11.16.2022

3 Ways You Can Make Holiday Shopping More Meaningful This Year

It’s that time of the year – when the stores are crowded, and we’re scrambling to do our winter shopping and find the right holiday gifts.

At the Treehouse Store – a free store with high-quality goods for youth experiencing foster care – it is one of the busiest times of the year. As the seasons change, many youth visit the store to get new clothes to replace ones they’ve outgrown or to find warmer layers for cold temperatures.

We also provide one meaningful gift to all youth in foster care across the state. Youth and their caregivers are able to choose from a curated gift guide of popular toys and items, which then is mailed directly to them in time for the holidays.

Last year, more than 4,100 gifts were delivered to children and young people across the state through the Treehouse Store and Holiday Magic programs. With the availability of an online request form and our growing presence in communities outside of Snohomish, King and Pierce counties, we anticipate shipping even more holiday gifts and toys this year and rely on the support of the community to meet that need.

Here are three ways you check off holiday shopping and do good at the same time to support youth in foster care. And yes, you can even skip the wrapping paper.

1) Add a wanted item to your shopping list

While you are doing your holiday shopping, add an item or two to your checkout cart from Treehouse’s wish list of most needed and requested items. From winter essentials to toys, books and gifts, this Amazon wish list is kept up to date to make sure that when youth in foster care go to Treehouse’s free store to shop, they have a selection of brand new items that meets their needs and makes them feel valued.

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Once you purchase your items, you can drop them off at the Treehouse Store in Seattle. Or better yet, save yourself a trip and have it shipped directly to the Store. When you are completing your purchase on Amazon, select Treehouse Gift Registry Address as the shipping address.

Tip: Make sure the only items in your cart are the ones you want sent to Treehouse when you complete your purchase!

2) Give a gift that gives back

We all have them – the friend or family member who regularly purges their clutter and doesn’t want one more thing they can’t use. We have a solution for you: make a donation in honor of the loved one who doesn’t want or need more stuff through our online donation form!

You have the option of sending them an e-card, letting your recipient know about the gift made in their name. Delivered immediately, this is a great option even as a last-minute gift.

Tip: When you select a one-time donation and check the box that says “Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone” on our online donation form, you’ll be able to input the person’s contact information to include an e-card.

3) Ask your family and friends for a gift that matters

Save your friends and family the trouble of buying you another gift you don’t want. Instead, ask your friends and family to make a donation of money or an item to support youth in foster care.

To make things easy for them, you can set up, customize and then share the link to your unique fundraising page with friends, family and colleagues. The money raised from fundraising pages supports all Treehouse’s programs and services, including buying items for the Treehouse Store that either weren’t donated or are in short supply.

Instead of monetary donations, you can also ask for donations of items by setting up a materials drive. When you sign up, you’ll receive our holidays toolkit that includes tips for success and sample social media posts to help you spread the word. Once you’ve decided on an end date of your material drive, you can schedule a time to drop off the items at the Treehouse Store and take a tour.

Tip: When asking for item donations, aim for quality over quantity! We have found that the most successful drives are ones that focus on one type of item, such as new socks or Legos.

Visit treehouseforkids.org/take-action/give to see all of the ways you can give to Treehouse.