It’s a milestone year for River Jensen.
The 17-year-old has entered her senior year at Sequim High School, her braces recently came off, she started driving, and she’s planning on making “River’s Christmas Project” its biggest one yet before she’s off to college.
For eight years, Jensen and her mother Anna Larsen have sought out new travel-sized toiletries, winter hats, gloves and other necessities to place in bags and stockings to share with local agencies for those in-need at Christmas.
By their estimate, they’ve given out thousands of bags filled with toiletries and as an added touch River has written a note for each one.
“You’re loved” and “Don’t lose Hope” are two of her favorites, she said.
Over eight years, Jensen said she’s experienced and learned a lot through her project.
“The very basic thing is that you can’t judge a book by its cover,” she said of the many people she’s made bags for on the North Olympic Peninsula.
In 2016, Jensen was nominated for Sequim Citizen of the Year for her efforts, and she’s met many new people.
She’s also learned that “compassion doesn’t come to everyone” as she’s encountered some glares or people shaking their heads when she hands out toiletry bags. While there may be a small sample size of Grinches, Larsen said Sequim has been very forthcoming with helping her daughter.
“Sequim is a generous community and the area itself is pretty caring and giving,” Jensen said.
They continue to receive boxes of handmade lap blankets, and hats that are very popular, Larsen noted.
“Sequim is very likely to help,” Jensen said. “We’re such a small community and we all try to help each other.”
Process
Jensen and her family recently moved this summer to Dungeness, where they’ve set up tables to store donations.
Larsen said she’s the “middle man” and that people who have followed Jensen’s story will reach out and want to give in some capacity.
Leading up to Christmas they’ll sit inside their home where there’s heat and stuff bags while watching television, the Sequim teen said.
The pair are still figuring out logistics of whether they’ll go with bags, stockings or gift boxes, but Jensen said she knows the gifts will be their biggest yet.
“Go big, or go home,” she said.
Jensen and her mom also continue to fill chic makeup bags with fuzzy socks, gloves and more to hand out when they encounter people in their daily lives.
When bags are completed, Jensen will deliver them to the Salvation Army, Serenity House, and The Answer for Youth (TAFY) in Port Angeles a week before Christmas Day, she said.
Larsen said it’s been a wonderful experience seeing her daughter lead the effort, but she’s sad it’s coming to an end.
“She’s becoming her own person and going into the world,” she said.
“It’s been fun and I’ll treasure that.”
They hope another child in the community might be interested in continuing the effort.
“We hate to see it just end,” Larsen said.
Once Jensen finishes her final Christmas Project, she plans to continue to work part-time, attend school and take some advanced placement (AP) classes, participate in the school’s Robotics Club, make art, and play video games, before attending Peninsula College and transferring to pursue a degree in marine biology.
Support
Three drop-off locations for River’s Christmas Project are set at Dungeness Kids Co., 163 W. Washington St., Sequim, Full Moon Candle, 609 W. Washington St., Suite 13, Sequim, and Cedar and Salt Co. (formerly Spotlight Tanning), 715 E. First St., Port Angeles.
Donation items needed include: money for items, travel size toiletries, shampoo, bars of soap, new stocking caps, toothbrushes, deodorant for men and women, women’s hygiene supplies, bandage kits, hand sanitizer, hand warmers, and more.
Find the project on gofundme at gofund.me/9fb3b58f.
For questions or to coordinate donations, email Anna Larsen at AnnaJensen99@gmail.com.
River’s Christmas Project
How to support River Jensen’s final toiletry drive to help in-need individuals
Drop-off locations:
• Dungeness Kids Co., 163 W. Washington St., Sequim
• Full Moon Candle, 609 W. Washington St., Suite 13, Sequim
• Cedar and Salt Co. (formerly Spotlight Tanning), 715 E. First St., Port Angeles.
Online campaign: gofund.me/9fb3b58f.
For questions or to coordinate donations, email Anna Larsen at AnnaJensen99@gmail.com.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash River Jensen, 17, works in her family’s garage to sort a toiletry bag for “River’s Christmas Project.” She seeks donations at three locations and on an online gofundme campaign.
Sequim Gazette file photo by Michael Dashiell/ River Jensen, center, a finalist for the 2016 Sequim Citizen of the Year, gets her photo taken during the luncheon.
Sequim Gazette file photo by Erin Hawkins/ River Jensen, 10, hands out gift bags full of socks, hats and toiletries at the Salvation Army in Port Angeles in December 2016. She continues the project this year as a senior at Sequim High School.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ Each toiletry bag comes with a hand-written note from River Jensen. “You are loved,” is a staple, River said.
Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash/ River Jensen and her mom Anna Larsen have made more chic toiletry bags this year to hand out when they see people they encounter in their day-to-day routines.
