LYDIA PLACE | OFFICIAL MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | OCTOBER 2020
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Attention Lydia Place Housing Heroes Monthly Contributors
You may update or change your credit card details via our Financial Manager, Judy Wayt at 360.671.7663 ext 2003 or by filling out a online donation form with your new credit card information here.
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Thank you to the following Housing Heroes for committing to the work of Lydia Place by helping us end family homelessness with a monthly gift! |
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Welcome Newest Housing Hero! |
We want to give a warm welcome to our newest, youngest, and quite possibly the cutest Housing Hero, Pepper Tipton!
Miss Pepper was so excited to receive her first official Housing Hero correspondence in the mail and couldn't wait to share with family and friends.
Many thanks to this little change maker and her family for their commitment to helping Lydia Place end homelessness for kiddos and families in our community!
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Jeanne Baker, Matthew Barrow, Lindsey Bear, David James Beaumier, Drew & Michael Betz, Brianna Brumbaugh, Michael and Mary Jane Brunt, Lisa N Chovil, Karen & Richard Clark, Jennifer Cool, Susan Costanzo, Sue Croft, Deb Currier, Shannon & Peter Day, Cayla Dickens, Michelle Dohm, Danielle Elder, Pamela Eileen Englett, Graham Essex, Rachel Garcia, Kaitlyn Gerard, Lynn Giuliani, Audrey Gravley and Bill McGinnis, Mindy and Alex Gravley, Alycia Hawkins, Roxanna Hayes, Lisa Heezen, Amy Johnson, Hank Kastner, Ann K Lackland, Tom Laughlin, Sonja Lee, Nancy Long, RoseMarie Longmire, Becky Ludwig, Erin Lynch, Lynda Hinton Real Estate Inc, Megan C McGinty, Kathleen McQuaide, Heather Michel, Patti K Morgan, Marilyn Moullen, Shenandoah Myrick, Tammie O'Dell, Traci Orr, Laura Ann Owens, Tierney Owens, Susan & Jeff Palmer, Deborah Parker, Kristen Parsons, Melanie S Pysden, Misty Kaye Rainwater, Natalie Ransom and Ryan Wimberly, Amanda Robins, Kathy and Marcus Rowe-Guthrie, Kathleen Smith, Jillene Snell, Delores Starcher, Pete Stelling, Sterling Rentals LLC, Ryan Thramer, Pepper Tipton, Jeffery Tom, Peter Turner, Shawna Unger, Trent John Vigor, Ruby Volker, Kerri Walker, Elizabeth Walukas. |
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Thank you the following neighbors who gave a one-time gift this month! |
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Ione S. Adams, Anchor QEA, Anonymous, Dellin R. Bakkum, Bradley Barron, Judy M. Bell, Trish Benson, The BP Foundation, Charles & Susan Brown, Kevin Coleman, Tami Elliot, Marion Fischer, Judy Foster, The Hafer Family Foundation, Sylvia Holmstrom, Amanda Horst, Debbie Jackson, Wendy Jenkins, Josh Jensen, Richard P Klemm, Tracy Lewis, Elaine Nelson, Northwest Farm Credit Services, Maggie Parker MP Real Estate LLC, Karen Peter, Puget Sound Energy Foundation, Bruce Radtke, Heidi Ramberg Anderson, Marie Renee, Constantine & Lucinda Rigas, Jessica Solem, St. John's Lutheran Church, Ian A Steger, Trippy Hippie Cannabis Co., Devin Trueb, Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation. |
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Lydia Place is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and your donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by the law. Scroll to the bottom of this email to learn how The CARES Act impacts your 2020 charitable giving. |
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Goes live TOMORROW!
November 4th launches our 23rd annual Adopt a Family Holiday Program! Once again, KAFE 104.1FM and Lydia Place need your support with spreading the holiday cheer to 250+ children all over Whatcom County.
This holiday program isn't just about the toys for the kiddos. It's about providing families with the opportunity to be present, make memories, and feel connected as a family while feeling supported by their community-something we often take for granted.
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Holiday Gift Giving Guide |
Bringing hope to the holidays.
As the days begin getting shorter and the nights colder, far too many Whatcom families will be struggling to provide the basic needs their children need to stay safe, warm, and fed during these upcoming months. On top of the emotional, social, and financial impact of COVID-19, parents will be entering the holiday season, wondering how they can provide the same atmosphere of joy other families with children usually experience during the holiday season.
With this in mind, we invite you to join us in spreading joy and giving the gift of hope to the families we serve through one of the following meaningful modes of giving listed in our
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Virtual Housing Hero Awards
Thursday, December 3rd at 5pm
Please join us in celebrating the remarkable community members and businesses that have gone above and beyond for Lydia Place and the families we serve. This year's event will be virtual and highlights our Creative Power Partners, Community Champions, Housing Superheroes, and this year's Heart of the Organization awardees. This event is FREE to attend and focused on community building. Last year, we had the privilege of honoring the following individuals and businesses for supporting Lydia Place's mission to disrupt the cycle of homelessness and promote sustained independence for current and future generations.
2019 Creative Power Partnership Recipients
Psyden Team, Caliber Home Loans, MoonBelly Midwifery, WECU,
and Henifin Family of Companies
2019 Community Champion Recipients
Sarah Bishop, Flax4Life and Josh Fox, Belcher and Swanson Law Firm, and Brett Lott-Volunteer of the Year
2019 Housing Superhero Recipients
Mission Reality, Ty Terrwyn, Bellingham Housing Authority, and Kaylyn Grantham, Indigo Property Management
2019 Heart of the Organization
The Thramer Family
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Virtual Hearts for Housing Gala & Auction
Saturday, February 6th at 6pm PST
This year's Hearts for Housing is mission-critical, and Lydia Place needs your support to help ensure hundreds of children and their families experiencing homelessness have access to safe, stable, and secure housing and services in the year 2021 and beyond. Grab your spacesuit and your favorite earthling and prepare for liftoff as we take you on a space odyssey, forward in time, to our vision of a compassionate Earth where every human has a home and the opportunity to thrive.
Website and tickets launch on Monday, November 16th!
Visit www.heartsforhousing.com on the 16th to view sponsorship opportunities, fill out a donation form if you'd like to donate an item for auction, view GA and VIP ticket options, and more! General admission tickets are FREE this year, so it's the perfect opportunity to invite your friends and family members new to Hearts for Housing or the work of Lydia Place. You don't want to miss it- it's going to be out of this world!
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Community Cares celebrates individuals and businesses who coordinated a drive and/or donated 100% of proceeds in order to fulfill an immediate Lydia Place need. |
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Community Cares: Happy Birthday for Housing Ciao Thyme Dinner
Thank you to our guests who joined us on October 16th to celebrate Lydia Place's 31st anniversary of service to our community. Thank you for supporting Lydia Place families through your meal purchase and for joining us as we celebrated the love, dedication, and support you have shown to our Lydia Place families throughout the years.
A very bittersweet thank you and well wishes to our friends at Ciao Thyme, who provided our community with delicious food and memories over the last 20 years. We are grateful for them and their support of our annual Hearts for Housing Gala and Auction over the years. We hope it's only ciao, for now!
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Community Cares: Project Knead Dough with Avenue Bread
Our generous neighbors and everything dough artisans at Avenue Bread donated 25 cents of every loaf of bread sold during October to Lydia Place programs in services. We want to thank Avenue Bread for generously giving back to our community's vital programs and services through your Project Knead Dough 2020 fundraiser!
Avenue Bread is accepting charity nominations from the community for Project Knead Dough 2021. A little change adds up! It would be an honor to be selected for this program next year. You can click the button below to send your nomination for Lydia Place and other local charities for 2021.
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Community Cares: Beer Prom with Kulshan Brewing Company
We want to give a massive shoutout to Kulshan Brewery for going above and beyond to ensure this year's Beer Prom was a success despite having to cancel in-person events. The Kulshan team generously donated their time and dollars to create, promote, and release a delicious Beer Prom themed West Coast IPA along with a matching tee benefiting Lydia Place programs and services. We are so lucky to have fierce community advocates like the Kulshan team who continue to make a conscious effort to find ways to give back to our community.
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Community Cares: CTK Community Church
We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to our amazing CTK community for their continued support and compassion for Lydia Place and the families we serve. Through the years, CTK has helped Lydia Place with numerous projects at each of our Campus Housing Program locations. They recently installed a fence to enclose the beautiful garden boxes they helped with earlier this summer.
Our Facilities and Capital Project Manager, Chris Ludjin, shared, "The fence not only adds function to our space, but it also provides safety for the little ones whose moms now have a place to garden and enjoy the outdoor area with more privacy. This property added huge capacity to our organization but came with some logistic pitfalls for residents with its very limited outdoor space. This fence really made a huge difference. It truly makes a difference for all of us. We really value the outreach efforts CTK makes to our community and our organization. Especially during a pandemic!"
Thank you, CTK Bellingham, for helping us provide safe, healthy, and enriching environments for our LP kiddos to thrive!
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Community Cares: Interfaith Coalition
The cold weather months are here, and we are so grateful to Interfaith Coalition for delivering this enormous collection of brand new cold-weather gear just in time for Fall. There is just something so unique and rewarding about trying on a fresh coat when you're little. We can't wait to see our LP kiddos running around the playground with rosy cheeks and warm hearts, thanks to the folks at Interfaith!
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Community Cares: The Table and Mosaic Church of Bellingham
Thank you to Aaron Walters and community members from Mosaic Church of Bellingham and The Table church for helping us move a considerable amount of our Lydia Place assets into a new storage unit safely. This task was no small feat, and their support provided a massive relief to our overall operations as we prepare to break ground on our Heart House project this month!
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Featured Partnership: PSE a Powerful Partnership
Prepare your home for longer nights and darker days by upgrading to energy efficient LED fixtures.
· Improve your home security with outdoor LED light fixtures.
· Brighten your home with indoor LED light fixtures.
· Enhance your garage and work bench with LED shop lights.
LED bulbs use at least 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and can last 13-25 years longer. PSE instant discounts save you up to $5 off on select LED fixtures at participating retailers. Check out pse.com/lighting to learn more.
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Need: Auction Items for Hearts for Housing 2021
Hearts for Housing is our largest fundraiser of the year, and we need your support to help ensure this year's virtual gala and auction is a success. Can't make it to Hearts this year?
Or maybe you have something you'd like us to take off your hands before the end of the year? Donating auction items such as a curated basket, gift certificate, or experience is a fantastic way to support next year's event.
We're accepting auction donations now until January 31st. We'll even pick it up for you! Click the button below to begin filling out your auction item donation form with us. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at events@lydiaplace.org.
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Support LP while holiday shopping! |
AmazonSmile in the Shopping App
You can now support your favorite charity through the Amazon app on your iPhone and Android Phones. By turning on the AmazonSmile feature, Amazon will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases to Lydia Place every time you shop- no additional cost to you. As of August 2020 AmazonSmile shoppers have generated $1,047.42 for Lydia Place programs and services!
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At Lydia Place we value our community and that means we shop local whenever possible. Due to our inability to accept donations in-person, we've had to find alternative ways to continue to provide essential items to our families in need. One of the ways we're doing that is through Amazon Wishlists in order to limit person-to-person contact as much as possible.
These lists can also be used as a reference if you wish to shop locally. We just ask that if you aren't purchasing items from Amazon that they be mailed directly to Lydia Place. If you'd like to discuss ongoing donation needs or delivery please contact us at info@lydiaplace.org.
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WHERE TO DONATE USED ITEMS |
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The following businesses are currently accepting donations, however, we strongly encourage you to contact each business for their current COVID-19 donation policies and procedures as they vary from business to business.
Friendly Reminder: You must mention Lydia Place during your donation process for us to receive credit for our families. Thank you!
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CELEBRATING DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
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Less than one-half of 1 percent of the U.S. population serve in our armed forces.
Veterans Day honors those who have served in the past, present, and even pays tribute to those who will serve in the future. Here are some ways you can observe and honor a Vet on Veterans Day.
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- Show your appreciation to Veteran friends and family via social media, a phone call, or in person.
- Flying the American flag outside your home.
- Visiting or volunteering at a local Veteran facility.
- Thanking the families or loved ones of a Veteran.
- Participate in the annual Veterans Day Moment of Silence*
*The Veterans Day Moment of Silence calls on all Americans to observe two minutes of silence on Veterans Day, beginning at 3:11 pm Atlantic standard time, in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans throughout the history of the nation. The 3:11 pm time was chose because in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I.
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Homelessness among Veterans in Whatcom County |
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Over the past seven years, nonprofit service providers, the Veteran’s Administration, and Whatcom County government have devoted an unprecedented effort toward ending homelessness among local Veterans. Yet, we still face an uphill battle ending homelessness for our community’s Veterans. |
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Since 2008, the number of chronically homeless Veterans encountered during the annual homeless census has decreased by 40%. This year we encountered 41 homeless Veterans in 41 households; 17 of these Veterans were unsheltered, and 15 were chronically homeless. Despite the progress in recent years in reducing homelessness experienced by Veterans, additional resources are necessary to achieve our objective of ending homelessness for all Veterans. |
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Advocacy and Resource Guides for Veterans experiencing homelessness. |
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The VA's website is a great place to start if you are a Vet or know a Vet who needs housing support. It's full of helpful guides, fact sheets, resources, and tools for service agencies, landlords, and community members, like you who want to help. For more information about Veteran homelessness and outreach tools like the ones above, visit VA.GOV or click the button below. |
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How the CARES Act Impacts Charitable Giving for 2020
New Deduction Available: Non-itemizer taxpayers can write off up to $300 (per tax return) in charitable cash contributions for 2020. This is available only to people who take the standard deduction, not for people who can itemize their deductions on Schedule A. It is an “above the line” deduction from income that will reduce a donor’s adjusted gross income (AGI), and thereby reduce taxable income.
This information is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results.
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