Love for Our Neighbors…and Pie!

In Early November, we launched a donation drive to collect a list of “survival items” in support of DESC, a local award winning organization who works tirelessly to end homelessness in Seattle. We posted flyers around Greenwood and Phinney, we hung one up in our office, and we even scored a shoutout on the Phinneywood neighborhood blog. Chris, the owner of Ala Mode Pie, a local neighborhood pie shop in Phinney (with a new Ballard location, too!) was gracious enough to partner with us on this event. Anyone who donated in person at our Woodland Park event went home with a personal pie from Ala Mode and they could enter a raffle to win a full sized pie, just in time for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

In the days leading up to this launch, and with this being our first organized community support drive, we high hopes and even higher nerves.  What if no one shows up to our event at Woodland Park? What if we don’t collect much of anything? Do people care? Do people even like pie?

It would have been fine. We would have been fine, seriously.  BUT IT WAS SO MUCH BETTER THAN FINE!

IN FACT, IT WAS AMAZING! Between drop-offs at our office, neighbors coming by our house to drop winter coats, and our in-person donation event at Woodland Park, we collected more than 50 winter coats, 20 pairs of pants, 10 scarves, 10 beanies, 6 pairs of winter boots + shoes, and I lost count for how many tubes of toothpaste were donated. We even had generous neighbors and clients bring grocery store gift cards and it was enough to make our hearts sing. We were floored at the generosity of people coming together to be a part of something bigger than all of us.

Thank you for caring. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for going out of your way to show kindness to a community who is so often overlooked and misjudged. Thank you for continuing to surprise us in unforgettable ways. We are so thankful that you are a part of our lives, and we can’t wait to see what this next season of giving has in store. If you missed this one, don’t fret. With the success of this donation drive, we promise there will be many more in the future. Stay tuned.

If you’re feeling inclined to donate to this incredible organization, please visit their website and donate there. DESC has many ways that you can contribute, and they’re preparing to open a new permanent supportive housing building in early 2022. For $250, you can sponsor a brand new apartment furnished with basic necessities to help someone transition from a life of homelessness into a life of stability and hope. Of course, you’re welcome to donate any financial amount of your choosing, and DESC will use that money to fund one of their incredible programs to provide services to those who are the most vulnerable among us.

All our love,

Joe + Ashli Haglund