Your Donations Can Help Local Children Have a Healthy, Warm Holiday Season

In times of need, the ones who suffer most are children. To help struggling families during the winter months and through the holiday season, the cities of Bonney Lake and Sumner have launched their toy and food drives.

Even if you can’t afford to give food or toys, you can contribute your time or skills to the Key Club blanket drive for the children of Prairie Ridge.

Here are some more details about the local programs happening now:

Key Club Blanket Drive, Bonney Lake High School

Many children in Prairie Ridge do not even have a blanket of their own during the cold winter months. This year, the Key Club of Bonney Lake is collecting and creating blankets to give to the children in that community at their holiday party on Dec. 17.

Club coordinator Alma Newgard told Patch that in years past, the group donated stockings full of toys to the children, but this year they’ve decided to create blankets for a more permanent solution to an already desperate situation.

The Key Club is in need of donated materials to make blankets or go buy them. Disney blankets or ones that feature TV or movie characters are greatly appreciated, as they are most popular with the kids.

If you want to donate materials, you can drop off fleece, flannel or any other warm material at Bonney Lake High School – just tell the front desk coordinators its for Key Club. Students will tie strips of cloth together and weave them into blankets to give the children. Contact Newgard through Bonney Lake High School if you want to help make the blankets.

The blanket drive ends Dec. 15.

Shop With A Cop

The Bonney Lake Police Department is teaming up with Target to help bring Christmas to children who need extra help this holiday season, identified through referrals from their school counselors. Through Shop With a Cop, students get store credit and can pick out their own gifts.

The children get to ride in a patrol car or firetruck to Target, where they are teamed up with an officer and get to buy something with their giftcard.

Visit the today, Nov. 15 between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and drop off a cash donation or buy a gift card for the program. You can also drop off cash donations to the Public Safety Building during office hours through December.

Bonney Lake Giving Tree

Food donations may be dropped off at the Public Safety Building Mon – Fri. during business hours. All food will be given to the Bonney Lake Bread of Life Food Bank and those in need at the Bonney Lake Senior Center. The food drive ends Dec. 9.

You can also drop off new toys at the Public Safety Building during office hours for the Giving Tree program, which helps struggling families in town celebrate the holidays. Used toys will not be accepted.

The city is also setting up a giving quilt with individual children who will put in a “wish” for specific items this holiday season. Check back soon for that list.

Sumner’s Toy Box

The Sumner Police Department is partnering with local businesses and charities to serve children in need through the Toy Box Program. The program is accepting new toys for children of any age (0-18) or a monetary donation that officers will use to buy toys for children who otherwise might not receive any gifts this year.

Children in need are identified through a partnership with the Sumner Family Center.

You can drop off new, unwrapped toys at Sumner City Hall during office hours any day through Dec. 23. If you know of a child in need, you can contact records clerk Sherrie Duggan at (253) 299-5662. You can also call to arrange a special dropoff or for more information. Checks should be made out to Sumner Police Guild, attn: Toy Box, 1104 Maple Street, Sumner, WA 98390.

Sleep Country Secret Santa Toy Drive

Visit in Bonney Lake and drop off unwrapped books, toys and games to help needy foster children in the area. If you can't make it into the store during office hours or want to give a monetary donation, you can do so through the Sleep Country website.