'This Is Really What The Christmas Season Is About'

'This Is Really What The Christmas Season Is About'

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Story Published: Dec 21, 2005 at 2:16 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 2:09 AM PDT

By John Sharify

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BELLEVUE - The agency Hopelink provides shelter, food, and clothes for low-income families. But today it's all about toys. It's about Christmas. And it's about: "Giving, and giving, and giving," says volunteer Miriam Leonard.

On the receiving end is Gladys Pineta. "I think it's very good. Sometimes we don't have money, you know," says Pineta. Money is tight for so many. And Hopelink wants to make sure Gladys' four children will have gifts under their Christmas tree.

"They're going to have a nice Christmas now," I said to Gladys. She smiled: "Yes, thank you!"

Thanks to the people who gave. There were many. Microsoft made a huge donation. In fact every volunteer we saw at Bellevue's Gift room, including Glenn Hanzlick, works at Microsoft. It's Glenn's first time handing out gifts.

"It feels great," Hanzlick said. "This is really what the Christmas season is about. It's to give and to be generous. It's not my generosity, it's all these people who donate all these toys."

There are so many gifts to choose from. Hopelink didn't run into the toy-shortage problems other agencies ran into this holiday season. It was a slow start, but people stepped up with toys.

The people we saw today weren't 'walk ins'. The families eligible for the gifts are those who are registered at Hopelink's food banks.

For more information on Hopelink and its services, call (425) 869-6000 or visit www.hopelink.org.

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