After the events in Afghanistan that occurred in the last year, Afghan families are already arriving and resettling in Silicon Valley, seeking safety and a better life for themselves and for their children. Many of these families left their home country with very few possessions of their own, and we are calling in our community to support these families as they rebuild their lives here in Santa Clara County. 

As we have for almost five decades, AACI welcomes these newest members of our diverse community and stands ready to assist them as they adjust to their new lives. AACI’s Center for Survivors of Torture is the only specialized behavioral health program in Santa Clara County to provide services to newly arrived refugees. We hope you will join us in welcoming our newest neighbors and in doing all that we can to assist them during this transition.

DONATION GUIDELINES:

Please note that AACI has a new items only policy. Because these families and individuals are currently going through the process of resettling into a new home and many arrived with only a small bag of their personal belongings, we want to ensure that all donations are new and unused to help them rebuild their lives with dignity.

How do I know which families need support or what items I should donate?

• You can choose an individual or family to "adopt" by selecting a profile below.
• By clicking on a profile, you can learn more about the individual or family's background and wish list(s).
• Please note: we ask that you sponsor a family only if you are able to fulfill the entire family's wish list. For larger families that may have larger wish lists, we encourage you to gather your friends and/or family members to collect and donate items together.

Is there a deadline for when I need to donate by?

• Certain wish lists have a fulfillment deadline. The deadline will be included in the profile description.

If you have any questions regarding your donation, please reach out to the Resource Development team via email (development@aaci.org).

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If you would like to explore other ways to give, visit our collection drive, AACI Assists: Welcome Kits for Refugee Families, here: www.roonga.com/aaciwelcomekits.

To celebrate National Recovery Month and 30 years of helping mothers struggling with substance use disorder find sobriety without leaving their children behind, Brown Forman is hosting a supply drive to support these mothers and their children with much needed essentials.

 VOA Freedom House

Collecting household cleaning and personal hygiene products for Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston Refugee Services September 2023

Each year Motion for Kids, a project of the Saint Louis Bar Foundation and Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, provides a holiday party and gifts for up to 2,500 St. Louis area children in the foster care system, or those whose lives have been severely impacted by the criminal justice system.

BAMSL's Women in the Legal Profession (WILP) Section annually collects and distributes books to families attending the Motion for Kids event.

Purchases made through or for programs on Roonga may be considered as in-kind donations to the nonprofit and may be tax deductible. Donors are encouraged to check with their tax professional.

If you have any questions, please email   jackie.starkovich@communitysolutions.org

Thank You & Happy Holidays!

Join us in making an impact for the young clients of OTTP-SF this holiday season. Your involvement in this giving program can help empower them on their journey of healing. Your support could foster self-confidence, provide an avenue for new skills and public engagement, or simply spread much-needed joy. Your participation will create positive impacts that will resonate far beyond the holidays.  Thank you!

Winter Wishes Holiday Gifts is a program where donors select a family who needs assistance providing holiday gifts for their children.  Donors help these children receive new clothes, games or toys. 

Before selecting a family, please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) sheet filled with helpful information:  https://beverlybootstraps.org/winter-wishes-frequently-asked-questions/

Please reach out with any questions to dploszay@beverlybootstraps.org. Thank you for your support and involvement. 

Happy Holidays!

Next Door Solutions' annual Winter Open House is exclusively for survivors of domestic violence and their children and this year we are expecting 550 attendees, who will enjoy holiday gifts, a jump house, carnival games, arts & crafts, and a made-to-order hot meal. To provide this event - which is often the only opportunity for survivors and their children to celebrate the holidays - we must rely on the generosity of our community to support this day of festivities.

Each survivor will receive a gift card that will allow them to purchase holiday presents, or food and basic need items, and every child will receive a new book, stuffed animal, and a special visit with Santa!

Please help us show our resident Veterans how much we appreciate their service and that we haven't forgotten about them.  

• Select the veteran/veterans you'd like to sponsor this holiday season.  Each sponsorship requires a minimum $50 donation.
• Volunteers of America Michigan will use your donation to purchase a gift basket full of useful and fun items such as a warm blanket; word search, crossword or sudoku game book; socks; and/or a $25 gift card to their favorite store.
• Once you've committed to an adoption, you will receive an email with a link through which you can make your contribution.  We will also provide our mailing address in case you'd prefer to send a physical check.
• NOTE:  Please do NOT use the "Shop Now" button that will appear once you select your profile.  We are not equipped to handle direct shipment of gifts.  Thank you!

 Thank you so much for participating in this year's Heart of the Holidays program! 

The Adopt-A-Family Program was designed to

help individuals who are in desperate need of

financial help, hope, and caring during the

holiday season. It serves a limited number of

families (150) in the Philadelphia area. In

general, families who are chosen to participate

in this program may have experienced any of

the following crises during the past few

months: death or illness in the immediate

family, fire, recent long-term incarceration of

parents, women leaving severe abusive

situations, etc.

Every child experiencing homelessness that we serve receives a NEW backpack filled with school supplies. We are also distributing art kits and gift cards to students. Help us make sure that every student we serve has a backpack, school supplies, and resources to learn. 

Hello and Merry Christmas! 

It is that time of year once again when we begin to consider "Christmas" and all the blessings of the season!

Thank you for your interest and/or participation in the Glad Tidings Christmas Adopt-a-Family program! For the past 30 years, we have shared the hope of Christ and supported families in need to have the opportunity to be adopted through our Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family Christmas program. We are so grateful that each year the Lord provides the Sponsors to answer the needs of each Recipient Family.

Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family is a Christmas Adoption program that allows qualifying recipient family(ies) to be adopted by community Sponsors; children are blessed with gifts and a grocery gift card is provided for the family for Christmas. Qualifying families were vetted and required to submit proper documentation to be considered as a candidate for our program.

🎄How it Works:

A Star of Hope Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family team member will confirm all Sponsors with the selected Recipient(s) that were chosen by the Sponsor.

1. a. Registration Required: All interested individuals, organizations, and or companies must register to become a Glad Tidings Sponsor.

2. b. Complete Adoption: After the Sponsor has selected their family(ies) and the adoption has been confirmed, an email will be sent to the Sponsor providing the family(ies) contact information and a copy of the family’s Christmas Needs List.

3. c. Meet and Greet: The Sponsor will contact the chosen adopted family(ies) by phone and by email to schedule a mutual meet and greet with the adopted family and a date, time and location to deliver the Christmas gifts. This is also an opportunity to introduce yourself as a Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family Christmas Sponsor and share a word of encouragement or prayer with the family. 

4. d. Shop and Deliver: The Sponsor will prepare to shop for the family and confirm the date, time and location to deliver the Christmas gifts. All gifts must be delivered before or by December 8, 2023. Note: A mutual location can be determined to deliver the gifts to the family.  For example, the Sponsor can deliver the gifts to the family's home, or meet at a church, office, or restaurant.  Please be mindful that transportation for some families is limited. 

• The Sponsor will shop providing some Christmas needs for children and a grocery store gift card for the family.
• Gift purchase per child, up to $50.00 – $75.00 per child, at least 3 gifts per child. Sponsors are not obligated to purchase big-ticket items. 
• Christmas gifts may be delivered wrapped or unwrapped.

5. e. Delivery Confirmation: Once the gifts have been delivered to the Glad Tidings adopted family, please send us an email to confirm your gift delivery at gtsponsors@sohmission.org.

6. f. Share Your Glad Tidings Experience: We would love to hear about your Christmas Glad Tidings experience. Please send photos and share our story with us!

Once you have reviewed the gallery of Glad Tidings family’s needs list and their stories you may select the family you would like to adopt. Note: A total of (1) family can be adopted at this time. After November 11, 2023, sponsors will have the option to adopt more families.

Thank you for supporting the Star of Hope Mission and thank you for sharing in the Christmas spirit of blessing a family in need. For additional information about the 2023 Glad Tidings Christmas Adopt-a-Family program, email us at gtsponsors@sohmission.org.

Sponsor Registration is open from November 1 – 30, 2023, to register go to: www.roonga.com/gtsoh

We hope you can join us again this year to provide gifts for children and household supplies for the Recipient Family(es) of your choosing.

For more information about our 2023 Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family program, please feel free to send us an email at gtsponsors@sohmission.org and someone from our team will be more than happy to assist you or visit www.roonga.com/gtsoh2023 to register as a Sponsor!

🎄Thank you for your support, tis the season to be a blessing! 

Sincerely,

Glad Tidings Adopt-a-Family Team

Michelle Jones-Allen, Extended Services Case Manager III

Di Tubbs, Manager of Outreach Services II

gtsponsors@sohmission.org

www.sohmission.org

Hope For The Homeless - Blog

More than 3000 foster youth and their families are served through our Adopt-a-Family program. Churches, school groups, local businesses, corporations, individuals and families are encouraged to participate. Bill Wilson Center's annual Adopt-a-Family Program works directly with Santa Clara County Department of Family and Children's Services linking caring donors to local foster youth who would otherwise receive few, if any, gifts for the holidays.

Interfaith Community Services' (ICS) Gifts of Love holiday gift drive brings comfort and joy to people in need during the holiday season.  Individuals, groups, and companies are fulfilled by providing tangible forms of hope and joy, and the parents of "adopted" children are given the joy of watching their children open presents just like other children do. Older adults are given a gift that is oftentimes the only gift they will receive. 

Please help make someone's holiday brighter this season.

Online adoption profiles for children and older adults will be available from November 6 through December 1.

Please be sure to drop off gifts for your adopted children/older adults to their selected location. (You will find their selected location in their profile by clicking on Dropoff Instructions). There are two Dropoff locations: ICS Northwest Office at 2820 W. Ina Rd Tucson, AZ 85741 or ICS Central Office at 122 N. Craycroft Tucson, AZ 85711.  Drop-off is December 4 - 8 between the hours of 10am-3pm.  If you are willing to deliver your gift please let us know.  

If you can't commit shopping, please consider making a monetary donation of support by contacting Kimberly Castro at kcastro@icstucson.org or 520-526-9293.  You can also make a donation online at: http://www.icstucson.org/gifts-of-love-holiday/ 

To learn more about ICS and our programs to serve people in need, please visit our website: www.icstucson.org