When mom or dad is out of work, the children suffer. Mixx 96.1 asks you to open your hearts to the local children who need your help this holiday season!

You can still donate online to our "Wrapping up the Holidays" Cash & Toy Drive courtesy of O Bee Credit Union and FrontStream Payments through December 31, 2012. Click here to donate online!

Please donate to our "Wrapping up the Holidays" Cash & Toy Drive December 21, 2012. We will be broadcasting live 6am-6pm from the corner of State and Washington in downtown Olympia collecting your donations of cash and toys! 

Wrapping Up the Holidays specific needs:

• Cash Donations - CASH IS KING THIS YEAR!  O Bee Credit Union will match $2,500 in cash donations. You may also donate online courtesy of O Bee Credit Union and FrontStream Payments through December 31, 2012. Click here to donate online!

• Children's toys and games, preferably new and unwrapped.
• Art supplies, including crayons, pencils, play-doh, & drawing pads.
• Infant clothing, new or gently used. Warm baby clothing for the winter is especially needed.
• Disposable diapers are a great donation, as are gift certificates.
• Books and CD's of all types, maybe a movie pass! Teens particularly often are ignored when families are in severe need. Many teens from low-income families are working, not for "mall money," but to help buy food and pay rent for their families!
• Bicycles, in almost any condition. Many of the agencies involved have volunteers who can do repairs, and just about every kid dreams of finding a bike under the tree!
• Coats & jackets, gloves, hats, and scarves, in new or excellent used condition. All sizes are needed from infant to adult. (Many older kids wear adult sizes & moms & dads need warm things too!)
• Gift certificates for grocery items. Most stores will let you specify food items only, if you wish.

Call Toni at 943-9937 if you'd like to volunteer to help!

Where does the money go? What if I know someone who needs help? This year we're working the Holiday Connection (a coalition of local social service agencies) and Barb's Family and Friends.

The overhead for this drive is borne by the station; 100% of the money collected goes directly to families. All the groups involved pledge to use 100% of the donations to meet the needs of their client families.

Checks can me made out to "Mixx96 Community Fund" or to any of the specific agencies:
• Holiday Connection
• Barb's Family and Friends

100% of everything donated is given to families in our local area. We will funnel any specified donations from Lewis or Mason counties to agencies with clients in that specific area.

RECIPIENT AGENCY INFORMATION

The Holiday Connection is a coalition of local service agencies who direct the holiday needs of their clients to a clearing center that tries to match donor and recipients. The Holiday Connection funnels donations from our drive and other sources to families with last-minute emergency needs including children and elders not adopted by giving trees or other organizations. The Holiday Connection also strives to work with families in need to match them with appropriate agencies if there are other family needs such as energy assistance, job training, housing, etc. 100% goes to families in need.

These local agencies are:

Thurston County Housing Authority (360-664-2485)
Community Youth Services (360-943-0780)
Behavioral Health Resources, Adult Division and Children's Division (360-704-7170)
YMCA Child Care (360-705-2642)
Senior Services of South Sound (360-586-6181)
Evergreen Vista Low-income Housing (360-352-2638)
Family Support Center (360-754-9297)
Union Gospel Mission (360-709-9725).

Barb's Family & Friends, a group started by long-time local citizen Barb O'Neill, provides a free Community Christmas Dinner. Barb is no longer alive, but the tradition continues in her memory. More than just dinner, the group provides holiday companionship and last-minute gifts for those with nowhere else to go. Families coming to the dinner can work with the group to pick toys or gifts for their children and wrap them on-site, ensuring something under the tree for every child Christmas morning. Donations go to the dinner and to families in need. Contact 360-485-9931 or 786-9835.

Call us if you have any additional questions! Mixx 96.1, 360-943-9937

Lee Wojnar of O Bee Credit Union will do anything to raise money for kids!