Fort Vancouver Lions Club donates 390 coats to students

SALMON CREEK — The Fort Vancouver Lions Club had to take a different approach to its annual Santa Store. For the last 15 years, the club would buy gifts throughout the year to stock a “store” where Washington Elementary School students could “shop” for gifts for their family. They also had the opportunity to meet with Santa. But this year, the store moved to the fellowship hall at Hillcrest Church in Salmon Creek. Temperature checks were taken for each volunteer, who also wore masks and gloves. Orders were filled at the church and delivered to the school. A volunteer used a truck to transport boxes of inventory from the school to the church, where they were quarantined for a week before they were handed to children by school staff. The club then expanded its mission of securing good coats for the students after hearing from a staff at the school that some children missed school because they were sharing a coat with a sibling. The club, with the help of several community partners, donated 390 coats and 240 quilts in addition to the gifts from the Santa Store.