Pacific, WA
Volunteer employees of Valley Freightliner, Inc. (VFI) and Gordon Trucking, Inc. brought holiday cheer to 32 local children and their families. The Share the Joy program is in its twenty-ninth year and is funded by employee contributions. The program’s emphasis is on delivering holiday gifts to those children in need and the program’s chair, Jennifer Eek, works with school administrators from Auburn, Pacific and Sumner to make the biggest impact possible. Families who wish to be considered for the program are identified by their school staff in the autumn and chosen families submit “wish” lists and “need” lists. Frequent requests are for warm clothes, fun games and toys, and pajamas. “I am so proud of our employees and their dedication to helping members of our community,” said Virginia Gordon, Secretary of VFI. “As a local company with close ties to the community, it is our privilege to add some holiday joy to the celebrations of these families. We couldn’t do it without the amazing help of our volunteers.”
2016 will be the 30th year of the program and VFI hopes to make it the biggest event ever. VFI plans to hold summertime fundraiser barbecues to help reach as many children as possible. In early December, VFI employees will donate their time to shop for gifts, wrap them up and then deliver them to the families. Our 2015 event wouldn’t have been possible without the support of:
The Gordon Family, Jennifer Eek, Elizabeth Andrews-Stopka, Scott Cowger, Pat Gendreau, Michelle Dahlen, Julie Finlayson, Erik Anderson, Tamara Graf, Kim Betts, Heidi Miltimore, Courtney Jaeger, Andrea Garretson, Larry Martin and Tiffany Thibodeaux.
For more information about Share the Joy, please watch our blog for future updates.