Hi All –
To get everyone on the same page, I’m going to start from the Very Beginning.
A long long time ago, in a land…well, not far away at all…actually it was here in Seattle… I hung Christmas lights – professionally. Don’t believe me? Click on this link and you can see a little of what I did once… http://youtu.be/NCxFEG-SSXM?list=PL99E902F33D3935DA
Things have changed a little bit since that time. I evolved into a Mortgage Loan Originator, and operate within the warm, dry, confounds of Guild Mortgage’s Nortgate Offices. However, one thing has never changed, and that’s my desire to do whatever I can to help brighten someone else’s holidays.
Last year my rotary group, Sunrise Rotary funded holiday lighting projects for a couple homes – aimed at Brightening the Holidays for those less fortunate than ourselves. If I do say so myself, it was a huge success. Check out this video of last year’s work!
This year we are at it again. Sunrise Rotary worked with the University Food Bank identifying a couple families who could really use a little extra holiday cheer this year. Check out their stories!
Who Are We Helping??? (email from University Food Bank)
Hi Kyle,
I talked with the driver for the Home Delivery route that Catherine and two other families are on and she gave me a lot of good information. In addition to Catherine, there are two other families who live in the same apartment complex. Catherine has custody of 3 of her grandchildren. The youngest boy is right around 18 months old and the other two boys are in kindergarten and first/second grade. The driver notices that they do not have much of anything that she has seen. Catherine has to arrange transportation for her grandsons so they can make it to different therapy appointments each week. She also has shared that a tutor for the older boys would be very helpful because she has trouble helping them with their homework.
Hoa is another woman who lives in the apartment complex. She lives with two of her sons, I believe, who are in their teens.
Karen is the last woman who lives in the apartment complex. She lives there with her 18 year old daughter. The driver shared that their apartment is very sparsely furnished and that their dog recently passed away unexpectedly.
As far as Betty M., I haven’t heard back from the driver yet. I know that Betty has 4 other people living in her home. She has a disabled son who lives there, as well as her grandchildren and possibly a few foster children. When I hear back from the driver, I can email you any additional information that might be helpful for you. (I will update you all when I get updated on Betty Mosley)
I hope this gives you enough information to get to know these families a little bit. It seems to me like some sort of home furnishings might be appreciated by all the families in the apartment complex, as well as warm clothes for the winter for these families and also Betty’s household. The driver also shared that some sort of gift cards might be greatly appreciated as well. If you have any other questions. Feel free to email me with any questions you may have. Thank you for coordinating this for the Home Delivery families. I know they really appreciate it!
What Are We Doing???
A small group of Rotarians and myself will decorate the outsides of these homes as described in the pictures below, but more than the lights, what would REALLY Brighten these families holidays would be gifts. As you read above, these families don’t NEED lights, they NEED the basic essentials! …The lights are just the cherry on top.
If you are able and willing, let’s give these families a little something extra this year.
Let me know if you are able to “Gift” clothes, food, toys, gift cards.
Like we did last year, I would love to leave these families with something to unwrap, or go to the store with this holiday season (gift cards).
Please Let me know if you would like to participate in installing lights on these houses, or if you cannot do install, if you would like to donate something to the families. Email me directly if you would like to remain anonymous – your secret (Santa) is safe with me. ,
Cheers,
Kyle Bergquist
From midnight to midnight on GiveBig day – Tuesday May 5th , a percentage of your donation to TINFA will be matched by the Seattle Foundation and GiveBig sponsors. At TINFA, we work with schools in underserved areas of Mexico and Guatemala and use technology in innovative ways to support teachers and students in the classroom. We take a collaborative approach to working with the schools, and facilitate virtual exchanges (via Skype) with schools in the Northwest. Watch this video to see how your donation will make a real difference. 
