KINGSTON — After having a wild, practically panic stricken Thanksgiving, the food banks of the Little City By The Sea are enjoying a calmer Christmas season due to food box and toy drive support.
Kingston Food Bank director Vi Weaver, who barely had anything two weeks before Thanksgiving, said things are looking brighter for the upcoming holiday.
“We have enough turkeys that will help us out with Christmas,” Weaver said, giving credit to last month’s donations. “Everybody was absolutely fabulous.”
While she provided 26 food boxes at Thanksgiving, Weaver said she is already up to 40 for Christmas. Her deadline for food box sign ups is today, Dec. 17.
“I am ecstatic,” Weaver said about the amount of food that is still coming in, which includes chickens and hams. “We never know how much but whatever we get, we’re delighted with.”
As of last week, Weaver was still going through bags and boxes of food that were lining the floors of the one-room food bank at the VFW Hall in Kingston.
“I’m just overwhelmed still,” Weaver said. “We have everything.”
The organization is also taking accepting donations of unwrapped toys for ages 2-16. Boxes and toys will be available for pick up Dec. 22.
ShareNet Food Bank Director Kim Planck said her boxes are “coming together.”
She recently received donations totaling more than $5,000 from the Poulsbo Sons of Norway and Watson’s Furniture. Kingston Junior High is also helping by providing toys for 20 families signed up through ShareNet, Planck said.
As for food boxes, ShareNet’s limit for this Christmas is 100. The deadline was Dec. 16 and Planck will be distributing the boxes Dec. 19.
“I’m OK with meat,” she said on her supplies. “But I’m short on stuffing, canned milk and Jell-O.”
Planck will also be holding a “toy shop” on Dec. 22, where families who weren’t sponsored by local individuals or groups can pick up toys.
Unwrapped and appropriate for ages 1-18, including sweatshirts, mittens and hats, will be accepted through Dec. 19. If the food bank is not open, the toys can be left in the foyer of the Bayside Community Church.
