Christmas Bureau 2020 Update

Dear Christmas Bureau Families,

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We are sending you this letter to update you on the current status of this year’s Christmas Bureau.  There has been a major change with our toy and book distribution this year due to the recent rise in COVID19 cases and the new restrictions set in place to keep our community safe. 

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We are no longer able to distribute the toys and books at the Fairgrounds as planned this year.  The staffing, logistics and safety requirements for our volunteers and staff, is more than can be safely managed at this point, even in a drive through model at the Fairgrounds.

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We realize this is hard news to receive in the midst of all the other impacts the pandemic has had on all our lives. We too are so sad that we cannot all be together at the Fairgrounds this year.  The health and safety of you, your families and our volunteers and staff is what matters to us the most. 

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Even though you cannot come to the Christmas bureau this year, we can bring a part of the Christmas Bureau to you! The good news is that our team will keep working to assist the same number of people this year that we would normally serve every year.  We will be keeping our Christmas bureau application open longer to give out grocery vouchers to any new families who have not had the chance to apply for assistance. 

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Additionally, we are going to attempt to issue an additional voucher which can be used to buy toys to our recipients on a limited basis.  We know that for some of our recipients the toy picked up at the Christmas Bureau may be the only toy under the tree on Christmas day and we still want to help you.  If you feel you need this extra assistance, please send an email to us at christmas.bureau@cceasternwa.org with the subject, “TOY VOUCHER”. Please include your name, address and phone number and share details about your circumstances in no more than 3-4 sentences and we will do our best to find you additional help as our resources allow. 

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Lastly, please know that we are here for you. We have emergency services such as rent and utility assistance available for families in critical need.  Please reach out to us via email at info@cceasternwa.org at or call our Catholic Charities Emergency Assistance at (509) 456-2253 and we will work to help you through this holiday season.  Catholic Charities and Volunteers of America, the two hosts of the Christmas Bureau, have a wide range of other services and resources that are available to all of our recipients and we are here to help! 

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We are so sorry that we will not be able to be together this year at the Fairgrounds. We pledge to keep supporting our clients as resources and time allow.  Please continue to check our Facebook page @ChristmasBureauSpokane for updated information.

Kindest regards,

Sierra Heinen

Christmas Bureau Manager