Giving Tree returns to Ritzville's Umpqua Bank

With the holiday season underway, the Giving Tree is making its return to Umpqua Bank as Christmas inches closer.

Forms for The Giving Tree are now available to be picked up at Umpqua Bank on 108 E 1st Ave. The forms need to be turned back into the bank no later than Nov. 29. The bank will not accept any forms that are turned in late.

The community can start picking tags off the tree the first week of December to purchase gifts for the families. All presents will need to be dropped off no later than Monday, Dec. 16. Presents will be available to be picked up from Dec. 18 to Dec. 20.

Every year, Umpqua Bank puts up a tree in their bank. Less fortunate and low-income families can pick up a form to fill out for gifts that members of the community can buy for the family’s children. The forms allow for someone to list two different options for gifts for the child that a community member could get for them.

Umpqua Bank takes the information about the gifts from the forms and makes gift tags that they put on the Christmas tree, and community members are able to come in and pick a tag from the tree and get those gifts for one of the children. No other information about the child or the family is available, which helps protect their privacy.

The community members can bring their gifts for the children back either wrapped or unwrapped, and Umpqua Bank places the gifts under the tree for families to come and pick up between Dec. 18 and Dec. 20. The bank will deliver the gifts to the families if they can’t come in during that time to pick up the gifts in person.

Umpqua Bank also has an account set up for people to make a cash donation if they don’t want to go out and find a gift. Bolin says that they will usually take that money and go to places such as Harvest Foods to buy a gift certificate that will allow them to purchase groceries. They then include that gift certificate with each of the gifts they receive.