In-Kind Giving

Help impact families in your community by donating critical items needed by YWCA program participants and residents.

At YWCA, we are on a mission eliminate racism and empower women. We work with women and families furthest from opportunity and work to eliminate disparities in housing, economic advancement, health, and safety. BIPOC communities have continued to be the hardest hit in the face of continued economic challenges resulting from the pandemic and continued inflation. To support those most vulnerable in our community, we need your help!

On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know to support our Thanksgiving Days and Gift Giving Program (formerly known as Adopt-A-Family). Our families receive gift cards so they can purchase culturally responsive foods for their holidays and gifts that best meet their families’ needs. Gift card amounts this year reflect current costs for food, gas, and other items.

Thank you for supporting women and families in our community! 

Thanksgiving Days
Photo of a family grocery shopping together.

 
For Thanksgiving, we are requesting grocery store gift cards in increments of $75 per family member. For example, this means for a family of 5, they will receive grocery gift cards that total $375. Gift cards received will be distributed to our families. Preferred cards are Safeway and Fred Meyer. Please include activation codes with your gift cards.

To donate, please email kingcogiving@ywcaworks.org to donate in King County or snocogiving@ywcaworks.org to donate in Snohomish County. Please register no later than November 1st and drop off/mail cards by November 10.

King County donors: drop off gift cards or donations at our Phillis Wheatley Branch (2820 East Cherry Street, Seattle, WA 98122) from 9 AM to 5 PM on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, November 8, 2023
  • Thursday, November 9, 2023
  • Friday, November 10, 2023

If you’re unable to make it on either of those dates, please mail gift cards to:

YWCA Phillis Wheatley Branch
ATTN: Lori Bugaj, Thanksgiving Days
2820 E Cherry St
Seattle, WA 98122

Snohomish County donors: drop off gift cards or donations at the Everett Regional Center from 9 AM to 5 PM on the following dates:

  • Thursday, November 9, 2023
  • Friday, November 10, 2023

If you’re unable to make it on either of those dates, please mail gift cards to:

YWCA Everett Regional Center
ATTN: Karla Danson, Thanksgiving Days
3301 Broadway
Everett, WA 98201

Please have gift cards dropped off or postmarked by November 10 – we want to allow plenty of time for our families to go to the grocery store before the holiday!

YWCA's Gift Giving Program
Photo of a brown letter and presents hanging on strings in front of a red background.

 
For YWCA’s Gift Giving Program (formerly known as Adopt-A-Family), we are requesting the following:

  • A $150 gift card for groceries for the head of the household
  • Two $75 gift cards for each child to the two stores of their choice (total of $150/child)

Please register no later than November 27 and drop off / mail cards by December 8. When you register, we will match you with a family. Depending on the size of family requested, it could take some time to get you matched, but know that we have families waiting for help. Any additional gift cards provided will be used to help any unmatched families. Thank you in advance for your patience!

Once matched, you’ll receive information about the family or families including names, ages, interests, and their store gift card requests. If you are unable to support a family but still want to help, you can drop off or mail gift cards to the addresses below. Preferred cards are Target, Fred Meyer, and Walmart, and individual gift cards will be combined to give to unmatched families. Please include activation codes with your gift cards.

King County donors: drop off gift cards at our Phillis Wheatley Branch (2820 East Cherry Street, Seattle, WA 98122) from 9 AM to 5 PM on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, December 6
  • Thursday, December 7
  • Friday, December 8

Snohomish County donors: drop off gift cards from 9 AM to 5 PM on the following dates and locations:

  • Thursday, December 7 at the Everett Regional Center (3301 Broadway, Everett, WA 98201)
  • Friday, December 8 at the Pathways for Women Shelter (6027 208th St SW, Lynnwood, WA 98036)

If you’re unable to make it on those dates, please mail gift card for King County program participants to:

YWCA Phillis Wheatley Branch
ATTN: Lori Bugaj, Gift Giving
2820 E Cherry St
Seattle, WA  98122

If you’re unable to make it on those dates, please mail gift cards for Snohomish County program participants to:

YWCA Everett Regional Center
ATTN: Karla Danson, Gift Giving
3301 Broadway
Everett, WA  98201

Please have gift cards dropped off or postmarked by December 8 – we want to allow plenty of time for our families to purchase their holiday gifts.

If you have any questions about our King County giving programs, please email kingcogiving@ywcaworks.org. For questions about our Snohomish County giving programs, please email snocogiving@ywcaworks.org.   

  

Gift Giving Program FAQ

Will I be matched with a specific family?

If you are donating gift cards to be used during Thanksgiving, you will not be matched with a specific family – $75 gift cards will be collected and distributed to our families based on family size.

For YWCA’s Gift Giving Program, you will be matched with a specific family and will receive details such as family size, interests, ages, and the stores the children would like gift cards to.

Do I have to donate a gift card, or can I donate physical items?

We are only able to accept gift cards for our Gift Giving Programs, but we accept in-kind donations for other program needs throughout the year. Families are excited to receive gift cards around the holidays so they can select food and gifts they know their family will love.

My company/church/organization would like to get involved and donate as a group or hold a gift card drive. Can you provide me with some assistance coordinating this?

Yes! We love having groups get involved. Please contact Liz Hill at lhill@ywcaworks.org.

Can I email you gift cards?

At this time, we cannot accept digital gift cards or gift cards sent via email. Please either drop off or postmark mailed gift cards for Thanksgiving by November 10 and the Gift Giving Program by December 8.

Will every family be matched with a donor? What happens if I donate extra gift cards?

We are fortunate to have such wonderful donors supporting our Winter Giving Programs! Most, but not all, families get matched and we use individually donated gift cards and any extra gift cards received to help unmatched families. Preferred stores include Target, Fred Meyer, and Walmart. In 2022, through the generosity of our donors, we were able to give gift cards to over 480 families and over 1,000 children.

Can I donate money instead of gift cards, but still have it support the Gift Giving Program?

Yes! If you’d like to donate to our Winter Giving Programs, you can donate online or by check. If you are making a gift online, please put the program you would like the donation to benefit in the Comment section at the bottom of the form (“Thanksgiving” or “Gift Giving”). If you are making a gift by check, please address the check to YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish and put the program you would like the donation to benefit in the memo line.

Checks should be sent to:
YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish
Development Division
PO Box 84202
Seattle, WA 98124-5502

How else can I help YWCA families and programs throughout the year?

Families are moving into our shelters throughout the year and continue to need support beyond the holiday season. Items for personal care, cleaning supplies, and furnishing apartments are needed year-round. Our In-Kind Giving page is regularly updated to reflect seasonal needs and we are always available to answer questions about in-kind donations. We can also help individuals/companies/organizations hold drives for our programs.

Why did you change the name of Adopt-A-Family to YWCA’s Gift Giving Program?

At YWCA, our goal is to empower the program participants we serve. In recent years, we’ve taken a closer look at our program names. The phrase “adopt-a-family” can take away a person’s agency by implying that adults need to be “adopted.” By changing the name to “Gift Giving,” we aim to empower our families and more accurately represent our program.

What else is YWCA up to?

YWCA leadership and staff recently completed a 3-year strategic direction. Our new strategic direction reflects our commitment to move our community from surviving to thriving, both in the current moment of crisis and as we partner together to build toward a better tomorrow. You can view our strategic plan document here to learn more about our plans for the upcoming years.

Our YWCA blog has lots of great information about what’s going on at YWCA, and our events page lists upcoming events.

Can I volunteer with YWCA?

Yes! Virtual orientations are held in the evenings on the 2nd Wednesday and the 4th Thursday of every month on Zoom. We are still practicing social distancing and COVID safety precautions when welcoming volunteers onto our sites. You can find more information here.

Have additional questions? We’re happy to help. Please call or email:

King County Giving Program
Lori Bugaj
206-746-8155 kingcogiving@ywcaworks.org

Snohomish County Giving Program
Karla Danson
425-626-1229 snocogiving@ywcaworks.org

Questions?
If you have any questions about our giving programs in King or Snohomish Counties, please email Lori Bugaj at lbugaj@ywcaworks.org (King) or Karla Danson at kdanson@ywcaworks.org (Snohomish).
CONTACT YWCA
dweisbeck
Mon, 09/26/2022 - 12:39