Holly House 2015 3 day event was a huge success

We did it! Holly House 2015 was a HUGE success - the best we've ever had (yes, every year keeps getting better and better). One of our clients shared from the heart, "Thank you for saving our Christmas. We couldn't have done it without you. All of the volunteers who assisted me were wonderful. I'm so very thankful that there are still groups and organizations out there."  ~ Grace Marie, Holly House 2015 Client  In addition to meeting our goal of serving over 1,800 low-income children in the Edmonds School district and giving them the joy of Christmas (plus necessities), we had tremendous support from the community.

We began by being granted use of a giant retail space (FOR FREE) from Development Services of America and their wonderful representative, Jayme Bartholomew. Then set up began Thursday and continued through Saturday night. Clients came to shop on Sunday and left with arms full of gifts and necessities for each of their children. Logistically, it was the smoothest event to date: with staggered start times for each school, we ran on time until just the close of the day, and clean up ran smoothly and on time. THANK YOU to each of the volunteers who helped to make this happen, many returning each day for more work. A note from one of our volunteers: It's always so amazing to see how Holly House comes together on the event day. A big empty space transposed from a room full of boxes being organized into a beautiful gift giving display for our families! - Ingrid

Here are just some of the highlights.

Families shopping at the hats and scarves booth

• Over 1,800 children supported during our 2015 Holly House event.
• We had over 540 volunteers, a portion of them children (more volunteers than last year!)
• We had event sponsors this year to help cover costs (Thank you to: Technical Systems, Inc., Edmonds Daybreak Rotary, Lynnwood Rotary, Christian Davis, Windermere Foundation, S AL Wilcox American Legion, Absolute Mortgage, Golden Insurance LLC, Aramark, U Haul, Lowes, S.W. Feldt Construction, Steve Esola, Greenhaus Portable Restrooms, and Development Services of America.)
• We had over 25 groups donate their time and resources, including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, sports teams, Rotary clubs, and business groups. 
• After unpacking 30 pallets of toys donated from a toy company, we realized 90% of the toys were for boys. A plea went out via social media, and the girl toys poured in from the community.
• Just before the event, we discovered that a grant for books that we received for 7,000 books would not reach us in time to give them out during the Holly House event. We canceled the grant and did another appeal to our community of giving and caring people. The outpouring of donations on short notice was incredible, and the kids received books. 



One group of volunteers during set up

• Local schools and businesses held toy and sock/underwear/PJ drives for us and delivered their donations Friday and Saturday, boosting our inventory substantially while at the same time eliminating our need for storage of those items. 
• Our supply of teen donations was better this year than in past years (partly due to the large corporate donations of toys for younger children, so we could focus procurement on older kid gifts). The overall burden of providing for their family at the holiday is lifted when at least part of their family can be fully supported by Holly House measures.
• Community members baked homemade cookies for the clients to enjoy while they awaited their entry in to Holly House. 
• Quite a few clients pay forward their shopping experience, and become volunteers for our event and throughout the year. This event is so important for many of our families, and we are pleased that they choose to give back. 
• Thank you to the local restaurants who provided food for the volunteers over the 3 days and to Urban City Coffee for providing coffee and cocoa to the clients

In addition to our volunteers and donors, we also give a BIG thank you to the many schools, service groups, local businesses, scout troops, churches, banks, mortgage companies, dental offices, preschools, health care companies, and book stores who gave so much to Holly House in 2015. Whether it was time, gifts, and/or financial contributions, we can't do it without all of you. We look forward to next year! 

Please take some time and visit our Facebook page to view all of the photos from the event and get a bigger picture of how this event takes shape: Holly House Year 9 album

My Edmonds News ran an article about our event which you can read here.

Volunteers at the toy booth

Please join us March 5th, 2016 for our 2nd annual fundraiser Gala, or if you can’t come please make a donation in support of our efforts. We are doing a “Mardi Gras - The Queen and Her Court” theme. Those of you who came last year to our “Alice in Wonderland” themed auction know how much fun it was. This year will be packed with even more fun and it’s a great way to support our ongoing efforts to provide for our kids.

We would like to extend a special thank you to the core volunteer group, booth managers, and their teams for the 2015 event:

Stuffed Animals: Neil Heineman

Hats & Scarves: Leslie Smith

Stockings: Janine Kirkpatrick

Toy Booth: Amy Hart, Katy Johnson, Bobbi Cacatian, Jean King

Socks/Underwear: Rylie Carter

Pajamas: Karen Orstad

Books: Ilene Jaffe, Deby Comfort, Tom Comfort

Volunteer Coordinator: Monty Reed

Registrar: Alicia Carter

Volunteer Desk: Jessie Shull

Door Guard: Errah Jurus

Site Manager: Alicia Carter
Site Coordinator: Milt Cruver

Food Coordinator: Robin Downie

Cookie Coordinator: Karen Orstad
Load up/Take down crew: Milt Cruver

Baggage Claim: Ingrid Adams

Logistics/Trucks: Nick Aldrich

Logistics/Pam's Assistant: Maria Skelton

Program Assistant: Jen Winckler

Executive Director: Pam Martinez

Volunteer Spotlight: Milt Cruver

Thank you Milt!

We would like to introduce you to one of the volunteers at Holly House who does so much for us behind the scenes. Milt Cruver signed up to be a volunteer just before our 2014 Holly House event, but we didn't know the extent of his abilities or his dedication until after that event. Since then, he has been a go-to person for our Director and our program. He is a go-getter, and a doer; he has never ending energy, and a drive that will inspire you.

Some of Milt's contributions to Holly House include: picking up and sorting donations all year long for us whenever he's called upon, disposing of all of our recycling, procured donations for our 2015 Gala (the Ride with a Cop and Swim Party), procured items for our 2015 event (2 refrigerators, curtains, carts and plastic from Lowe's, and a trailer truck from U Haul), covered the windows with wrapping paper, and so much more. Most notably, he led the tear down of the 2015 event, and it was the smoothest it's ever been - the site was left in immaculate condition.

Covering the site windows with wrapping paper

The most rewarding thing he has found volunteering with Holly House has been seeing family members of the children we serve become volunteers themselves for Holly House in their free time. They may not be able to afford some items for their children, but they have time and can sort, collect, or work the event set up or shopping day. Knowing they don't have to volunteer but they do it because Holly House has touched them is something that proves the work we do is so valuable.

When he is not living in Arizona or traveling with his wife, he lives here in WA to help his son's family by babysitting 2 of his grandchildren (his daughter-in-law is an elementary school teacher, so they come for the school year). Holly House is something else he takes part in while he is in WA, and he says he volunteers "...for the children. Without Holly House, 2,000 children wouldn't get what they need; socks, pajamas, books, underwear, and even toys at Christmas". He learned of our program through his other grandchildren's school, who attend an Edmonds School District school. He has 3 children of his own, and 4 grandchildren.

Hard at work!

Milt is a 20 year Marine Veteran, and also spent 15 years in local law enforcement - and he has a lot of experience in the volunteer world. While in AZ, he also volunteers with Toys for Tots, Home For Our Troops, and their local VFW #7400. What amazing organizations he has chosen to support, and we are proud to be one of them. Thank you Milt! With parents who served in the military, he was taught from a young age "service above self" - and this is apparent with his efforts to help people in need when he finds them.

When asked what he would like people to know about Holly House, he said "Like other non-profits we are able to get donations of materials (eg. Carters, Mattel), but it also takes funding to run the operation. The day to day takes money. If I had to ask for one thing from the public, it would be a lead for a full time facility where we can collect, sort, and have a drop off location. Right now we are working out of 4 storage units and they are insufficient for what we get by the end of the year (in addition to sorting items outside in the driveway). A 5-6000 sq. ft. store front either donated or leased at a great discount would be ideal."

Join us at National Night Out Aug 4th

Come visit our booth at the National Night Out event - We will have a balloon animal artist for the kids giving away free balloons! This event is packed full of FREE family fun. 

Please stop by our booth and say HI!

Fill a child's stocking with joy!

Tuesday, August 4, 6-9pm

Evergreen Playfield, 22205 56th Ave W

Mountlake Terrace, WA

We will be collecting Stocking Stuffers for all ages, and our friends at the American Legion booth will be collecting teen gifts for us. Now's a great time to drop off anything you've been collecting (new items only, please).

The City of Mountlake Terrace will present its 19th annual gathering of citizens and civic leaders. The award-winning celebration includes games, food, family fun, entertainment, demonstrations, music, contests, prizes, and displays by dozens of city businesses - including Holly House!

Cabbage Patch dolls get a makeover

Everyone hard at work getting dolls dressed

Volunteers of all ages came to our "Dress 200 Cabbage Patch Dolls" work party last week, and it was a huge success. Although we didn't get all of the dolls refurbished, we made a huge dent in the project. It was a gorgeous sunny day so we pulled the tables outside the storage unit and went to work. It was so much fun. We had several youngsters helping as well. We can't wait to do it again!

If you have gently used Cabbage Patch Dolls and/or accessories that we can put in their little hands, let us know. We want every doll to come with accessories. Did you know that Preemie baby clothes fit the dolls perfectly? We could sure use more:
- clothes
- shoes
- socks
- plain preemie diapers
- pacifiers
- doll baby bottles
- small stuffed animals
- My Little pony sizes toys, etc.

Robin showing off some finished dolls

Several of our volunteers took some work home - dolls that needed some TLC (fixing hairdos, mending clothes, removing marker that previous owners used to draw on their faces, etc.). We had a few ladies from the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center join us, and one of them was overheard saying "Dressing dollies made me think of my childhood." Imagine the look on a child's face Christmas morning; opening a gift of a doll with accessories that has been meticulously groomed and styled just for them.

We have many volunteer opportunities, and this is one of them. If doing something like this is interesting to you, please contact us here on the blog (click the Contact button on the right)! You can also stay up to date on volunteer opportunities like this by checking the calendar on the Volunteer page.

First ever Fundraiser Gala was a huge success!

Guests having a ball raising their paddles

Well, we did it!! Our Gala Committee put in many hours of hard work to pull off an amazing event that helped us raise just over $13,000 for Holly House. If you were one of our guests, we are so grateful that you joined us. If you missed it this year, please plan for next year! We'd love to have you in on the fun.

Many of our supporters were unaware that kids go to school without socks and underwear, or sleep in cold rooms because heat is not a luxury they can afford. The pajamas, necessities, and coats are not just gifts during the holidays, they are basic needs that often go unmet. Holly House is more than just toys and gift giving - it's helping families provide things to their children than they so desperately wish they could, but just can't at the moment. Many of our clients become volunteers because they want to give back to the organization that helped them at a time when they needed it.

One of our clients sharing her
experience with Holly House

One of the highlights of the night was hearing from two of the mothers of families supported by Holly House. Their moving stories brought a feeling to the room that was both inspiring and humbling. The work that Holly House is able to do because of volunteers and donors is truly appreciated by our clients, and hearing it in person makes it very motivating to want to continue.

At the Gala (which was held at the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center) photos with Alice in Wonderland characters were taken, raffle tickets purchased, silent auction items were won, live auction items were fought over, and in the end, money was raised for Holly House to continue to support the 2,000 kids we serve in 15 Edmonds School District Schools. We also collected from guests quite a few bags of donations of toys, stuffed animals, and other items that they brought to contribute to the cause.

Hot, cold, and passed appetizers
plus desserts filled our plates

What a spread we had, thanks to the Red Dragon Casino! There was wine, dessert, and lots of laughter. Troy McVickers was our MC and auctioneer and encouraged everyone to participate; from the sounds in the room and the looks on people's faces, he really did a wonderful job.

Thanks to David Pan from MLTnews.com for writing an amazing piece for the online papers, and David Carlos for taking beautiful photographs. You can find the article here - please check it out and read more about the evening! Go to our Facebook page to find the photo album with all of the photos from the night. Feel free to share any you have taken as well!

Photo booth fun

PHOTO BOOTH: If you chose to partake in the photo booth at the event, you can find your photos here. Thank you Heidi Marletto for donating your photo booth.

Some of the live auction items

Thank you to our sponsors for the night: Red Dragon Casino, Thrivent Financial, System Solutions of WA, Pinnacle Electric, Electonic Business Machines, Golden Insurance, LLC, and Aramark. In addition, all of our auction items were donated by local businesses; without them, our Gala wouldn't have been the success it was. A huge thank you to the Holly House volunteers who gave tirelessly to plan, decorate, organize, and execute a magical evening; Karen Orstad, Lisa Alfie, Ingrid Adams, Cherry Smith, Janine Kirkpatrick, Ella Nakamura, Monty Reed, Aimee LePage, Jen Winckler, Leslie Smith, Milt Culver, Annie Nygaard, Briana Wirtz, Kim Gorney, Cindy Goodman, Alicia Carter, and the crew of High School students - we couldn't have done it without you all!!!

Spring Fundraiser Gala Announced - March 7th

Get your tickets before they are all gone! 

March 7th, 2015
6pm - 9pm
Mountlake Terrace Senior Center
Tickets - $35

Join us for our first ever Fundraiser Gala, "Don't be late for a very important date".  Enter our Wonderland and meet Alice, The Queen of Hearts, and the Cheshire Cat - plus have your picture taken with them!!

It is sure to be a magical evening filled with celebration and hope. There will be an exciting live auction, plus a silent auction. Get an overview of the work that we do at Holly House. Meet some of our families and hear how Holly House has helped them. Meet some of our volunteer team, and make connections with local community members.

All the while enjoying heavy hors d'oeuvres and dessert, plus a wine tasting.

We will also be selling raffle tickets for some lovely prizes. All proceeds of the event go towards operating costs for Holly House, and as our first large scale fundraiser we are hopeful it will provide much needed funds to sustain administration costs, plus storage and procurement costs of holiday gifts and necessities for the 2,000 low income children we support in the Edmonds School District.

We will have a donation collection bin available; you can bring your favorite toy, sports equipment, or even socks and underwear to add to our cause (items for teens especially needed).

Visit our special Gala page to purchase tickets online. 

If you are interested in donating any items for the auction or raffle, please email us using the Contact Us button on the right of the page, or by calling Pam Martinez at 425-673-0526.

Socks and underwear shortage

As the boxes are being unpacked and sorted at the Holly House event today, we discovered we are very short about 400 pairs NEW socks and underwear for our children. If you want to drop by and bring some, please do! We are at the Meadowdale Middle School gym until 11pm today, and you can even bring them tomorrow during our event.



Stay and volunteer some time, or just drop them off - it will be much appreciated!

Many thanks to our volunteers and local restaurants (like Red Lobster and Urban City Coffee yesterday) for keeping those volunteers fueled this weekend.

Beginning set up (Friday afternoon)

There's lots more to do, and less than 24 hours to go!

Last minute requests

This is the big event weekend! Holly House volunteers are scurrying and bustling, getting a gymnasium transformed into a magical shopping experience for our clients. There are still ways you can help! 

There will be 500 - 700 parents waiting to receive the only Christmas most of their children will receive; while they wait, we like to provide them with a little taste of Christmas - homemade cookies. Can you help? A dozen, 6 dozen, whatever you can do. You will have a part in making this a wonderful shopping experience for our families. Cookie donations can be dropped off at the Meadowdale Middle School gym on Saturday 12/13 from 10am - 8pm.

Please also consider donating your time! We are looking for additional help with clean up/tear down on Sunday 12/14 from 8pm-1am. It goes much faster with more people!

If you are interested in helping Sunday night (or any other time over the weekend), please fill out a volunteer profile form and we will contact you.

We cannot put on this event without amazing volunteers and donations - we are 100% reliant on both! Believe it or not, as the set up is happening this weekend, plans are already being made for our 2015 event - fundraising, donation drives, and more. There are lots of ways to get involved in bringing Christmas to these children.

Pajama Sorting Party update

We had an amazing turnout for our big pajama sorting party this past weekend. Thank you to the 22 incredibly hard working volunteers who came to unwrap, size/sort, re-package, and move 2100 pairs of pajamas!

The night started with a small hiccup with the van (which was filled to the brim with pajamas) not starting - but quick work to move all of the boxes to a different vehicle enabled Pam to get to the storage facility just a few minutes late. Everyone jumped on board to get things set up. Phyllis 'conducted' what became a symphony of workers.





Two truckloads of sorted pajamas were moved to a different storage facility during the party, and the rest were moved about 8:45 once everything was complete - including clean up! It could not have gone more smoothly and would definitely taken much longer had we been short some
helpers. These sorted pajamas will now be ready to display for our December Holly House event.

The 2100 pajamas came to us from a very generous donation. Most of them were sized infant to 5T (and mostly for girls), so we look forward to being able to fill in the gaps for older kids and the boys throughout the year with more donations. Our goal is go give every one of our 2000 children two pairs of warm pajamas this year - one to wear and one for the wash.





Thank you to Molina Health Care, Wells Fargo Bank, Kohl's, the Mountlake Terrace Senior Center, Windemere, kids and teachers from several of our schools, pizza from Garlic Jim's and of course, our Holly House Team for a job well done.