WENATCHEE, Wash. – For the seventh straight year, Stemilt, Hansen Fruit, and their employees dressed up as the man in the red coat and granted holiday wishes to 170 children in foster care and low income households in the Wenatchee and Yakima areas. In Wenatchee, Stemilt provided children who are currently under the care of Washington State’s Department of Youth and Family Services, Foster First, or Fostering Solutions. In Yakima, Hansen Fruit provided gifts to children of Barge Lincoln Elementary and Foster First.
Stemilt’s Community Investment Committee oversees the gift gathering each year for children under foster care. Throughout the year, the committee focuses its work on supporting local organizations that endorse Stemilt’s focus areas of giving: education, wellness, and community. The committee supports over 15 organizations throughout the Wenatchee Valley and surrounding areas where Stemilt grows its World Famous Fruits.
Each year, the community works with the employees of Stemilt to fill the company’s largest conference room with gifts that the children requested. Gifts range from bikes and toys, to clothes and other essential items.
“Each year, I am so proud of our team and the support and generosity they show for our community,” explains Stemilt president, West Mathison. “Even though we have been doing this for seven years now, I am still moved by our team’s efforts and the compassion they show to see that 170 children wake up to gifts under the tree on Christmas morning.”
###
About Stemilt
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt’s mission is to cultivate people and delight consumers with its World Famous Fruits. Stemilt is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears. The company stewards an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business through its Responsible Choice® program, which has been in place since 1989. For more information about Stemilt, visit www.stemilt.com.
