Read our newsletter as a downloadable PDF or continue on for the web version the following newsletter articles:

• Turning Houses into Homes
• Plan to Volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on March 4, 2010
• Whatcom Giveathon
• STATE BUDGET CUTS & WVC
• SAVE THE DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 4: Enjoy a fantastic evening of theatre without leaving town…
• Biker’s Fighting Cancer Distribute Gifts

Turning Houses into Homes

Rebecca Rayner, WVC Special Projects and Events Coordinator VISTA

Randi McKenna & Rebecca Rayner deliver a bed

On September 3, 2009, the House 2 Home Network Virtual Furniture Bank set out with its first baby steps. That was the day of the program’s first furniture delivery – Rebecca Rayner, Randi McKenna and Dan Hammill of Whatcom Volunteer Center and Greg Winter of Whatcom Homeless Service Center brought three beds to a family in north Bellingham.

This family is a single mother with three children –some slept on the floor, others used lumpy mattresses with bad springs. It was an amazing experience to bring beds to a family that needed them, one that in the past three months has happened over and over again.

In addition to helping people who were recently homeless find furniture, House 2 Home is also pioneering a new style of furniture bank. It doesn’t have a warehouse to store furniture in, so as donation calls and emails come in, a volunteer is sent to pick up the furniture and deliver it to the customer’s new home. It is the first of its kind in the nation.

Plan to Volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on March 4, 2010

Dan Hammill, WVC Volunteer Program Director

Project Homeless Connect 2009

“We volunteered not knowing what to expect and wound up forgetting our own problems by helping someone else with theirs,” said Claudette and Maggie Johnson about their experience at Project Homeless Connect (PHC) 2009.

Comments like the Johnsons’ were abundant in the days following Bellingham/Whatcom’s first PHC event. Over 250 volunteers worked with their homeless neighbors, helping guests receive services, dine at a first-class lunch and receive new items of clothing.

The next Project Homeless Connect event is just around the corner, on March 4th.

People interested in volunteering should contact Whatcom Volunteer Center to sign up for an information session at noon on January 26 or February 3 at 5:30 pm. Both info sessions will be held at St. Luke’s Health Education Center. Pre-registration is required.

Volunteers can sign up for specific volunteer roles at the info sessions.

Because of the high demand for services in 2009, Project Homeless Connect organizers have doubled the size of the event, which will be offered at six locations near the downtown Bellingham area.

This expansion also increases the amount of volunteers needed for the event.

“The thing that struck me most while volunteering at PHC was how the community was so involved,” said Ann Beck, a 2009 volunteer who was herself displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and 2006.

Organizers expect the need for up to 325 volunteers for the 2010 event.

“I felt renewed after seeing volunteers wanting to improve the lives of people who are homeless in our community,” said Beck.

For more information, contact rebeccar@whatcomvolunteer.org or randim@whatcomvolunteer.org or call 734-3055.

Whatcom Giveathon

Jodi Sipes, WVC RSVP Director

Whatcom Giveathon

This has been a tough year for many in our community and the needs of our area residents have grown substantially. Nonprofits provide the safety net, but they’ve been hit hard as well. Over 700 Whatcom County Realtors answered the call to help, and partnered with Whatcom Volunteer Center, Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities, Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Whatcom Council of Nonprofits, and Northwood Hall to bring an alternative gift event to the community to support our non-profit agencies.

The first annual Whatcom Giveathon was a great success! The Realtors had a great idea just 6 weeks ago and along with their partners turned it into a big event. The Realtors wanted to make best use of the space Northwood Hall donated to them, and wanted to expose their membership and the community to the many different types of causes in our community. In all, 26 agencies were there to raise funds by providing alternative holiday gifts for donations. Each agency also received $50.00 from the Realtors, $25.00 from Whidbey Island Bank, and a quarter page ad worth over $1,300 from the Bellingham Herald! The total raised at the event has not been tallied yet, but already exceeds $53,000!

The Herald also donated ad space for the event, and put an article in their paper before the event. Santa and the Mrs. were there, and local high school students provided music and entertainment. The proceeds from the raffle ticket sales were awarded by drawing, and went to the Alternative Humane Society. Donors had the opportunity to choose to make a gift in someone else’s name and received a gift card to present to that person as their “alternative gift.” We thank the Realtors Association for making this event possible and look forward doing it again next year!

Event Sponsoring Partners:

• Whatcom County Association of Realtors
• Whatcom Volunteer Center,
• Whatcom Council of Nonprofits
• Whatcom Coalition for Healthy Communities,
• Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Participating Organizations

• Bellingham Childcare and Learning Center
• Mother Baby Center
• Brigid Collins Family Support Center
• Lighthouse Mission
• Whatcom County Library Foundation
• Womencare Shelter
• Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services
• Bellingham Food Bank
• Interfaith Coalition of Whatcom County
• Sean Humphrey House
• Alternative Humane Society
• YWCA Bellingham
• Catholic Community Services
• Hope House
• Maple Alley Inn
• Big Brothers & Sisters of NW Washington
• Lydia Place
• Max Higbee Community Recreation Center
• Blue Skies for Children
• His Kids Our Homes
• Appliance Depot
• Whatcom Counseling & Psychiatric Clinic
• Rebound of Whatcom County

STATE BUDGET CUTS & WVC

Sue Ellen Heflin, WVC Executive Director

You’ve read or heard about the proposed cuts to Human Services in the Governor’s budget as submitted to the Legislature on December 9. We know that what gets passed by the legislature and signed into law will be significantly different than the Governor’s current proposal; we want to share with you the effect that these cuts would have on programs at the Whatcom Volunteer Center.

This budget proposes to eliminate funding for the Volunteer Chore Program. State funding accounts for 40% of Volunteer Chore’s budget. Replacing that kind of cut would be virtually impossible for the Volunteer Center. More than 200 of our valued clients would lose services that help keep them living independently in their own homes. This program would be a drastic loss to Whatcom County and some of our most vulnerable residents.

The other program slated to lose support is RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) which provides support for volunteers aged 55 and over. A cut of this magnitude (about 12% of the budget) would mean we would have to cut deeply. We don’t know where we would cut, but volunteer transportation support, insurance for volunteers while on the job, and consultation with volunteers prior to and during their volunteer service are all potential cuts.

If you’re interested in expressing support for Volunteer Center programs to your legislators, you can write to them or email them.

Many of our local legislators have been very supportive of these programs in the past – which we greatly appreciate. Sharing your stories may help them remain committed to supporting these programs while making the difficult decisions they face in the upcoming legislative session.

Senator Kevin Ranker, PO Box 40440, Olympia, WA 98504-0440 ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov

Representative Dave Quall, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600 quall_da@leg.wa.gov

Representative Jeff Morris, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600 morris_je@leg.wa.gov

Senator Dale Brandland, PO Box 40442, Olympia, WA 98504-0442 brandlan_da@leg.wa.gov

Representative Doug Ericksen, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600 ericksen_do@leg.wa.gov

Representative Kelli Linville, PO Box 40600, Olympia, WA 98504-0600 linville_ke@leg.wa.gov

Governor Christine Gregoire, PO Box 40002, Olympia, WA 98504-0002 http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp

Contact the Gov. http://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/default.asp

Contact your legislators http://apps.leg.wa.gov/DistrictFinder/Default.aspx

SAVE THE DATE: THURSDAY, MARCH 4

Enjoy a fantastic evening of theatre without leaving town…

Join us for Bellingham Theatre Guild’s production of Inherit the Wind, the classic American drama based on the Scopes “Monkey” Trial, and a silent auction in support of the Whatcom Volunteer Center. There will be hors d’oeuvres, wine, coffee, desserts, conversation, and a silent auction of experiences and items you’ll long to take home! Tickets are $35 per person. The evening starts at 6:30 PM. Contact the Volunteer Center at 734-3055 for tickets.

Biker’s Fighting Cancer Distribute Gifts

Bikers Fighting Cancer

We like to hear about the events our Partner Agencies have, and here is one group who spread some great holiday cheer for a hundred children in our area. On December 20th they gathered together with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Biker’s Church on Northwest Ave. to have Santa hand out the gifts they had gathered for children affected by cancer and poverty. After serving a pancake breakfast to everyone there, Santa met with each child and gave them their gift. This group is always doing something special to help, and our community really appreciates their good work! The National President, Pat Healey, is a local member and received our 2009 Hearts and Hands Award, and they have gathered and donated over $35,000 this year. To learn more about them visit their web site: www.bikersfightingcancer.net