It’s the season of giving, and the Snoqualmie Valley is home to dozens of nonprofits worthy of a gift.

This year, Giving Tuesday, the global holiday encouraging people and organizations to give to those less fortunate in their communities, is Dec. 3. Here are five local service organizations that you can help, whether you are able to donate monetarily, or would like to provide your time.

Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank

The Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank (SVFB) in North Bend has become a community staple since opening its doors in 2013.

The food bank, run by a small staff and lots of volunteers, serves more than 250 families weekly. One-third of its clients are senior citizens and another third are under age 18. In 2021, the food bank served 9,524 households and distributed more than 500 pounds of food, according to its impact report.

And those numbers are growing.

“With the high cost of groceries and housing in our area, SVFB has seen record numbers of people in our community needing food support,” said executive director Alison Roberts.

Roberts said SVFB operates a grocery-store model food pantry where clients can choose from staples like milk, eggs, produce and dried goods. No signup is required to shop, and clients can stop by anytime during distribution hours: Tuesday, 3-6:15 p.m.; Wednesday, 9:30 a.m to 4:15 p.m.; Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. There are also senior-only shopping hours from 10-11:30 a.m. Thursdays for ages 65 and up.

SVFB also partners with other community organizations to provide resources beyond food, such as baby items, school supplies, pet food and hygiene essentials.

“The mission of Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank is to provide food and key resources to help our neighbors thrive,” Roberts said.

Donate: Community members can donate time, money or food items to help SVFB. Visit snoqualmievalleyfoodbank.org to learn when, where and how you can help.

Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank’s Dylan Johnson (left) and Alison Roberts (right). The food bank is located at 122 E. 3rd St., North Bend. File photo

Valley Animal Partners

Valley Animal Partners has helped over 1,000 pet owners since 2005. The six-person volunteer team provides financial assistance through its spay and neuter assistance program, vaccine clinics and an emergency fund.

“Our mission is to raise funds to help Snoqualmie Valley seniors, disabled, homeless, veterans and families with limited income,” said Carolyn Loew, a Valley Animal Partners member.

Through the spay and neuter assistance program, designated for Snoqualmie Valley residents, pet owners can have their pets spayed or neutered at a discounted cost of $5 per cat and $15 per dog. Pet owners are given a voucher for surgery that can be used at the Bellevue Humane Society.

Twice a year, Valley Animal Partners hosts vaccine clinics, where pets can get the rabies, canine distemper and feline distemper vaccines for free, thanks to volunteer veterinarians. Valley Animal Partners also subsidizes microchipping, so owners only have to pay $5 per pet.

The Valley Animal Partners emergency fund is available to pay up to $150 of a pet’s veterinary bills on a case-by-case basis. Applicants to the fund have to meet certain requirements, which are listed on the application. There are specific things the fund is not used for, such as routine medical care, dental care and maintenance medicines.

“100% of your donation stays in the Snoqualmie Valley and will be used to provide these services,” Loew said.

Donate: Valley Animal Partners takes volunteers and monetary donations. To volunteer, email valleyanimalpartners@gmail.com. To donate, visit valleyanimalpartners.org.

Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation

The Snoqualmie Valley Schools Foundation, run by an all-volunteer board, has been funding classroom grants for more than 35 years with a goal of helping every child in the district.

“Our mission is to encourage excellence and assure opportunities in education, every day, in every school in the Snoqualmie Valley School District,” said foundation president Lorraine Thurston. “We do this by raising funds in our community.”

The long-standing Classroom Innovation Grant program follows the academic year calendar, and is open to all educators, classified staff and school groups. The program awarded more than $20,000 across 15 grants for the 2023-24 year, according to the website.

The foundation also puts funds toward district-wide initiatives such as Literacy for Life, math intervention and college-readiness programs.

“We fund programs that enrich and enhance the education students receive,” Thurston said, “and we work directly with teachers and school staff to ensure the funds are being used in the most efficient manner possible.”

Donate: SVSF takes monetary donations at svsfoundation.org. Through the website, people can also join the foundation’s 365 Club and pledge to donate $1 per day for a year, either up front or in $33 monthly installments.

Empower Youth Network

Empower Youth Network (EYN) provides youth and families with resources to prevent challenges such as youth substance abuse, youth suicide and violence.

The nonprofit has a mission of “promoting and inspiring youth to lead safe, healthy and successful lives,” in the Snoqualmie Valley, the website says. To accomplish this mission, EYN has seven core programs, including Youth Suicide and Substance Use Prevention, Youth Success Mentoring, Pathways to Employment Success and Youth Engagement. EYN also has Weekend Power Packs, which provide weekend meals to students facing food insecurity, and TRACE Care Team, which puts families in touch with needed resources and services.

EYN is a “leader in community convening,” said Development Director Helene Wentink. The nonprofit partners with the Snoqualmie Valley and Riverview school districts, as well as King County, YMCA’s Social Impact Center and other local organizations.

EYN, Wentink said, brings together “families, schools, service providers and other key stakeholders to address systemic challenges and build a stronger foundation of support for our local youth and families.”

Donate: EYN takes monetary donations at empoweryouthnetwork.org. Several programs also have volunteer opportunities, as listed on the website.

Friends of the Trail crew members scope out a pile of trash before cleaning it. Contributed by Wade Holden

Friends of the Trail

Friends of the Trail is a nonprofit that works to clean up Washington’s public lands and waterways. In 1996, Wade Holden and his wife, Tania, founded the organization in North Bend after moving here from Texas.

“We soon noticed that there was lots of illegal garbage dumping in many of the state’s most pretty areas,” Wade Holden said.

The organization consists of the two Holdens, a full-time crew chief, a part-time crew chief and many volunteers working seven days a week, Holden said. The team has done clean-ups on the Canada and Idaho borders, in Kittitas County and on the Olympic Peninsula.

“From huge motorhomes full of garbage that were dumped to appliances to giant target shooting messes in the woods. … You name it, we have seen it and removed it,” Holden said. “All on a shoestring budget.”

Friends of the Trail’s multi-year projects include Middle Fork Snoqualmie River, Stossel Creek Road at Marckworth Forest, the Washington coast, U.S. Forest Service lands throughout Kittitas County and the North Bend area. Funding comes from donations, as well as King County’s Community Litter Cleanup Program, Snohomish County Solid Waste, the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.

“We are so good at what we do, King County relies on us as a special waste team for King County Solid Waste, for many years now,” Holden said.

Donate: Friends of the Trail takes monetary donations at friendsofthetrail.org. To volunteer on a cleanup project, email friendsot@comcast.net.

Snoqualmie Valley Food Bank, 122 E. 3rd St., North Bend. File photo