Letters to The Editor: January 16-22, 2025

The Editor:

I would like to address the letter to the editor regarding CAP and the Community Toy Store. I really take issue with this letter (by Cindy Kisska from the January 2 issue of The Northern Light). The writer obviously never even bothered to go to the CAP website and read about the program before ripping it apart. Yes, the families pay for donated toys, but if the writer had bothered to look, it clearly states if a family needs more help it is available. What is wrong with people in need helping other people in even more need?

I clearly remember delivering meals and gifts to families at the holidays when I was in youth group and I remember the awkward looks as a group of “rich kids” delivered their Christmas. They were always gracious but it felt strange. How wonderful would it have been for these families to go to a “store” and actually shop for their gifts rather than be handed them?

I think the Community Toy Store is a fantastic way for everyone involved to give, or give back, in whatever way they can.

This kind of letter can do so much damage to our local volunteers and the services they support.

I wrote this before Cindy Kisska decided to double down and attack not only CAP again but to personally attack Laura Vogee. Cindy really needs to step out from behind her keyboard and talk to the people she has decided to speak for. I sincerely hope she does so she can see that her preconceptions are seriously misinformed. Please stop damaging great community services and attacking members with uninformed opinions.

Cindy is also under the impression that this was started here in Blaine when in fact it has been successfully operated in Bellingham for a decade.

Have you never heard of Goodwill, Salvation Army or Value Village? All places where donated items are sold to poor people (in some cases for profit).

How sad for Cindy to assume poor people don’t want to be proud, all they need is money, that is far from reality.

Jason Friend

Blaine