Hood River Christmas Project Celebrates 100 Years of Giving
The Hood River County Christmas Project has been spreading goodwill and Christmas cheer for 100 years.
By Cole Goodwin
Hood River, OR, November 23, 2023 – As the Hood River County Christmas Project (HRCCP) gears up for its 100th year, the spirit of giving is more vibrant than ever. This year's project is set to serve 1,008 households, a first in Christmas Project history and a marker of how this organization continues to strive for new heights in community support and volunteerism. For vulnerable families in need, the toys, coats, food, toiletries and essential items they receive from the Hood River Christmas project are an enormous boon, an extension of goodwill that will help them get by during the often difficult and stressful holiday season.
Volunteers preparing food boxes.
A Century’s worth of Christmas Spirit
The Hood River Christmas project has been providing a tremendous community service for 100 years.
Bikes are popular but expensive gifts that not every family can afford.
The project, which began in 1923, was initially started by the Elks and has since evolved into a cornerstone of Hood River County's holiday season. In partnership with local individuals, churches, businesses, and the Hood River Fire Department, HRCCP absorbed the Christmas food Basket and Toys for Tykes programs in 1982. And the project's switch to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2008 has further allowed for greater structural organization and access to grants.
The HRCCP has over 300 volunteers in addition to their board and has served over 800 families a year on average as an embodiment of compassion and community solidarity.
“There is absolutely no way we could make this happen without the support of our community donating their time on behalf of their neighbors,” said Heather Walker, Board Member of HRCCP.
Heather Walker. Photo Credit Robin Denning
Heather Walker, a dental hygienist and owner of Hood River Mobile Dental Hygiene, has been helping with the project for 15 years, but it wasn’t until 3 years ago that she decided to join their board. Also on the board sits Tonia Frazier, Leslie Hidle, Lindsay Holmson, Tracey Tomashpol, Jual Reyes and Bruce Holmson. Board President Bruce Holmson, is celebrating over 30 years of service with the Christmas Project this year and has been an important voice and driving force for the project for decades.
Bruce Holmson. Photo Credit Robin Denning
“Bruce started volunteering with HRCCP in the early 1990’s by packing food boxes. He then became the food coordinator, and when no one stepped forward to begin organizing this historic project in 2006, Bruce started planning and asking people to help. In 2008, Bruce initiated the move to become a 501c3 nonprofit that gave the program structure, bylaws, and a board. That move unlocked opportunities to apply for grants and made HRCCP a year-long project.
Bruce organizes the project and always leads with compassion. Even after the project ends, just before Christmas, Bruce can be found making sure that all clients received what they needed, putting food boxes and toys together and delivering to Parkdale, Odell or Cascade Locks for families who did not register for help, but are in need. We do not have an office or any paid staff, (only a small storage unit) so Bruce willingly finishes up around the New Year, and everything is cleaned up and ready for the following year.
Bruce always says that “The community is just amazing – they really have our backs and support us, and because of them, we’re able to do what we do.” But, as you know, that only happens when a detailed, compassionate, and kind person leads by example and asks others to help. Bruce lives year-round with a wonderful goal in his heart and others notice,” said Walker.
A volunteer arranges toys on tables according to age appropriateness.
While Bruce Holmson is set to retire from the board position in 2024, he plans to remain active on HRCCP committees. HRCCP’s committee currently includes Silivia Maciel, Roaxanne McClure, Lynne Pendleton, Mary Finley, Leah Febbraio, and Kkym Zanmiller.
In the last two years, HRCCP has made significant changes to better serve the community. This includes offering culturally familiar food options from Safeway and Rosauers and efficient online registration processes, supported by bilingual volunteers.
While December is the time when the project really starts ramping up into action, the project’s Christmas eleves have to work year round to fund this one magical week a year.
“The Hood River County Christmas Project is simply magic with a lot of hard work behind the scenes. It has become a year-long endeavor. We will start our year in review Feb 2024 celebrating our successes and evaluating where we need to try to improve for Christmas 2024 Tracey Tomashpol (board member) starts applying for grants in January and doesn't wrap up till October. It takes a lot of money to feed over 900 families,” said Walker.
“We rely heavily on those grants and the amazing generosity of our community who show up for us year after year with their funds and their time. We see all ages/gender/socioeconomic backgrounds show up to volunteer. We have families, mom/daughter groups, sports teams, many businesses, church organizations, friends, and school groups show up the week of distribution to make this all work. We will spend hours getting our financial records dialed in to wrap up the fiscal year since becoming a 501C3 non-profit. This status opened us up to the opportunity to apply for the aforementioned grants. We had volunteers in May and June crafting new menus so we could dial in our budget. Anyway, I could go on and on with the tiny details it takes to make this project work for just ond week of the year,” said Walker.
To commemorate its 100th anniversary, HRCCP released a series of videos showcasing its impact and stories from past recipients. This effort aims to expand the project's visibility and prepare for its largest service year yet as well as to serve as a reminder about holding close to our community values.
“I think it helps us remember what Christmas is all about it’s not about consumerism it’s really about Goodwill it’s really about looking out for our neighbor, it’s really about looking out for the person next to us, rather than focusing in it helps us to remember to focus out,” said Walker in one of the videos.
The HRCCP's distribution week, scheduled for December 11th - 16th at the community building at the fairgrounds, promises to be a remarkable display of community effort and holiday spirit.
"We invite everyone to witness the magic of this project in action," Walker added. "It's more than just a week-long event; it's a testament to our community's heart and dedication."
For those interested in volunteering or contributing to the Hood River County Christmas Project, please visit https://www.hoodrivercountychristmasproject.com/ or contact them at info@hoodriverchristmasproject.com.
