Meadowbrook Community Care (MC2)

The Lake City Holiday Project (LCHP) is a partnership between human service providers, donors and the community.   The purpose of the project is to provide gifts to low-income children at holiday time.

The project was started 21 years ago by Yolanda Martinez who was the Coordinator of the Lake City Little City Hall.  Over the years the project has grown to serve over 600 children.

The project is coordinated by Meadowbrook Community Care, a non-profit corporation located at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church.

Human Service Providers identify and enroll needy families in the program. Participating human service provider agencies include:

• Greenwood Food Bank
• Center for Human Services
• LATCH (Lutheran Alliance to Create Housing)
• North Helpline/Lake City Food Bank
• North Seattle Family Center
• Ryther Child Center and
• Home Step Program which is part of the Church Council of Greater Seattle.
• Teen Feed
• MOOSE

Donors that provide both gifts and cash for the project include:

• Toys for Tots
• Local Churches
• Community businesses
• Lake City Chamber of Commerce
• Lions Club and
• Private individuals

Gifts also come from private individuals who pick up gift tags at local businesses such as:

• Frontier Bank
• Homestreet Bank   
• Wedgwood Broiler
• CC Hair
• Rite Aid           
• Waldorf School
• Nest Floral and
• Meadowbrook Community Center

Here’s how the project works:

• Human service providers enroll needy families
• First names of children and their “wish lists” are given to donors
• Donors purchase gifts or donate cash
• Gifts are collected and bagged
• Families are called to pick up their gifts
• Distribution of gifts take place at Maple Leaf Lutheran Church
• Excess gifts are distributed to shelters and organizations for women and children.

Over 80 volunteers support the project.  Volunteers come from:

• Churches
• Private citizens
• Rotary
• Kiwanis
• United Way website

Many of the volunteers assist in bagging up the gifts for each family and getting the gifts ready for distribution.

Volunteers speaking English and Spanish contact families to arrange gift pick-up.

In 2007 over 656 children and 175 families were served.

The families served by the Lake City Holiday Project are very grateful for the assistance.

If you would like to be part of this project, you can help by:

• Giving a cash donation
• Sponsoring individual kids
• Providing gift items
• Putting up a giving tree at your place of business.

You can also help by advertising the project on a reader board at your business or by volunteering your time.  There are opportunities for everyone.