In Issaquah Highlands, three generations of my family volunteer to help local refugees get on their feet and start their lives in the U.S.
The first is Janice Smith, my mom and a resident of the Startpoint Condos. She was at my daughter Anna’s side during much of the pandemic, supporting her throughout her year of online second grade. When it was time for in-person school to resume in 2021, Janice began looking for other meaningful ways to spend her time. A web search brought up Grassroot Projects, a local nonprofit that provides basic needs to low-income families in the Seattle area.
Of the families that Grassroot Projects serves, many have limited options for transportation. So, Janice agreed to deliver needed items to the homes of families in need. She filled her red Prius with clothing, diapers, stuffed animals, books and school supplies.
“I kind of feel like Santa Claus, bring bundles of clothing, books, and toys to the kids,” she says.
Around Christmas 2021, the number of requests for assistance from Grassroot Projects skyrocketed. One week, Janice needed to pick up 60 bundles of clothing–in the little red Prius.
“I’ve figured out I can fit about 19 clothing bundles, but that’s about it,” she says.
This is where Generation Two comes in. I’m Janice’s daughter, a resident of Dahlia Park. When the Prius’ capacity was maxed out, I started meeting her at Eastside Baby Corner in my minivan to pick up the clothing and car seats the organization had ordered.
In the spring of 2022, the organization’s director asked Janice if she could take over the job of placing orders through Eastside Baby Corner’s computer system. But Janice likes being retired and wasn’t interested in working at a computer.
At the time, I was in the midst of figuring out what to do with my life after being at home full-time for almost 15 years. With a background in social services and years of community service experience, I was hired by Eastside Baby Corner in the spring of this year. I now act as the programs and development coordinator, doing everything from screening new clients and placing orders to creating care packages and managing donation drives.
Janice had a busy week of deliveries at one point this summer, which included large cases of diapers and heavy car seats. She routinely climbs four flights of stairs to reach clients’ homes, and the prospect looked pretty exhausting.
That was the day Generation Three came in. My daughter Lily, 15, agreed to go along and help with the heavy lifting. Now, she and her grandma go out every Saturday to deliver orders together, with a mandatory stop for a lunch of sushi or gyros or curry.
“I like helping my grandma,” says Lily. “And I really like going out for lunch.”
Not to be left behind, my daughter Anna, 9, comes every Wednesday night to help volunteers create care packages for our families. She helps us pack baby wipes, hand sanitizer, school supplies and stuffed animals.
“It’s like wrapping presents,” says Anna. “It’s how we show our neighbors that we love them.”
If you want to get involved, contact me at kathryn@grassrootprojects.org or visit GrassrootProjects.org. You can also contribute by purchasing items on our Target registry.
Kathryn Meeker is a resident of Dahlia Park.
