Thursday was the last day the Christmas Bureau was open, and Vincent Lozano was not going to miss it.

“We were out of town for a few days because I had surgery in Seattle,” he said. “We can't miss this.”

Lozano came to pick up gifts for his three children ranging in age from 7 to 13 while his wife was at work. He is out of a job while he recovers from his surgery, making little money. “I'll be gone for a month and a half, so this is really helping,” he said.

Tabitha Ries was there for her six children, whose ages ranged from 1 to 17 years. She remembers that she found out about the Christmas Office when the eldest was a baby. At the time, she worked for a local pizzeria that delivered a large batch of pizzas to Christmas Office volunteers on a day when they were settling in. The woman who tipped her generously urged her to come back when the Department was open, and she Ries did. She has been a regular ever since.

“It really helps,” he said. “There have been years where I literally couldn't afford to put anything under the tree.”

Ries said she is grateful for the help and appreciates the community's support for the Office.

Some repeat recipients may have noticed a change in grocery vouchers this year. In previous years, voucher amounts ranged from $15 to $30 depending on family size, but changes were made this year in recognition of inflation-driven food prices, the Christmas Office coordinator said. , Heidi Meany.

“We made the decision to make it $30 across the board,” he said. “One of the reasons we did it that way is that we think it's sustainable. We carefully examined the numbers.”

High prices also prompted organizers to raise this year's fundraising goal to $600,000 to pay for the increases. “The cost of the toys went up and the cost of storing the toys went up, even with our discounts,” Meany said. “This was our best way to help the largest number of people.”

The change had the biggest impact on single adults, who used to get $15. That $15 doesn't go far at the store anymore, and a $30 coupon should help, Meany said. “For them, this was a huge increase,” she said.

donations

The Christmas Office may be closed for the year, but the task of raising money to pay for it all remains. New donations of $5,425 have brought the year-to-date total to $325,248.08, moving closer to the goal of $600,000.

Wagstaff Inc. donated $2,500. “Thank you for your contribution to the community,” Barbara Parkes wrote.

David Epperson gave away $500 via PayPal. Mark and Kathleen Casey from Spokane sent $400.

Joe and Jeanie Hensley of Spokane donate $300. “May the holidays shine with joy, laughter and love!” they wrote. Amy Flowers sent $300 via PayPal and wrote: “Thank you Christmas Bureau for your work in giving hope to families. This donation is in honor of my parents, Ben and Judy Flowers. In this challenging year, thankful for your courage and grace and your health. In everything give thanks.” Jacob Parks contributed $300 via PayPal.

Bud and Diane Nameck donated $250 via PayPal “in memory of Mike Hair.”

Jill and Jerry Skogstad, from Spokane, donated $100. Vickie Borer, from Spokane, great $100. The Price family sent $100 via PayPal and wrote: “A donation on behalf of our mother and grandmother, Mary Flynn, who embodies the true spirit of Christmas.” The Price family also contributed $100 via PayPal, writing “A donation on behalf of our amazing brother and uncle, David Flynn, whose generosity knows no bounds.”

Ann Williams donated $100 via PayPal, as did Dean Nagel and John Cooper. Mark Taylor of Spokane sent in $100.

Jessie Horner donated $75 via PayPal, writing, “Thank you for all the hard work and organizing putting this together for regional families.”