The Holiday Assistance Program provides gifts to needy families in Tumwater. The program began over 20 years ago by City staff as a community service project. Now, the Tumwater Lions Club operates the program in cooperation with the City and Tumwater School District. Qualified children in the Tumwater School District can be gifted with toys, shoes, coats and/or food for the holidays.
 

To adopt a family, making a donation or to volunteer, visit www.tumwaterlions.org. Gift request tags are available at Tumwater City Hall as well.The Holiday Assistance Program is one of many great programs available in the community to help families around the holidays and throughout the year.

Email TumwaterHoliday@comcast.net or call (360) 786-6979 for more information or for other ways to donate.

From Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, household waste increases by more than 25%. This adds 1 million tons of extra food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows, and ribbons to our landfills each week during the holiday season.

• An estimated 2.6 billion holiday cards are sold each year in the United States, enough to fill a football field 10 stories high. Send recycled content greeting cards to reduce the amount of virgin paper used during the holidays. Remember to recycle any paper cards you receive. Electronic greeting cards are a convenient, no-cost, waste-free alternative.
• If we each sent one less card, we'd save 50,000 cubic yards of paper.
• If every family reused just two feet of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.
• Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products. Wrap gifts in recycled or reused wrapping paper or funny papers. Also remember to save or recycle used wrapping paper. Give gifts that don't require much packaging, such as concert tickets or gift certificates.
• Approximately 33 million Christmas trees are sold in North America every year. To help prevent waste from cutting down and disposing of trees, buy a potted tree and plant it after the holidays.
• About 40% of all battery sales occur during the holiday season. Buy rechargeable batteries to accompany your electronic gifts, and consider giving a battery charger as well. Rechargeable batteries reduce the amount of potentially harmful materials thrown away, and can save money in the long run. Give a gift to the planet this holiday season by cutting the amount of waste you and your family generate. 

Find reduction, reuse, and recycling resources at Waste-free Holidays on the Thurston County Solid Waste website.

Courtesy of Thurston County Solid Waste 

 

Where can you recycle holiday lights? 

Go to Thurston County Solid Waste website for a list of businesses and locations that accept working and non-working strings of lights.

 

 

  

Where can you recycle your holiday tree?

Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center (WARC) will accept trees at "NO CHARGE" until January 11, 2015. Visit the WARC website for hours and location.

 

Tumwater Residents

As a courtesy service, Tumwater residents can place their trees at the nearest public intersection before 7:00 a.m. on Monday, January 5, 2015. City crew will pick up trees and recycle them at no cost. 

 

For more information, call City of Tumwater Public Works Operations at (360) 754-4150. Note: Please do not block the visibility of any signs or oncoming vehicles. 

 

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