Embrace Washington

THANK YOU! You donated $20,000! Your generosity will help us provide Christmas gifts during our Annual Santa Breakfast for children in foster care. Thank you, Embrace Washington supporters, KHQ Local News, Idaho Central Credit Union, and KHQ Hayley Guenthner. Together, we are creating a magical holiday season for these sweet boys and girls. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gnnsySDN.

Catch me on NonStop Local KHQ this morning!

WATCH NOW TO HELP CREATE CHRISTMAS FOR CHILDREN! Your toy and financial donations help children in foster care have a magical holiday season. Call (509) 443-1111 to donate now. Thank you, Embrace Washington supporters, KHQ Local News, Idaho Central Credit Union, and KHQ Hayley Guenthner. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/gnnsySDN.

Thank you, Numerica Credit Union. They donated 130 stuffed animals for our Annual Santa Breakfast for children in foster care ❤️❤️❤️

🎅✨ Where are all these stuffed animals heading, you ask? 🎁 They're sleigh-ing their way to Embrace Washington's Annual Santa Breakfast! 🎄☃️ This incredible event brings holiday magic and cheer to over 400 children in foster care right here in our community. These cuddly friends will help make spirits bright and add a little extra "pawsitivity" to the season! 🧸💖 Embrace Washington's mission, which is close to our hearts: to provide resources, support, and hope to children in foster care, ensuring they feel valued and loved. ❤️✨ We're honored to be part of this holly-jolly tradition, spreading joy and comfort one stuffed animal at a time. So, let’s stuff this season with kindness and cheer! 🎅🐻 To learn more about our community efforts, visit hzcu.org/community

Embrace Washington is proud to partner with KHQ Local News and Idaho Central Credit Union to bring smiles to children in foster care and their families. This Christmas season, we are collecting toys for local children in the foster system and seeking donations to ensure these kids have a memorable holiday. Terri Crafts from Embrace Washington emphasized the importance of this initiative, saying, “If you just thought about if this was your child or somebody that you knew… what kind of a Christmas would you want to provide for them…” The organization serves nearly 2,000 children annually, and while the collection has started, more donations are needed. Embrace Washington is specifically looking for new toys valued at $30 or more and new stuffed animals and books. Donations can be dropped off at three locations: the Riverside (41 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201) and North Spokane (9506 N Newport Hwy, Spokane, WA 99218) branches of the Idaho Central Credit Union, and the Embrace office (2202 E Sprague Ave, Spokane, WA 99202) in Spokane. Embrace Washington supports children across 13 counties in eastern Washington, serving about 1,750 kids each year. The organization works with children in foster care, including those in "kinship care," where children are placed with biological family members rather than unrelated foster parents. Become a holiday hero by supporting our holiday program for children in foster care: https://lnkd.in/gFCtnCqU.

Embrace Washington, Kris Crocker, 4 News Now, and the Inland Northwest Camaro Club worked together to deliver coats to children with the Spokane Tribe. “We live in a rural area, so it is tough to find resources," said Brenda Wynecoop-Finley, Family and Community Partnership Specialist for Spokane Tribe Head Start. Thank you, Kris Crocker, 4 News Now, and Inland Northwest Camaro Club! Thirty kids, their siblings, and children in placement (or foster care) will be able to stay warm this winter. This little girl's smile says it all.

Embrace Washington, Kris Crocker and the Inland Northwest Camaro Club worked together to deliver Coats 4 Kids to help children with the Spokane Tribe stay warm this winter. “We live in a rural area, so it is tough to find resources," said Brenda Wynecoop-Finley, Family and Community Partnership Specialist for Spokane Tribe Head Start. Brenda encounters several barriers when accessing resources to assist families, in part because most of the Spokane Tribe reservation is located within Stevens County, in eastern WA. "If families in need are to obtain any type of resources outside our community, they are usually referred to Stevens County. That is two hours away, and the majority of the time, they are limited on resources to serve our community." That’s why Brenda is grateful for Embrace Washington's help in making sure close to 30 Head Start kids, their siblings, and children in placement (or foster care) will be able to stay warm this winter. “For several years, I’ve been able to go through Embrace Washington for Christmas presents, school supplies, and extra clothing at times," said Brenda. "Once, I received a big order of socks, slippers, and diapers. It was a wonderful opportunity for our low-income families.” We’re glad we could help, Brenda! Thank you, Kris Crocker, 4 News Now, Inland Northwest Camaro Club, and Coats 4 Kids.

Embrace Washington knows foster moms like Michelle Collins sometimes need support, community, and time to rest and reset. Michelle will tell you she found that each of the last three years at our Foster Mom Retreat. She’ll never forget how much the first retreat meant to her. "It probably saved my life," she remembered. "I was in a very, very dark place battling with one of the kids in my home. I felt hopeless and had no connections with any other foster parents or guardians. I was doing everything pretty much by myself with no support.” The retreat changed that. Michelle made friends, gained a support network, and found time to recenter. After all, being a foster parent comes with its own set of specific circumstances. For example, this year, Michelle and other moms learned about Coordinated Care of Washington (CCW), which provides healthcare coordination for foster children. "Coordinated Care showed all these different services," Michelle explained. And I was amazed how they can help pay for our kids.” In addition to the giveaways, such as handmade blankets and personal care items, Michelle and other moms celebrated new-found knowledge and friendship. Our flexible schedule allowed time to visit, craft, and rest. “Foster parenting is different from regular parenting," Michelle said. "The retreat is a great time of bonding, learning, and resting with other people on a similar journey in life.” We hope to see you next year! Thank you to Numerica Credit Union, Project Beauty Share, Travy's Waffles Plus, Coordinated Care, and Quantum Financial Planning for making the Foster Mom Retreat possible.

Embrace Washington joined the community for an evening full of fun during Trunk or Treat at Travy's Waffles Plus. Excited kids of all ages in costumes enjoyed trick-or-treating, playing games, and so much more during this safe, family Halloween event! Thank you, Gabe, Travis, volunteers, and Travy's Waffles Plus, for making this event a success.