There are still many local individuals and families who need help during the holidays.

“The need just continues to grow,” said Leann Geiger, Director of Food Bank Services at Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW).

Last year VOAWW was able to provide food and gifts to 1,526 families (3,974 individuals) in King and Snohomish Counties through the Holiday Basket program, thanks to the generosity of individual and corporate sponsors.

This year the agency’s goal is to serve 2,000 families. As of now, 971 families have been matched with sponsors, including 160 matched through Boeing’s Spirit of the Holidays program.

There are over 1,000 families that are still waiting for sponsors.

“We just keep doing our best,” said Geiger. “Every family we can help is one more family that has a better holiday. We want to give people hope.”

In fact, the need is so great that VOA had to close its waiting list several weeks ago.

“It’s a hard thing to have to turn people away,” says Geiger, “but hopefully they can connect with other programs out there. And if we do get enough sponsors to serve everyone on the waiting list and more sponsors come forward, we’ll open the list back up.”

Sponsors can adopt seniors, people with disabilities, families, or individuals who need help and baskets of food and/or gifts can be delivered to the families or to VOA.

Sponsorship forms can be downloaded at http://www.voaww.org/hbb_sponsorform. For more information, contact Kathleen Dale at kdale@voaww.org or 425.212.3223.

Volunteers of America Western Washington (VOAWW) serves a six-county region, providing food, housing, and support services for people wherever they are struggling along the continuum of life – from families and children to seniors and people with developmentally disabilities.

Each year, VOAWW responds to 350,000 requests for assistance. For more information, visit www.voaww.org.

2802 Broadway Everett, WA 98201 P.O. Box 839 Everett, WA 98206-0839 (425) 259.3191 (425) 258.2838 (fax).