District 20 Representative Peter Abbarno
By Peter Abbarno
For the C-C Chamber of Commerce
The election season is over! If you are like me, I am happy to not receive any more negative pieces in my mailbox and only have friends and families text messaging me. The holidays provide all of us with the opportunity to focus on the season of giving.
I invite you to join me and take advantage of some amazing local opportunities to volunteer and support. Here is a list of some of the places that I volunteer for and support:
United Way of Lewis County
The United Way of Lewis County provides amazing opportunities to help lift families out of poverty. My family and I support many of their efforts, including literacy. We are supporters of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, as well as reading buddies. These quality programs help our children become kindergarten ready, create quality family time, and build basic reading and comprehension skills for our students. Consider joining the reading buddy program or donating to the Imagination Library through the United Way of Lewis County and help put a book in the hands (every month). Learn more about supporting the United Way of Lewis County at LewisCountyUW.com.
Hub City Mission
The Hub City Mission in Centralia helps community members and positively impacts them in tangible ways. Their local missions include “Table Ministry” where they serve lunch; “Pantry” where they distribute food boxes and host a fresh market; and “Bike Shop” where they distribute, repair, and help community members with their bicycles and transportation needs. My family has packed boxes and delivered food and sees firsthand how these missions can help change lives through nutrition and personal connection. Learn more about supporting the Hub City Mission at bethel-church.com/hcm/.
The Forgotten Children’s Fund
The Forgotten Children’s Fund is a volunteer organization that works to give deserving children and families a truly merry Christmas. The local organizations collect toys, books, and food for families and deliver them on December 23rd. The organization works with local school districts to find deserving students and families, plus they have a great application process where families can request help (or have help requested for them). As a Forgotten Children’s Fund Santa, I can attest that this is a truly transformative experience for both the volunteers and the families. Learn more and support the Forgotten Children’s Fund at ForgottenChildrensFund.org.
There are countless organizations to support throughout our community. The holiday season is a great time to get involved, and then stay involved all year long. To learn more about the organizations making a difference in our communities, visit the Centralia-Chehalis Chamber of Commerce at Chamberway.com.
