Christmas House continues to spread joy to kids

Almost 30 years ago, Pam Sorenson read an article about a group working to bring Christmas magic to children in Snohomish County.

That organization was Christmas House, which back then opened in a downtown Everett storefront in the weeks leading up to the holiday. Families who otherwise wouldn’t be able to give their children presents came to shop, without charge. Thanks to their community’s generosity, parents took home toys they couldn’t afford to buy.

Pam and Steve Sorenson were soon devoting much of their time to Christmas House, which was founded in 1981.

“Twelve months out of the year, we went to garage sales. They didn’t have permanent storage, so she filled our garage and basement with toys,” said Steve Sorenson, 67, who lives in Everett.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Christmas House “was close to Pam’s heart,” he said. “She always stressed that it was shopping with dignity. Knowing she was helping kids and many single mothers, it was tremendous.”

Pam Sorenson died in 2013 at age 66. She had volunteered with Christmas House for decades, and served on its board of directors.

Today, that work continues. Thanks to hundreds of volunteers and people donating new gifts and money, Christmas House will again make the season special this year. In 2013, the charity provided more than 50,000 gifts to nearly 10,000 children from 3,000 families.

Now in the gym of the Boys &Girls Club in north Everett, Christmas House will open its doors Thursday for qualified parents and guardians to get gifts for babies, kids and teens up to age 18.

“There’s nothing more special than a child opening up a new gift on Christmas morning,” said Rick Kvangnes, president of the Christmas House board of directors. “The reason we do it year after year, there’s a tremendous need for low-income families to have Christmas joy.”

Kvangnes is general manager of Judd &Black, the Everett-based appliance business. He said gift donations will be accepted through the run of Christmas House. Among donation sites for new, unwrapped gifts are Les Schwab Tire Center stores all over Snohomish County, a toy chest at Everett Mall, SnoCope Credit Union and Peak Health &Fitness in Everett, and at the back entrance of Christmas House during its hours of operation.

Gifts for all ages are needed, but the big demand is for items suitable for older kids. “It’s the teens we struggle with the most for gifts,” said Kvangnes, adding that children are typically given five presents each.

He planned to be part of this weekend’s set-up crew, transforming the gym into a big toy shop.

“We always need volunteers,” said Mary Allred, an insurance agent who is also on the Christmas House board. A volunteer with the group for more than a decade, she normally works at Christmas House on Fridays and Saturdays during what for many is the busiest time of year.

Allred, who speaks Spanish, checks people in at the Christmas House door and acts as a translator. Clients, who must provide proof of income and their children’s ages, fill out forms showing the number of people in their families.

Kvangnes said about 900 volunteers keep Christmas House going. “Some are there year after year, but we also get new volunteers. A lot are high school students, and it’s wonderful to see that,” he said.

With his daughter and three grandchildren living with him now, Steve Sorenson still finds time to help Christmas House, mostly with deliveries. “For Pam, Christmas House was such a heartfelt thing. She was a godly lady. It was what she was supposed to do,” he said.

“It’s very rewarding. People who come to Christmas House are very appreciative. Most of those people are barely making ends meet,” Allred said.

Kvangnes said seeing smiles on the grown-ups’ faces brings volunteers back every year.

“It’s the appreciation in their eyes, knowing what’s going to happen on Christmas morning,” he said.

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@heraldnet.com.

Christmas House

Christmas House, a nonprofit group that provides qualifying low-income Snohomish County families with Christmas gifts for their children, is located in the Boys &Girls Club gym, 2316 12th St. in north Everett. Gifts are provided for infants through 18-year-olds. The “store” will be open Thursday through Dec. 20; closed Sundays and Mondays. Find out how to donate, volunteer or qualify for gifts by calling 425-338-2273 or online at: www.christmas-house.org

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Vehicles travel along Mukilteo Speedway on Sunday, April 21, 2024, in Mukilteo, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Mukilteo cameras go live to curb speeding on Speedway

Starting Friday, an automated traffic camera system will cover four blocks of Mukilteo Speedway. A 30-day warning period is in place.

Carli Brockman lets her daughter Carli, 2, help push her ballot into the ballot drop box on the Snohomish County Campus on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Here’s who filed for the primary election in Snohomish County

Positions with three or more candidates will go to voters Aug. 5 to determine final contenders for the Nov. 4 general election.

Students from Explorer Middle School gather Wednesday around a makeshift memorial for Emiliano “Emi” Munoz, who died Monday, May 5, after an electric bicycle accident in south Everett. (Aspen Anderson / The Herald)
Community and classmates mourn death of 13-year-old in bicycle accident

Emiliano “Emi” Munoz died from his injuries three days after colliding with a braided cable.

Danny Burgess, left, and Sandy Weakland, right, carefully pull out benthic organisms from sediment samples on Thursday, May 1, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Got Mud?’ Researchers monitor the health of the Puget Sound

For the next few weeks, the state’s marine monitoring team will collect sediment and organism samples across Puget Sound

Everett postal workers gather for a portrait to advertise the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County letter carriers prepare for food drive this Saturday

The largest single-day food drive in the country comes at an uncertain time for federal food bank funding.

Everett
Everett considers ordinance to require more apprentice labor

It would require apprentices to work 15% of the total labor hours for construction or renovation on most city projects over $1 million.

A person walks past Laura Haddad’s “Cloud” sculpture before boarding a Link car on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024 in SeaTac, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sound Transit seeks input on Everett bike, pedestrian improvements

The transit agency is looking for feedback about infrastructure improvements around new light rail stations.

A standard jet fuel, left, burns with extensive smoke output while a 50 percent SAF drop-in jet fuel, right, puts off less smoke during a demonstration of the difference in fuel emissions on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Sustainable aviation fuel center gets funding boost

A planned research and development center focused on sustainable aviation… Continue reading

Dani Mundell, the athletic director at Everett Public Schools, at Everett Memorial Stadium on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett Public Schools to launch girls flag football as varsity sport

The first season will take place in the 2025-26 school year during the winter.

Clothing Optional performs at the Fisherman's Village Music Festival on Thursday, May 15 in Everett, Washington. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett gets its fill of music at Fisherman’s Village

The annual downtown music festival began Thursday and will continue until the early hours of Sunday.

Seen here are the blue pens Gov. Bob Ferguson uses to sign bills. Companies and other interest groups are hoping he’ll opt for red veto ink on a range of tax bills. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
Tesla, Netflix, Philip Morris among those pushing WA governor for tax vetoes

Gov. Bob Ferguson is getting lots of requests to reject new taxes ahead of a Tuesday deadline for him to act on bills.

Jerry Cornfield / Washington State Standard
A new law in Washington will assure students are offered special education services until they are 22. State Sen. Adrian Cortes, D-Battle Ground, a special education teacher, was the sponsor. He spoke of the need for increased funding and support for public schools at a February rally of educators, parents and students at the Washington state Capitol.
Washington will offer special education to students longer under new law

A new law triggered by a lawsuit will ensure public school students… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.