Quiet, But Still Here

It's been a rough few months, hasn't it?  Whether you find yourself now working from home, schooling from home, supporting loved ones, putting yourself on the line as an essential worker, or any other version of this "new normal",  we hope this post finds our community as healthy, happy, and contented as can be.

We have been quiet around here, though we are thankfully well.  Refugee arrivals have been few and far between during this pandemic, and the church that houses our storage closet closed its doors through the summer.  So, there's been very little news to report in this space.

But we are now feeling some hope.  The election news has given us hope.  Passing on some of our donations to the Refugee and Immigrant Hospitality Outreach, an organization doing the on-the-ground work with some of our most vulnerable neighbors, has given us hope.  And making plans for our annual Warm Winter Welcome donation drive has given us hope.

Exchanging emails with our partner organizations, strategizing our social media posts, excitedly searching for the best deals on our wish list items; it all feels very early days to us.  When we had an idea, and every new idea that made us think we could really do this needed to be immediately shared and talked over.  Would people want to donate?  Would they trust us with their donations?  Would we actually be able to do the thing we were hoping to do?  All these feelings are popping up again as we ready ourselves to make one of the biggest asks of our little nonprofit's life:

- 150 coats for adults and children experiencing their first or second winter in the PNW.
- 150 hats and gloves for the same.
- 100 blankets for families who may not be able to afford to heat their homes this winter.
- 100 hot water pads.
- 100 hand warmers.

There is so much we cannot do right now.  We cannot fill our space with volunteers and pack a closet full of bags.  We cannot share a meal with our neighbors.  We can't even hug each other!  But this feels like something we can do.  We can wrap our neighbors in warmth.  We can spread kindness.  We can, once again, watch our community come together and take care of each other.  

XO, Alysson & Adrienne