It is with the most humble of hearts that I am finally sitting down to update all of you wonderful sponsors of the 1st Annual Wenatchee Valley Stuff-a-Stocking-Service-Project. Aside from the fact that the minute the Christmas Party at Solomons Porch was over on Tuesday it was finally time for me to focus on my own familys Christmas, I have honestly been at a loss for words to share the impact. First and most importantly, I am THRILLED to share that EVERY Solomons Porch teen now has appropriate winter clothing!!! At least for now we know that these precious teenagers have coats, sweatshirts, gloves, hats, scarves, and boots/shoes. I can not tell you how many were wearing shoes in December that had holes in them or didnt even have a coat. Some were coming in for dinner towards the beginning of the month without so much as a sweatshirt. On behalf of the staff at Solomons and the teens themselves, THANK YOU to every single one of you who dropped the winter clothing essentials off or included these with your stockings. You made a difference! Meeting the clothing needs was the first priority of our service project; the stuffed stockings was the second priority. Im pleased to share that we gifted 67 thoughtfully stuffed stockings, including 14 extras for teens who became new attendees at Solomons since kicking off this project, 5 gifts of recognition for the regular staff/volunteers, and 4 life-changing gifts for 4 very special teen boys who have also been extended an invitation to participate in a mentorship program in 2015 with an incredible family who has a successful business in our valley. On top of that was the incredible addition from the staff at Mountain View Fitness (MVF), brought to life by the lovely Paula Lamanna. In addition to the countless carloads of donated clothing and food items that MVP dropped off at Solomons in the month of December, I heard stories about generous community folks who heard about our project and stopped by Solomons Porch with cash donations. The staff was so fixated on meeting the needs of the teens for Christmas that they (and we) didnt even think about the essential daily needs of operating the teen outreach center. Eric and Stephanie were able to go buy things like paper towels, toilet paper, and napkins, which is fantastic! Every teen got to open a gift, something most had specifically asked for, thanks to MVFs generous giving tree. Dozens of their clients made Christmas wishes come true with gifts like new boots, phones, coats, and countless fun items. One teen boy said to us, This is the best Christmas I have ever had. I have no words to describe how that made me feel, but I will say that it was amazingly painful. It really hurts my heart knowing how comparatively easy my life is compared to these 13-19 year-olds yet they are some of the most gracious and grateful human beings at their tender, young ages. The appreciation in their young hearts is astounding. Our Stuff-a-Stocking service project extended way beyond the stockings. ALCOAs Public Relations Specialist, Jens Lee, found out what we were doing and donated a case of frozen turkeys to Solomons Porch. That donation would have been much, much larger had there been more freezer space. Since there was not, 25 frozen turkeys went to local needy families sponsored for Christmas by the Wenatchee Eagles & 33 fed Veterans on Christmas through The Bunker at NCW Vets Serving Vets. When we delivered the turkeys at The Bunker, one of the Board Members sent us off with 14 thick, ornate, and adorable blankets (made by local women) for Solomons AND two huge bags of new stuffed animals. We distributed the stuffed animals with each stocking & the blankets were handed out to teens who needed them during the party. The Wenatchee Junior Service League not only coordinated activities for Tuesdays Christmas party, but brought enough donated Wenatchee Wild blankets so that every teen got to take one of those home, too! When the original dinner sponsors for Tuesday night cancelled over the weekend, Solomons Porch volunteers like Paula quickly rallied and pulled off a most delicious dinner for the Christmas Party. Almost a dozen incredible women and Paulas fiancé, Chris Scott, came together and served smoked turkey, ham, side dishes, and desserts. The Stuff-a-Stocking truly reached and touched the hearts of so many in our beautiful Wenatchee Valley. The generosity of our community blew all of our minds, the teens were extremely grateful for everything that was done for them, and the awareness this service project brought to Solomons Porch is priceless. So many concerned people stepped forth to make sure Wenatchees own teens were taken care of at Christmas. Many had no idea what Solomons Porch was all about or that they could make a difference. I am hopeful that this service project was about so much more than Christmas, and that in-kind donations will continue to flow into Solomons Porch throughout the days, months, and years to come. As a community we really have been given a 2nd chance to help guide these teens onto a bright future. The gifts and the food were incredible, but it is the gift of love and hope that outshines all. GREAT JOB! For those of you who were looking forward to seeing pictures, unfortunately, due to confidentiality laws and the fact that most of the teens are minors, we are unable to provide any pictures. However, if you are capable of imagining a festive holiday room full of wrapped presents, laughter, smiles, love, and happiness that is what the energy of Tuesday nights Solomons Porch Christmas party was all about! Thank you to each one of you who had a hand in our 2014 1st Annual Stuff-a-Stocking Service Project. Whether your contributions were large or small, every single one of you made a difference. Thank you for giving the teens hope that their community cares about them. Thank you for supporting the phenomenal work that Eric and the volunteer staff at Solomons Porch are doing day after day to help coach these kids on to success. Thank you for being a part of something that many will never forget. It has been a pleasure working with all of you, and I hope we can all collaborate next year to do this again! In the interim, please consider and remember Solomons Porch throughout the rest of the year. Their need for food, toiletries, clothing, blankets/sleeping bags, LINK bus tokens/passes, gift cards/cash, and your time will not go away after the holidays. There are many opportunities for all of us to get involved. Whether you would like to sign your family up to make & serve a hot meal on a weeknight or you just want to stop by to drop off gently used clothing your kids have outgrown Solomons Porch needs ALL OF US ALL OF THE TIME. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas & prosper in the new year! God Bless. You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can not repay you. -John Bunyan
Posted on: Fri, 26 Dec 2014 16:56:31 +0000
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