Annual Christmas Charity Shopping Trip!

Every holiday season, the Bramble Berry team gets together to give back to our community. This year, we teamed up with Lydia Place to shop for families in need. It’s a fantastic local nonprofit that works to provide safe and independent housing for those in need. This year, the team shopped for nine families to make sure they got everything on their Christmas wishlist. The team met at Fred Meyer with lists in hand and shopped until we dropped! The entire trip took about two hours, and we picked up everything from toys and clothes to diapers and wrapping paper.

A big thank you to the employees who helped shop and organize, and to our customers for making this year at Bramble Berry successful. We are able to give back to those in need because of you and your business. 

Every shopper received a wishlist for each member of the family in need. Sometimes the item was incredibly specific, while sometimes the item on their wishlist was general. Below, Ember, Tina and Carla study their lists, which included art and office supplies.

Left to right: Ember, Tina and Carla make sure to check off each item on their list. 

Meanwhile in the toy department, Austin and Cheyenne are busy filling up their carts with toys. In the background, Cyrus considers a Iron Man toy for the young boy on his list. Shopping for toys seems to be everybody’s favorite job! Even as an adult, who doesn’t love strolling through the toy aisle? =)

Left to right: Austin, Cheyenne and Cyrus stroll through the toy aisle. 

After the team is done shopping, it’s time to head to checkout. Amber (in the white sweater) does a fantastic job of keeping everything organized during our yearly shopping trip. Thanks Amber! All the items need to be organized together for each family. That ensures all the toys go to the right place.

Austin and Chelsea wait in line after the shopping extravaganza. 

In addition to Amber keeping the team organized, our cashier had the huge job of ringing everything up! A big shout out to her for helping everything run smoothly. Below, Emily waits to have all her items rung through the register. Lily was also very interested in helping during the checkout process, and was able to perch herself in the action.

Lily had a blast “helping” our cashier during the checkout process. 

Once everything is run through the register, it’s time to pay! This is the best and most nerve-wracking part. Whenever you put that much money on a card…your heart starts beating a bit! This year, the receipt was over 5 feet tall.

In order to transfer all the items, they need to be loaded into a huge van. Luckily Amber had the van ready to go outside the exit. The entire team helped load up the van, and of course we stopped for a group photo at the end. Hey…at least about 80% of us are looking at the camera! 😉

Out of all the Bramble Berry events, the annual charity shopping trip is my favorite. I’m so thankful for my awesome team who help organize the event and take the time to help others. I also want to give a big thank you to our customers for their business this year. It’s with your support that we are able to give back to our community!