SPOKANE, Wash. – Embrace Washington is collecting toys for local children in the foster system this Christmas season. The organization is seeking donations to ensure these kids have a memorable holiday.
Terri Crafts from Embrace Washington emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “If you just thought about if this was your child or somebody that you knew… what kind of a Christmas would you want to provide for them…”
The organization serves nearly 2,000 children annually, and while the collection has started, more donations are needed. Embrace Washington is specifically looking for new toys valued at $30 or more, as well as new stuffed animals and books.
Donations can be dropped off at three locations: the Riverside (41 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201) and North Spokane (9506 N Newport Hwy, Spokane, WA 99218) branches of the Idaho Central Credit Union, and the Embrace office (2202 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202) in Spokane.
Crafts highlighted the community’s role in supporting these children, stating, “Filling their hearts up and letting them know that we in Spokane are such a giving community and that we want them to feel seen, we want them to feel the warm embrace of the community, just help us provide that for them…”
Embrace Washington supports children across 13 counties in eastern Washington, serving about 1,750 kids each year. The organization works with children in foster care, including those in “kinship care,” where children are placed with biological family members rather than unrelated foster parents.
Crafts noted the challenges faced by these children, saying, “No child’s story is alike but there is no pretty story on how a child enters foster care. There always is trauma, this is a vulnerable population of children.”
Embrace Washington is also looking for volunteers willing to help wrap presents on Saturday, December 7th from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. To sign up to volunteer you can email wendy@embracewa.org or call (509)381-5370.
NonStop Local will host a Connect Center on Saturday from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. for those interested in donating.
If you’d like to donate money to Embrace Washington, you can do so on their website here. You can learn more about Embrace Washington here.
