EVERETT – Jennifer Hansen wrapped herself in a warm coat and put on thick socks to wait for 15 hours in the cold outside Christmas House.
The Lynnwood mother was third in line Thursday night at the charity, which provided gifts for 6,692 children last year. Christmas House opens at 9 a.m. today.
“I figured there’d be a lot of parents like me, who wouldn’t let a little cold and rain keep them from getting presents for their kids,” she said. “I have a 9-year-old son, and the most important thing to me is he wakes up with presents under the tree.”
| Volunteers
and gifts needed Volunteers and donations are still needed for Christmas House at the Everett Boys &Girls Club, 2316 12th St. For more information, go to www.christmas-house.org or call 425-338-2273. Christmas House is open Dec. 3-4, 7-11, 14-18 and 20-21. Admission is by number. Numbers are passed out at 8 a.m. Christmas House serves families with children age 18 and younger. Families must be at 150 percent of the federal pov-erty level to qualify. For a family of three, that’s an annual income of $22,890 or less. Proof of income and custody are required. |
The line started at about 4 p.m. Thursday, the earliest in the charity’s 24-year history, said Christmas House president Rick Kvangnes, general manager of Judd and Black.
The early line shows “there’s a definite need,” Kvangnes said.
Christmas House plans to serve 160 families on weekdays and 360 on weekends. It does not register families in advance. Instead, volunteers hand out numbers to those in line.
The line usually begins in the early morning, Kvangnes said.
The woman first in line this year asked not to be named, but said she had 14 children.
Volunteers who staff Christmas House restock the tables of clothes and toys every day, ensuring that every family that visits gets to choose from top-quality items, volunteer Pam Sorenson said.
“We have thousands of toys,” she said, pointing to heaps of stuffed animals, coats, dolls and household items for parents. Even batteries are provided.
More bikes, tricycles and wagons will be raffled off this year, Sorenson said, thanks to Citibank, which doubled its bike donation.
Volunteers who trained Thursday night said it felt like Christmas Eve.
“Kids know when mom and dad are having a tough time,” Sorenson said. “They usually don’t expect much. We’re the Santa that comes through.”
Hansen agreed, saying it was her second visit to Christmas House. She last came when her son was 2 years old. He’s autistic with a seizure disorder, she said, and loves reading books. She’s hoping to find one for him.
Hansen, 28, said she has fibromyalgia, an illness that causes chronic muscle pain, and other health problems that have kept her from working.
“The people who give deserve to be thanked and know what a difference they make, even for one child,” she said. “My son will have a Christmas because of them. I don’t know how I can thank them enough.”
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