Dear Jubilee Elves,
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being an Elf this year. Through your participation, families in our community experienced the joy of Christmas and a deeper sense of belonging.
As families arrived to pick up their gifts during the Jubilee Elves program, we handed them this note intended to reflect the sentiment of all of the Elves:
Many families wrote thank you notes to say thank you to YOU. Click the button below to see each message, along with pictures of the distribution events. While there are too many notes to read them all, just know that each one represents a family in our community who felt loved through your giving.
Please continue to pray for our neighbors who need to know they are precious, seen, and loved.
You have made a difference and answered the highest call to Love our Neighbor. May your heart be filled with joy and love because of it.
Thank you, Bless you, and Happy New Year!
The Jubilee REACH Family
The calendar of Jubilee Elves stretched a full three weeks, so here’s a quick “day-by-day” description of events starting the Monday after Thanksgiving:
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Throughout the fall season, Elves signed up to provide a personalized gift package for individual children who had previously registered with the program. On this day, beautifully wrapped gifts began pouring into Jubilee, quickly filling the holding room. This continued all week until the floor, tables, and walls were covered with a sea of color. It was magical!
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Families registered for this first distribution day mainly came through Jubilee REACH’s Groceries for Families program, so there is an existing relationship. The outside space under the canopies was transformed by volunteers into a festive space, setting the stage for fun, joy, and a very special event. While we told families it opened at 3:00pm, we secretly opened at 2:00pm and enjoyed the flow of families for the next four hours. Volunteers were staged throughout, with one directive: “just love the person right in front of you.”
Here’s a quick view:362 families were served
800 children and 15 toddlers are in these families
Families received:
Gift package for each child 3 to 12th grade
Small gift card for each toddler under 3
Fred Meyer gift cards for the family to buy groceries
Jubilee tote bag
Fleece blanket
Christmas wreath
Knitted hats, gloves, and scarves
Freshly baked bread
Wrapping paper and bows
Hot chocolate and cookies
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This day was divided into two phases:
At 8:00am, truckloads of toys from various donor groups in the community began arriving at Jubilee REACH. Volunteers were scheduled in shifts all day to unload, sort, and set up a “toy shop” in our Big Room. By the afternoon, volunteers transformed the room into a place of wonder and excitement, ready for families to come.
From 3:00-6:00pm, families came to pick up their Christmas gifts. All of these families came referred through the Bellevue School District, with many experiencing homelessness. For most of them, it was their first time to Jubilee REACH, and they had no expectation of what was to come. It was a fun chance to surprise them and wrap them in love.
Here’s a quick view:
97 families were served
161 children and 8 toddlers are in these families
Families received:
Gift package for each child 3 to 12th grade
Small gift card for each toddler under 3
Safeway gift cards for the family to buy groceries
Jubilee tote bag
Knitted hats, gloves, and scarves
Time to choose toys for each child in the toy shop
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This day was more intimate, as families with children at Lake Hills Elementary are part of the Jubilee REACH’s Before and After-School program attended this day. We know them very well, as we see them nearly daily.
Here’s a quick view:
22 families were served
53 children and 3 toddlers are in these families
Families received:
Gift package for each child 3 to 12th grade
Small gift card for each toddler under 3
Fred Meyer gift cards for the family to buy groceries
Jubilee tote bag
Fleece blanket
Knitted hats, gloves, and scarves
Time to choose toys for each child in the toy shop
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During the event on December 8, there wasn’t space or time for families to go through the “toy shop.” We invited all 362 families to return on this day from 8:30am-1:30pm to choose toys for each child. Super fun!
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We invited families participating in ECEAP (Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program) through the Bellevue School District from 4:30-6:30pm on this day. The BSD Family Engagement Specialists, who have strong relationships, referred all these families, joined us, and volunteered, making it even more special.
Here’s a quick view:
165 families were served
336 children are in these families
Families received:
Safeway gift cards for the family to buy groceries
Time to choose toys for each child in the toy shop
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Throughout the fall, Jubilee REACH was contacted by many families seeking Christmas assistance, but they couldn’t be allocated into any existing category to be included. Additionally, the BSD Family Engagement Specialists also had families in need of Christmas help but nowhere to place them. The morning was set aside to invite all of those families to come to choose toys from the “toy shop,” which still had a nice selection available.
Here’s a quick view:
40 families were served
85 children are in these families
Families received:
Time to choose toys for each child in the toy shop
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During the pandemic, Jubilee REACH partnered with El Dios Viviente Church in White Center, West Seattle, to assist them in supporting many struggling families in that community. On this date, we transported all remaining Christmas items and winter coats over to the church so they could distribute them to families in time for Christmas day.
