A few weeks ago, we shared information about our annual fundraising partnership with the Salvation Army. Through this collaboration, we work to bring comfort and joy to our neighbors here in Thurston County. In years past, we’ve worked in friendly competition with other Thurston County Realtors to see who can raise the most money in-person in a single day. This year, however, the pandemic forced a serious shift in plans. While we aren’t able to safely take donations face-to-face, we were able to extend our online fundraising here for the entire month of December as part of the Salvation Army’s #RescueChristmas campaign.
At only two weeks in, with two weeks left to go, we are proud to announce that we have exceeded our goal! We set $5,000 as “the goal, not the limit,” and our community and beloved partners have absolutely blown us away with their generosity! As of writing this on December 17th, our total has already exceeded $8,600, but we’re not about to stop there. We want to do our absolute best to help the Salvation Army Olympia Corps reach their 2020 goal of $185,000.
Why Is #RescueChristmas So Important?
In a year with countless obstacles, the Salvation Army is passionate about caring for those in the community who are experiencing hardship. Unfortunately, the pandemic has complicated their ability to fundraise. Two-thirds of the Salvation Army’s operating budget comes from red kettle fundraising, but COVID-19 restrictions have cut the number of red kettles in half. Meanwhile, their services are expected to see 155% of the usual need.
The heart of the mission to #RescueChristmas lies with the knowledge that every person deserves a warm and safe place to live, nutritious food to eat and holiday gifts for their family. Donations go to help their food pantries, housing programs and bill-pay assistance here in Thurston County, as well as the Angel Tree program that ensures no child goes without Christmas presents this year.
We see this high need and lack of resources as a unique challenge and are grateful for the friends and partners who have already contributed. If you are able, please visit our fundraising page, where donations will be open until December 31st.
We wish you a happy and healthy holiday season, and we look forward to seeing you (from a safe distance) in the new year.