Granite Falls outlines 24th annual food-and-gift drive; volunteers and donations sought

Trudy Sullivan and Myra Perkins presented the Granite Falls School District's 24th annual food and gift drive after the board recess, asking the community for donations and volunteers to support families with children in the district.

Sullivan, a high-school financial-education teacher and long-time food-drive adviser, said the district served about 170 families last year (providing items and gifts for approximately 385 children), collected 15,000 food and household items and raised more than $30,000 in cash donations. "Our goal this year is to collect 20,000 items and raise $20,000 in cash," she told the board, noting organizers expect heightened local need this season.

The drive is district-wide and limited to families with children enrolled in Granite Falls schools. Organizers described how donors can give: cash donations (used to buy nonperishables and gifts), nonperishable food or adopting a gift tag listing a child's size and requested items. Sullivan and Perkins said gift tags will be available in every school building and at the district office, and that building secretaries are trained to track tag adoption in a secure database.

Key dates presented to the board include a kickoff assembly at the high school on Dec. 1 (9:00–9:15 a.m.), downtown cash-collection by student coordinators on Dec. 6–7, a gift-tag and gift return deadline on Dec. 12, a major shopping and purchasing day at Fred Meyer on Dec. 13 to buy items not claimed via tags, and delivery/pick-up activity Dec. 15 (with additional pickup dates noted). Organizers emphasized the need for adult volunteers to supervise student coordinators and to support sorting and deliveries.

Sullivan and Perkins asked community members and local businesses to contact them or building secretaries to volunteer or donate; they said every dollar of cash donations goes to food or child gifts.