NORTHWEST HARVEST
P.O. Box 12272, Seattle, 98102; 625-0755 or www.northwestharvest.org (which includes a list of dozens of places to donate food, likely including your local grocery store)
WHAT: “If you stand in this food bank long enough, you’ll see yourself walk through the door.” That observation came from a first-time volunteer at the Cherry Street Food Bank on a very cold, rainy December morning. While it is a simple thought, it underscores how pervasive yet hidden hunger is in our society. This Holiday Survival Guide’s theme is comfort, but don’t forget to consider how others out there are getting along. Food is the most basic of all our needs, and while we fill up during our holiday festivities, it might be a nice idea to give a little to someone else.
DONATE: Food, financial support, your time to organize a food drive or help deliver food.
WASHINGTON WILDERNESS COALITION
4649 Sunnyside N., Seattle, 98103; 633-1992 or www.wawild.org
WHAT: Destruction of wilderness takes many forms: taxpayer-subsidized logging, road building, out-of-control motorized encroachment, and urban sprawl. In Washington, over 3 million acres of critical publicly owned wildlands are threatened and lack any formal protection. Washington Wilderness Coalition’s mission is to defend Washington’s remaining wild forests and rivers through education, grassroots organizing, and creative hard- hitting advocacy.
DONATE: Financial support, your time (contact Susan Melrose at 633-1992 ext. 103 for more information), and specific items such as Pentium-based computers, filing cabinets, office chairs, a copy machine, and shelving.
DOMESTIC ABUSE WOMEN’S NETWORK (DAWN)
P.O. Box 88007, Tukwila, 98138; administrative office 425-656-4305; community office 425-656-8423; shelter 622-1881; or www.dawnonline.org
WHAT: Know a mistreated woman needing protection and compassion? Point her to DAWN, the only community-based domestic abuse agency in South King County. The organization watches out for harmed women and children by offering free, comprehensive services to help them escape their risky environments.
DONATE: Financial support, deodorant, brushes and combs, twin sheets and blankets, full-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner, vacuum cleaners, outdoor storage sheds, tool chests, full-sized cleaning supplies, strollers, and a variety of new toys for children.