Good morning,
On Saturday afternoon, School District 81 called with an urgent need: business attire for fire-displaced neighbors returning to work this week. We put out the word at 3 PM. What happened over the next 36 hours is something I will not forget.
By Sunday evening, this community had filled five trailer-loads and four truckloads with suits, dresses, shoes, bags, and gift cards — more than 200 donors in a day and a half. Our last delivery rolled up to Shadle Park at 6 PM Sunday, where District 81 staff worked tirelessly unloading and sorting every single drop-off. The district is now distributing professional clothing and shoes to displaced workers at Shadle Park High School through Wednesday at 6 PM — stocked, in KXLY's words, “thanks to donations gathered by the Spokane Business Association.” That credit belongs to every one of you.
4 News Now's Robyn Nance caught the drive in action — watch her story here.
What struck me most wasn't the volume. It was the spirit.
Every single person who pulled into that parking lot on E 13th brought the same thing with their donation: enthusiasm, and a deep, almost urgent desire to help. Nobody had to be talked into anything. People asked what else they could do. And over and over, standing at the trailer, donors said some version of the same thing: “This is the real Spokane.”
Then many of them went one thought further: why can't we bring this same energy — this neighborly cooperation, this love and togetherness — to the homelessness crisis we walk past every day? We understand that roughly one person dies of an overdose every day in our community. If the DNA of Spokane is helping — and this weekend proved it is — then the question so many of you are asking is the right one: how do we carry that same spirit into the hardest, most visible problem we face? They weren't angry, and they weren't being political. They were simply wondering, out loud. Of course, I don't have the full answer this morning. But I believe the weekend showed us where it starts: neighbors who show up, with accountability and care held together. Let's keep asking that question... together.
Thank you
So many hands made this happen. A few I want to name: my wife Katie and my son Daly Cooley; good friends and neighbors Barry Barfield, Shari Manikowski, Dan Gehn (and Gonzaga Rowing), Scott McGann, and Brady Nelson; Sherri Britton at SBA, who worked through the weekend keeping the communication flowing; Dean Heather VanDeventer and St. John's Cathedral for the use of their parking lot and for getting the word out; Sacred Heart Church (and Scott) for getting the word out, and the many others who helped and offered help. You know who you are, and we are grateful; and the staff at Spokane School District 81, tireless in unloading every one of our drop-offs and getting clothes onto the people who need them this week.
Still have items to give?
Drop-offs now go to the Salvation Army, 222 E Indiana Ave — please tell them your items are for fire victims (we're confirming their exact intake hours this morning; regular hours are weekdays 8:30–5, (509) 325-6810). The district says gift cards to stores and restaurants are the single most useful donation right now — those can go to the Disaster Assistance Center at Shadle Park HS, open 9–6 daily through Wednesday.
The fires, briefly — the weekend held
The Red Flag winds we all braced for did not spread the fires. No growth on any of the three; containment as of Sunday night stood at Old Trails 43%, Autumn Lane 61%, Fairview 43%, and on Sunday thousands of evacuees were cleared to return home. Community recovery meetings run all week (all at 6 PM — tonight is Fairview at the Union Event Center in Mead). The full picture — returning-home safety, the week's meetings, ways to give and get help — is kept current on our fire resources page:
