December 7, 2020-
Friends,
I’d like to share a story with you.
In addition to serving about 250 families food, love and dignity at Tuesday’s Food Distribution, we hold Garage Pantry 3 times per week at my home- giving people the opportunity to come and “shop” for free food. At the Garage Pantry we get to hear people’s hearts and souls. We get to hear their stories.
Three weeks ago I was holding a Garage Pantry - my favorite way to distribute food. I walked through the line, greeting people and telling them the ‘rules’. “Number one, you have to take a 2 bag MINIMUM”. The guests looked at me for a second, confused, as they expected me to say a two bag MAXIMUM. Having struggled financially at times during my life I know the shame and heartache that can be felt by people in need. As they process my words I can see them relax, knowing that the food they need is within their reach.
That day, a woman waited patiently in line. When I got to her she handed me a small bag of coins. As she did, she stated, “Una Vida has been helping my family with food since April and I have been saving this to share with you”.
I insisted on her keeping the bag but she insisted more; “help a family with this money; It’s only ten dollars,” she said. I knew at that moment that I needed to take it. I thanked her for the money, promised it would be used for good, and we both cried there on the driveway together.
Friends, thank you for your ongoing support. Because of YOU people are getting food, clothes, shoes and household goods. And most importantly, they’re getting a safe space to receive support and have their needs met with love and dignity.
Special thanks to all of you helped make Thanksgiving so special for local families this year.
Because of YOU:
308 families were served at Tuesday Food Distribution the week of Thanksgiving
144 hot Thanksgiving meals were delivered
90 gift cards were given away
What’s Next- Partner with Una Vida this holiday season:
We have a number of opportunities for you to plug in this holiday season. As always, we like to offer multiple options so you can choose an opportunity that resonates with you.
Christmas for EVERYONE - Join us in partnering with local families to ensure that everyone can enjoy presents under the tree this year. Through our simple process, families who have the capacity to share are matched with families in need
Click here if you would like to sponsor.
If your family could use support this Christmas, please click here to sign up by 12/15
For questions, contact Audrey@una-vida.org
Winter Wear Give-Away: On December 12th from 10:00am to 12:00pm, we’ll be sharing free winter wear. Social distancing is respected and MASKS ARE REQUIRED. (We can take your winter wear donations up to Thursday, December 10th, at 1769 Pine Avenue. Please ONLY share winter wear)
Holiday Cheer for local high school students: Casa Grande has 91 students classified as homeless and Petaluma High has 35. Help us spread holiday cheer & shower these students with gift cards! You can:
Give through the donate button on Una Vida’s homepage (you can specify what your donation is for at checkout)
Drop off Target gift cards- for Casa students, gift cards can be dropped off in the Holiday Cheer Box on the porch at 1736 Gilrix Drive.
For PHS students, gift cards can be dropped off in the Holiday Cheer Box on the porch at 250 Windsor Drive.
Sending love, light and endless gratitude,
Lynne
p.s.
-If you shop via Amazon, consider choosing Una Vida in Amazon Smile, and a small percentage of your purchase will be donated to Una Vida
-For darling gifts that make an impact, consider purchasing from the Madres Collective- a women’s empowerment program that started under Una Vida & has grown to partner with women artisans in more than 7 countries. Shop via Amazon or Madres' website.