‘A whirlwind of a person’: Community remembers Edmonds nonprofit founder

LYNNWOOD — Holly House founder and executive director Pam Martinez would ask each of her volunteers the same question: “What’s your special talent?”

Martinez had a special talent of her own. She always looked out for the underdog, said her brother, Rob Martinez.

Pam Martinez died late last month from congenital heart failure. She was 76.

In 2006, she founded Holly House, a nonprofit that provides holiday gifts for low-income families in the Edmonds School District. Even when she was in the hospital this year, she was determined to keep working to hold Holly House’s annual holiday event.

“She was somebody who sacrificed everything up to the end for others,” Rob Martinez said.

Each year, Holly House sets up a three-day event where local families can shop for free for brand-new toys, books, clothing and more. She was adamant about making sure most of the gifts were new, because the families often couldn’t afford new items.

She had shown this thoughtfulness ever since she was younger, Rob Martinez said. He recalled a family trip to Miami in the summer of 1962 during the civil rights movement, when Pam Martinez was in high school. She was the only one in the family who stood up to people who would use derogatory terms and stereotypes at the dining room table.

Pam Martinez later took her brother to see “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” and talked with him about social justice and civil rights.

“Looking back now, that was pretty amazing,” he said.

After graduating from college, Pam Martinez worked as a page for U.S. Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson, of Everett, and lived in Washington, D.C., for a couple years. She moved back to the Seattle area and worked as a kitchen manager for a catering company.

A foster parent for many years, Pam Martinez always had an interest in helping children. When she couldn’t foster anymore, she started Holly House. She wanted to ensure every child in the community had their basic needs met and hoped it would inspire volunteers to continue the cycle of giving. She loved Christmas and had Santa Claus decorations sprawled around her house each year, said Holly House volunteer Cari McGrath.

For many Holly House volunteers, their connection with Pam Martinez went deeper than the organization.

“She would call and check in on people if she knew they were going through a rough time. She’s the first person who would call and she’d call you every day until she felt like you were OK,” said Mercedes Morales, who is now Holly House’s interim executive director.

In 2022, Morales got involved in Holly House with her significant other at the time, who volunteered with his family each year. When he died the next year, Morales joined Holly House with more commitment. She stayed for the entire three-day holiday event and became Pam Martinez’s “sidekick.”

“She was a whirlwind of a person,” Morales said.

Pam Martinez would work around the clock during Holly House’s end-of-year event, Morales said, starting at 7 a.m. and going until 2 am. each day. Work for next year would often start the next day. She’d hold fundraisers and donation drives all year and scour Facebook for garage sales. She would market the event to passersby everywhere she went.

“It went far beyond a job for Pam,” Morales said. “She tried to do everything, and that really resonated with me. I have 17 years of experience in the nonprofit world, and Pam’s who I want to be when I grow up.”

She was always looking for ways to keep costs down so more proceeds could go toward gifts. Instead of renting out a specific location, she partnered with vacant building owners each year and local businesses to help collect donations.

When Holly House started, it served two schools. Now, it serves 18. More than 2,600 children in the Edmonds School District have received gifts for the holidays because of Holly House.

“Pam’s unwavering commitment to service and her deep compassion for others have left an indelible mark on our district and the greater Edmonds community,” Edmonds School District Superintendent Rebecca Miner wrote in a statement. “Through her leadership, Holly House became a beacon of light for those facing hardship, reminding us all of the power of generosity and community.”

Holly House held its annual holiday event this past weekend in honor of Pam Martinez. There will be a memorial open to the public early next year.

“Pam really showed how much of a difference once person can make,” Morales said, “and how many people they can inspire to do really good things.”

Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.