Every Child Central Oregon launches annual gift drive to brighten holidays for youth in foster care
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- It’s that time of year again! With the holiday season fast approaching, Every Child Central Oregon (ECCO) is calling on the community to participate in its annual gift drive. The drive collects gifts for both younger children and teens experiencing foster care.
This year’s drive will kick off with a celebration and fundraiser hosted in partnership with Spoken Moto and Wildflower Fashion Truck of Bend, which will be donating a portion of sales to ECCO through its “Truck Impact Night” program. Details are as follows:
Where: Spoken Moto/Wildflower Fashion Truck, 310 SW Industrial Way, Bend
When: Wed., November 17, 5-8 p.m.
Why: Spoken Moto donating 10% of proceeds to ECCO, Wildflower Fashion Truck donating 50% of proceeds to ECCO
Everyone in the Central Oregon Community is invited to attend the gift-drive kickoff and fundraiser, which will highlight not just the need to give but the importance of shopping early this year, according to Melissa Williams, ECCO’s executive director. Toys may be harder to come by, especially the good ones due to the pandemic-related production shortages and delivery delays.
“In addition to encouraging early shopping, we’re requesting more teen gifts this year,” Williams says. “These gifts may not be as ‘fun’ to shop for, but things like electronics, video games, beauty products, clothes, athletic gear and wear, and gift cards for all of the above are really important. We have over 50 Central Oregon teens experiencing foster care. And every year, they tend to get left out. We’d love to see more people stepping up to help these teens, so they know we see them, care about them and believe in them!”
While ECCO will welcome any and all gifts, Williams asks people to visit the MyNeighbor online portal, which catalogs gift requests and needs:
https://thecontingent.microsoftcrmportals.com/eco/myneighbor/centraloregon/
Unwrapped toys, goods and gift cards should be dropped unwrapped by Dec. 9 at one of these three partner-hosted drop-off locations:
Bend: Journey Church • Bend Nazarene Church • Elite Medi Spa • Father’s House • Open Space Studios
Redmond: Redmond Chamber of Commerce • Mountain View Church • Proust • Redmond Proficiency Academy (both locations) • Nessa Real Estate • First Interstate Bank
Madras: LINC Madras • Ali Alire Realty • First Interstate Bank
Prineville: Prineville Nazarene Church • First Interstate Bank
Of note, ECCO will happily accept financial donations, which can be used to fill gaps in giving and combined for larger, more expensive gifts like electronics or kids’ bikes.
About Every Child Central Oregon (ECCO)
Founded in 2019, Every Child Central Oregon mobilizes community to uplift children and families impacted by foster care in Central Oregon. An affiliate of the statewide 501(c)3 nonprofit Every Child Oregon, Every Child Central Oregon is based in Redmond, Ore., from where it relentlessly fights for local children in crisis and commits to finding safe, nurturing places where they can flourish. Serving Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson Counties, ECCO provides radical hospitality with a posture of humility and care for youth in foster homes, as well as its families and partners working in child welfare. Believing in a hopeful future for its clients, ECCO connects individuals, businesses, families and faith communities with acute needs, helping the vulnerable to rise up and achieve resiliency in spite of crisis.
