The holiday season is quickly approaching and there are lots of ways for you to help families in need.
Donate. If you’d like to give a holiday gift or two to a child or adult, we have a handy list of the things that our residents have requested! You can also help families enjoy holiday meals with donations of grocery gift cards, meal baskets, and ingredients! Contact Jenny Marquette by email or phone at 206-719-9137 to learn more about donating gifts or meals this season. You can also view a list of items we need on this PDF: Holiday Wish.
Important Dates
- Thanksgiving Food Baskets dropped off by November 16th
- Unwrapped gifts dropped off by December 14th
Drop Off Site: 756 John St, Seattle, WA 98109
Gift Giving Options
- Host a giving tree – full program or groups of ten
- Purchase items from the Amazon wishlist
- Collect $5-$25 gift cards (Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, Target, Ross)
- Purchase men’s and women’s sweatpants and sweatshirts sizes L-5XL and corresponding undergarments for shelter fresh start kits
- Sponsor a program’s holiday party, decorations or other activities (making cards, frosting cookies, gift wrapping, holiday movies + hot cocoa and more!)
- Create meal baskets with non-perishable food items for individual families or program meals
Giving Tree Sign-Ups
- Organizations can claim full buildings or as many residents as their team would like to be responsible for (in sets of 10)
- Claim your spots at SignUpGenius or contact Jennifer
- All gifts are to be approximately $25
- Paper ornament tags with the “name” and item info will be distributed to participating organizations beginning November 9th (preferred for a member of the team to pick up the packet in South Lake Union but they can be mailed if necessary)
- Unwrapped items are due to Compass Advancement Office by December 14th so items can be included in the Gift Wrapping Parties
- If gifts are wrapped, they must have the original ornament tags attached to the bottom so they can be relabeled for the matching guest on site. Please coordinate program site drop-offs with Jennifer
Volunteer. You or a group of friends or colleagues can make holiday giving even easier by joining together! Host a Giving Tree where people can choose wishes to buy and donate to our residents, such as gift cards, clothing, holiday meal ingredients, and more! Is the gift of time more your speed this season? We have lots of opportunities to volunteer with Compass to make the season bright for individuals and families in our programs. To learn more volunteer opportunities through November and December, contact Jenny Marquette by email or phone: 206-719-9137.
Volunteer Opportunities
- Thanksgiving Week Meal Service. Age limitations vary by program site.
- Coordinate meal service directly through Jennifer
- Gift Wrapping Parties at the Advancement Office on December 15 & 16—family friendly!
- Sign up with Jennifer
- “BYOW” – bring your own wrapping paper
- Holiday Reindeer Runs December 17–December 21. Must be 18+
- Copy of Driver’s License and proof of insurance required
- Must have access to your own vehicle
- Christmas Week Meal Service. Age limitations vary by program site
- Coordinate meal service directly through Jennifer
- Create your own! Age limitations vary by program site
Interested in sponsoring a “snowball fight” or cookie frosting session? Contact Jennifer and we will find the best date, time and location for your group!