Hi Leftbankers –
Now squarely in the season of merrymaking, it’s the perfect time to make winter warmer for someone else, too. I’m writing to ask you to add your efforts to mine and to your neighbors’. Giving is so good for the spirit, and giving together seems right for Leftbank – don’t you think?
I’ve recently gotten to know the work of some of our neighbors, and I want to share it with you. Community Warehouse does concrete, enormously impactful work. They do it locally. They have built collaboration into their model of service. And while they accept cash, they rely primarily on re-use. A very brief introduction from their literature:
Community Warehouse is a Portland-based nonprofit agency that collects and redistributes donated household goods to individuals and families in need. Your tax-deductible donations of gently used furniture, kitchenware, linens, and basic household items are recycled back into the community, benefitting individuals and families throughout northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Clients of Community Warehouse include women escaping domestic violence, individuals and families who have been homeless, the elderly and people on limited incomes, people with mental and physical disabilities, refugee families, youth and adults recovering from substance abuse, and the working poor.
In the lobby from December 14th through December 18th, you’ll find barrels to collect donations for Community Warehouse’s “Home for the Holidays” drive. Look around the house and see what might be sitting around unused – ripe for donation. I don’t know about you, but a big pre-holiday closet clearing is a December tradition at my house… If you’d like to contribute as an office, Community Warehouse is happy to accept your check or credit card donation. For $135 you can sponsor a family – meeting their basic needs in a new home. For $40, you can provide a bed for a child who doesn’t have one (sheets, blanket, and pillow, too!).
One of the things that drew me to this organization is that they strive to make use of what most of us can give effortlessly. Who doesn’t have a set of sheets or some pots and pans they no longer need? If everyone donates what they can easily, we as Leftbank can make a very real difference in the lives of some of our neighbors. So go take stock of your closet, and let me know if you have questions or ideas to share. Thanks!
