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Local Ways to Give Back This Holiday Season

By Melinda Larke - Cherry Valley Macaroni Kid Publisher and Editor November 30, 2017

The holiday season is a time for giving. Giving not just to your family and friends but to all those in your community. As I have said before it takes a village, and the village needs help to support all those around us and keep our community happy and healthy. You may ask, where are some places that you can give that will stay local, stay in the community? Listed below are many local places that would love your help this holiday season.

Take The Next Step – Take The Next Step is a Monroe based organization that serves homeless and low-income residents throughout the area. They have many great programs to help those in need; A Drop in Resource Center, Teen Mom programs, Kidz Clubs, Life Skills Classes, Cold-Weather Shelter, and more. Please see their Holiday Giving Page for more information on what you can do to help this holiday.

Acres of Diamonds – Acres of Diamonds is a Duvall based transitional housing program helping woman and children in our community. They give a second chance to those in most need and also provide counseling, life skills training, and lots of love and support so woman and children can rebuild their lives and start fresh. They regularly list their most urgent needs on their Facebook page and this page.

Matthew House – Matthew House is a Monroe based organization dedicated to assisting children and the families of people incarcerated in Washington’s prisons. They provide them with emergency food supply, a clothing closet, a children’s center, and more. To learn about their needs for the holidays and beyond please go here.

Beck’s Place – For those animal lovers out there, Beck’s Place is a great place to give back to! You can help both animals and their owners. Beck’s Place is a Monroe based organization that provides services to both people and pets in low income families in our community. They work to remove pet related barriers for families seeking housing, financial, safety and medical stability. To learn how to help see here

Scooter’s Place - Scooter’s Place is a Monroe based non-profit organization serving the children’s community, especially those who need just a little more patience, including children on the Autism spectrum, children with anxiety disorders and those with Down Syndrome. Scooter’s Place is neither a therapeutic barn nor a mainstream barn but somewhere in between, offering a fun and flexible, but structured and safe environment to learn in. They offer horsemanship education that teaches life skills, self-confidence, and body awareness in a non-restrictive and non-judgmental barn environment. All of our animals are donated or rescued. To find out how you can help Scooter’s Place just check out their home page.

Sno-Valley Senior Center – The Sno-Valley Senior Center, based in Carnation, seeks to inspire, support, and empower seniors to lead healthy, enriched lives. They offer seniors dining, health services, counseling and support, transportation, and other assistance. Go here to  help the Sno-Valley Senior Center.

Food Banks:
Sky Valley Food Bank - Monroe
Sno-Valley Food Bank – Carnation
Holy Innocents Catholic Church Food Pantry – Duvall
VOA Sultan Food Bank – Sultan

Giving Tree Locations:
Ben Franklin Crafts Monroe
Monroe/Sky Valley YMCA


Want to receive a FREE kid-friendly event calendar for Monroe, Sultan, Duvall, Carnation, Cottage Lake, Clearview, and Redmond Ridge filled with local holiday events, festivals, year round activities and more? Sign-up by clicking here