Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Hermiston Herald and is part of a content-sharing partnership between Northeast Oregon Now and the Hermiston Herald.
By Erick Peterson
Mark Gomolski, Agape House executive director, said he was very thankful for the 54th annual Christmas Express.
Christmas Express is a regular Hermiston tradition, led by the Hermiston Police Department and assisted by other people. Local organizations and community members join the police to provide toys and food for less-fortunate individuals.
“This is probably one of the best cooperations we have with our community,” Gomolski said.
He added that “needs have increased,” and kind people has stepped up to that challenge.
Christmas Express brought hundreds of donated toys to Agape House, he said. A Hermiston food bank, Agape House then distributed the donations Thursday and Friday, Dec. 15-16.
Gomolski scheduled another day of giving on Monday. He said donations had already been boxed and marked for individuals. The boxes are ready to be picked up, he said.
Jason Edmiston, Hermiston Police chief, said there were many donations of food and presents, though he could not give an exact estimate. There were enough, though, to fill several bins and tables at Eastern Oregon Trade and Event Center.
Around 150 volunteers helped to make Christmas Express possible, he said, and many of those people were at EOTEC Tuesday, Dec. 13. Together, they packaged donations, preparing items for transport and wrapping gifts.
Volunteers included city of Hermiston employees, Hermiston Rotary Club members and local firefighters.
“It went well; we are always just exhausted from long hours of work,” Edmiston said.
The police, who started planning in September, collected presents from local residents and businesses. Police organized the project, and they contacted needy people to give them the day and time they could collect their gifts.
Nickolas Oatley, of Umatilla County Fire District No. 1, was one of the people who helped at the Dec. 13 Christmas Express wrapping event at EOTEC.
“There were happy community members there,” he said of EOTEC on the day of the event.
He said he was impressed by all the people he saw there, as there were individuals from a variety of different groups. The fire district, alone, brought 10 individuals and their significant others, he said. Other groups, he added, brought even more volunteers.
Working together, the volunteers finished their project in one hour, four minutes, Oatley said.
“It was quick,” he added.
Oatley said he helped with wrapping presents, as he did last year. He said he was amused by one wrapping in particular; Oatley had to wrap a soccer ball.
“I always like the Christmas season and giving back to the community,” he said. “If I can help out and wrap some gifts, I’m happy to do it.”
Susan Whelan, Stanfield mayor, was another volunteer who wrapped presents.
“There was a lot of work to be done,” she said.
Still, she said, it was a joy to work side-by-side with her granddaughters, Maggie and Renna Gorham to serve other people.
Corey Gorham, the girls’ father, is a firefighter. According to Whelan, then, her granddaughters are familiar with public service.
It was the third year Whelan did this work, and she said she looks forward to doing it again. It was hard work, though, she said.
“It’s not fun to wrap strollers, with all of their wheels and handles” she said, laughing. “It was a challenge.”
Darleen Strid was one of the people who helped Christmas Express, though she wasn’t present at EOTEC to wrap gifts. Instead, she provided quilts for donation.
Recently, she spoke about her history with Christmas Express.
Starting in 2006, Strid was the manager at Desert Sage Manor, a center for retired people in Hermiston. There, Strid met Bonnie Engle, a tenant.
Strid said Engle, a regular helper with Christmas Express, would make 100 quilts a year to donate. Engle started in 1999. Strid joined Engle in the effort. Together, they would provide loads of quilts until Engle’s death in 2021.
“I’ve taken over the joy of making the quilts,” Strid said.
Engle, Strid said, made many quilt tops before her death. Following Engle’s death, Strid finished her quilts for donations the last two years. Now, almost all of Engle’s quilt tops have been donated, with only a couple left for Engle’s family.
“I’m going to give them to her daughter and granddaughter, who live in Hermiston,” Strid said.
Strid plans to continue making quilts for Christmas Express. Although, she said she will have to do it without her friend’s contribution.
“I just love to give. I’ve been very fortunate, and Bonnie had too,” she said. “I just can’t imagine not doing this.”
