Holiday Helping Hands is a Christmas, gift assistance program for families in-need that live in Enumclaw. It has been an active, holiday toy drive in Enumclaw since the 1970’s, formerly ran by the Retired Teacher’s Union and then Karen Worthington. Back then it was known as “Enumclaw Toys for Tots and Teens” until 2020 when it was adopted by Plateau Kids Network and Enumclaw Fire Department and renamed Holiday Helping Hands. The program has changed and grown over the years but the heart of it has been carried on.
Each Christmas season, we collect new, unwrapped toys and nonperishable, not expired food donations from the community. We team up with local businesses, along with the fire & police departments, as donation drop-off sites. There are many Toy & Food Drive events scheduled and hosted by local clubs, teams and participating businesses. (See “EVENTS” for more info). All donated food goes to our partners at Plateau Outreach Ministries and the Enumclaw Food Bank for distribution to our Holiday Helping Hands families and others in-need in the Enumclaw community.
Enumclaw Fire and Fugate Ford host Enumclaw’s infamous Santa Run, where Santa, the firefighters and fire trucks tour Enumclaw, spreading Christmas cheer-handing out candy canes and accepting toy & food donations from the community. The event kicks off our success for Holiday Helping Hands each year! Santa Run is our key intake of toy and food donations from the community! (This year, the 2026 Santa Run is December 6th-10th. Please visit Enumclaw Fire Department website for the up-to-date info on the event!)
In December, Holiday Helping Hands hosts a “Giving Day” event at the Enumclaw Expo Center. We invite pre-registered families to come to our “Giving Day” to pick-up their child’s gifts. Each child in the family (ages 0-18 years) receives a gift, a book, a game or craft and stocking stuffers. Gifts are preselected by Holiday Helping Hands’ volunteers. Families are offered gift wrapping supplies, a holiday food basket and local assistance resources.
If you know a family with children, aged 0-18 years, that could benefit from our program and they reside in Enumclaw, please connect them to our website or our contact info. THANK YOU!