By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
With the holiday season underway, Byrd Barr Place, a non-profit organization that nurtures a more equitable Seattle through programs and advocacy, helps remind us of the importance of connection and community. From providing free meals and hosting food drives to distributing warm clothing, Byrd Barr embodies the true spirit of giving.
For many of the employees at Byrd Barr Place, the work that they do on a daily basis is the foundation that makes their work around the holidays even more impactful.
“One of the main reasons that I even work at Byrd Barr Place and got into this job is because of the work we do during the holiday season,” said Leon Forde, Byrd Barr Place Market Coordinator/Outreach. “Thanksgiving and Christmas is a time of family, love, joy, and uplifting each other. And, even if you’re going through a hard time, you should still be able to feel those things. So, being able to help people that are actually coming to you looking for help, and being able to uplift them and give them joy is really powerful and important to me.”
This year, Byrd Barr partnered with Ezell’s Fried Chicken to give away turkeys to families in the community. Not only were people able to receive a turkey for Thanksgiving, but they were also able to receive a chicken dinner from Ezell’s as part of the community service effort.
“We gave away 200 turkeys to the community,” said Forde. “People were able to get some Ezell’s fried chicken, a roll, and a couple of sides for free. You were able to get a hot meal as well as eating your turkey for the holiday season.”
Beyond food distribution, Byrd Barr Place empowers its clients by offering resources that help them fulfill their own holiday needs.
“Each year, we are part of the Nourishing Neighbors campaign,” Forde said. “When you are at QFC, Albertsons, or Safeway and they ask you at checkout if you would like to donate, we are a beneficiary of that. We get gift cards to distribute to the community. These cards give people the courage and stability to purchase things they may need.”
In addition to these seasonal programs, Byrd Barr Place continues its year-round mission of supporting Seattle’s most vulnerable populations. Jacqueline Hamilton, Byrd Barr Place Impact Coordinator, shared how the organization goes above and beyond during the holidays to meet families’ needs.
On top of the laundry list of services that Byrd Barr provides year-round, Jacqueline Hamilton, Byrd Barr Place Impact Coordinator, says that the organization engages in a number of community service efforts to ensure that the needs of vulnerable and underserved families are being met during the holiday season.
“The fall and into the more traditional holiday time period we do a lot of giveaways in the community,” says Hamilton. “We did a coat giveaway at the end of October where we provided winter coats for families. We just finished off our turkey drive for the Thanksgiving holiday, and now we are preparing for our upcoming holiday gift-giving community party.”
“We are always looking for opportunities for us to give back and to bring our community in whenever we can,” she continued.
According to Forde, Byrd Barr Place takes a unique approach to addressing food insecurity, offering what they call a “market” instead of a traditional food bank. This market-style setup allows families to shop for what they need, fostering dignity and choice.
“We broke the stigma around food banks, and we call ours the market,” Forde said. “It is more of a market style. You are able to come in and shop for what you want, take as much as you want, as much as you can carry, and that is exactly what we want to be able to provide to our clients.”
Acknowledging that not every family has the same holiday experience as most, whether they are facing financial troubles, food insecurity, or the loss of loved ones, Forde believes that giving back during the holiday season is crucial.
“We want to keep the community safe; we want everybody happy, have good mental health, be stable, and be on the right path,” said Forde. “Giving food and eating with your neighbors and your community draws spirits together. So, being able to support people during Thanksgiving and Christmas and seeing the kids happy, the families fed, and seeing them come back to us each year is really important.”
“I agree with all of that,” says Hamilton. “I think that the holidays, in particular, can be really tough for some people, especially those battling poverty or just any reason of lack that may come around the holidays. Paying your regular bills on top of gifts and holiday foods can be a stressful time. So, if Byrd Barr Place can provide some relief to those families in need and give them a chance to feel whole, then we will do that.”