With the holidays coming soon, organizations and businesses in the area are planning charitable efforts and looking for community support. Here are details on some of those events. Those who want to add a charitable effort to this list can email the details to city@lmtribune.com.
The seventh annual Hometown Business Food Drive, organized by American Insurance, is scheduled for Nov. 14-18. During the event, agents from the insurance company coordinate with businesses to pick up donations collected by the employees of those businesses. Private individuals can also donate a bag of groceries from local grocery stores or by bringing them to an American Insurance office. Donations from Lewiston businesses will be collected and taken to the Community Action Partnership Food Bank; in Clarkston to the Asotin County Food Bank; and in Moscow for the Palouse Cares organization. American Insurance has offices at 55 Southway Ave., Lewiston, and at Sixth and Washington streets in Moscow. More information about the food drive can be found at AmericanInsuranceID.com/community.
The Adventist Community Services Thrift Store in Deary will open its warehouse for a Santa Bag Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 15. Customers can fill a grocery bag with Christmas items for $5. Proceeds from the bag sale will help pay the balance owed on the group’s truck used to pick up food for people in need from the food bank in Lewiston and to make other deliveries. The ACS food pantries are currently feeding about 1,000 people in Deary, Troy and surrounding areas.
Pacific Empire’s “Hanging Out With Turkeys” event is seeking donations of food and money for the Community Action and Asotin County food banks. Donations can be brought to Rogers Toyota, 2203 16th Ave., Lewiston, on Nov. 17-19, or financial donations can be made via Venmo at the username Dailyfly, under the business tab. A full list of food items being sought and ways to donate can be found at dailyfly.com/hanging-out-with-turkeys. Mark Bone, a Pacific Empire radio host, will spend three days living in a trailer 30 feet off the ground at Rogers Toyota as part of the event.
The Christmas Wishes to Our Heroes Overseas fundraiser seeks to send Christmas care packages to American soldiers stationed overseas. Cash donations to support the effort can be brought to the VFW Sourdough Post No. 10043, 1104 Warner Ave., Lewiston, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays; the Asotin County Family Aquatic Center, 1603 Dustan Loop, Clarkston, attention Susan; or at any P1FCU branch, Account 244211. Those in the area who have troops stationed overseas and want them to get a care package can arrange for that by emailing the organizers at christmaswishestoourheroes@gmail.com. More details are also available by calling Eva Smathers, (509) 254-7901; Susan Comstock, (509) 758-2234; or Mary Oler, (208) 283-8551.
The Sharing Tree for Latah County will be set up at the Palouse Empire Mall at the end of November. Tags for children will be placed on the tree before Thanksgiving and new ones will be added in early December. Tags for children in the community are red. New, unwrapped gifts can be delivered by Dec. 13 to the main office at the Genesee school. Those with questions may contact Melissa Hanson (208) 285-1162 or mhanson@sd282.org. This project is sponsored by the Genesee Education Association, with the intent to provide Genesee children winter clothing, new clothes and gifts for Christmas. Last year, the project provided gifts for 19 families.
