We are in this together! All these philanthropists helped their neighbors during this uncertain time, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. From providing free meals or juice, opening a place where you can get goods that you need, to collecting donations for their communities.
RELATED: 7 heartwarming stories of neighbors uplifting and supporting each other during the pandemic - Vol. 2
1. Not-so-little free pantry in Shoreline
The Wyatt family offers donated food, clothing, and household items to anyone in need. Everything in the Wyatt's Carport is absolutely free as they want to help as many people as possible. The goods are from people all over Shoreline to help others in need. The Wyatts said not to be afraid to come on in. They will gladly walk away and go inside, so you can have your time and space.
READ MORE: Not-so-little free pantry in Shoreline takes up an entire carport and fills the community
2. Gig Harbor's "Lasagna Lady"
Michelle Brenner uses all homemade ingredients and spends hours every day baking in her kitchen. Everyone on the Gig Harbor Facebook page knows Brenner is willing to bake them lasagna. In the first two weeks, she made 400 dishes. Her lasagnas are getting dropped off all over, from police stations to fire departments to healthcare workers as far away as Edmonds.
3. Three "Act of Kindness" stories
- Little Free Pantry in the Judkins Park neighborhood, where people can donate household items and food, and others can take what they need.
- The Eva and Dylan Stepherson assembling care packages at their home in Seattle and coordinating with Plymouth Housing to safely provide them to people living in senior housing, in a project they call CARE-19.
- Tara & Vikki have made it easy to order from the flowers online, reinvented a decades-old business model, and brought growers together to work as a community during the pandemic and perhaps into the future!
4. Dozfy's murals in Seattle
Dozfy was turning restaurant menus into mini-masterpieces. He tested the menu art idea to what would resonant with the audience and the Space Needle as the icon of Seattle. For him, the gold version of Space Needle acted like a lighthouse, like a beacon of hope. He also left some "stay strong" message on his art.
5. Free meals at Alaska Junction
Most of the time, the Eagles offer meals in-house to raise money for non-profits. They're good meals for a small price - but after seeing so many people struggling and losing their jobs, Eagles members included, they decided to do something a little different. Since mid-March, every single evening, the West Seattle Eagles have handed out free dinners to anyone who wants them at their Alaska Junction location. Everyone is welcome, regardless of their situation.
6. $10k worth of fresh-squeezed for Mountlake Terrace kids
Larry Clarke has given away more than $10,000 worth of fresh-squeezed juice since April. Clarke runs a small distribution business, Oldskool Juice Co., out of Snohomish County. He worked with the Edmonds School District to supplement their free lunch program. Clarke has worked through his backlog juice but is hoping to buy and distribute more with financial help from the community. He can be contacted via Facebook message or text.
7. Donation for Pike Place Busker
Due to COVID-19, Pike Place Market buskers can no longer play at the market. That's why two buskers set up a fundraiser to help their fellow performers. Buskers and friends, Jeannie Rak and Carly Ann Calbero created the Busker Relief Fund. People can give online, or text BUSKERFUND to 206-800-7879. The money will go to their fellow performers who are struggling to make ends meet after temporarily losing their performance space.
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