in a nursing home and may otherwise not enjoy the Christmas spirit.
To sponsor a senior this holiday season, call (360) 782-4663. If you are unable to shop for a senior but would still like to participate, you may make a donation to Home Instead Senior Care, 840 Callahan Drive, Suite C, Bremerton, WA 98311 and Home Instead will do the shopping for you.
Volunteers needed to help older residents
POULSBO — Cold weather is upon us and Volunteer Chore Services, a program of Catholic Community Services, needs volunteers throughout Kitsap County to lend a hand to seniors and disabled residents.
Volunteer Chore Services is designed to assist low-income seniors and disabled adults with a variety of things to help them live in their own homes as long as safely possible. VCS also provides assistance to those that cannot afford to pay for its services, with the help of caring volunteers who are willing to give a little of their time to help those in need.
Volunteers are needed for the following services:
— Driving clients to medical appointments and to the grocery store.
— Running errands or shopping for homebound clients.
— Lending a hand with housework and minor home repairs.
Mileage reimbursement is provided.
If you are interested in lending a hand to someone in need, contact Donna Jones, program coordinator, (360) 405-0072, ext. 26. Email DonnaJ@ccsww.org.
Chuckwagon wants your talent for lunch
POULSBO — Chuckwagon Senior Nutrition Program is seeking entertainers who are willing to volunteer an hour of their time at Chuckwagon’s December Holidays Lunch, Dec. 20.
Chuckwagon is seeking dancers, instrumentalists, pianists, vocal groups and vocalists. Seven community dining sites are located throughout Kitsap County, from South Kitsap to Bainbridge Island. Time commitment is approximately 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and includes lunch.
Call Adrienne, (360) 377-8511, for more information.
Children of the Nations launches partnership with Haitian village
SILVERDALE — Children of the Nations has launched its first Village Partnership Program in Haiti, in the community of Bellevue.
Children of the Nations leaders said in a press release that the partnership followed “years of praying for direction and building partnerships with local communities.”
Children of the Nations, or COTN, has hired two Haitian staff members and solidified an all-Haitian board of directors in-country. They have identified the community of Bellevue, an area just outside of Port-au-Prince, which was near the epicenter of the January 2010 earthquake. This community has shown an extreme need for education, basic nutrition, and spiritual leadership, and is also ready and willing to partner with COTN, working alongside in-country staff to bring about transformation, according to the organization.
In a country overflowing with NGOs, the community leader of Bellevue publicly recognized Children of the Nations as an organization that works differently than most, “working with us, not around us,” he said.
COTN–Haiti staff identified 75 children younger than 8 to be part of COTN’s sponsorship program. These children will begin attending school at a nearby Christian school and will get to attend an after-school program led by COTN–Haiti staff that includes tutoring, Bible lessons, games, and nutritious meals. Future plans include constructing a school in the community to better meet local education needs.
Children of the Nations (www.cotni.org) is a nonprofit organization. The organization currently serves in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Malawi, Sierra Leone, and Uganda, providing holistic care to orphaned and destitute children.
North Kitsap provides 8,100 shoeboxes of gifts
POULSBO — Poulsbo residents helped brighten the lives of more than 8,100 children around the world.
Nov. 12-19, St. Charles Anglican Church bustled with activity as more than 8,100 shoeboxes packed full of goodies for children overseas were dropped off by local individuals and families, as part of Operation Christmas Child. The collection center was transformed into a Christmas workshop, as it was filled with colorfully wrapped gifts from Poulsbo residents bound for children worldwide.
Tamara Henry, the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas area coordinator, encouraged residents to keep Operation Christmas Child in mind all year round. To donate to next year’s operation, go to www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-Christmas-Child-Peninsulas-Area-Team-Poulsbo-WA/113492826381?fref=ts or use the online Zip Code locator at www.samaritanspurse.org.
