You should be very proud!
Newsletter December 17, 2024
Winter School Break Baskets
Many thanks to the organizers, shoppers, donors, sorters, drop off locations, baggers, and drivers! A special thank you to Robin and Jim Pisz for lending us their barn, which was a godsend, as it rained for the early part of our bagging. We thank the SLO County Supervisors and the King David Lodge – Masons for their grants to help purchase the proteins (turkeys and hams) and other items that were not donated; the SLO Foodbank - for access to get either free or purchased items to augment the donated food.
Womenade is very grateful and proud of our Womenade community and their networks for making the Thanksgiving and Winter School Break Baskets programs such successes. Between the two projects the community gave out nearly $35,000 of donated food to families in need. Well done!
Matching Grant
By the end of our last fundraising potluck on December 5th we successfully raised the matching donations to receive the $7,000 matching grant! Thank you to our matching grant donor and all who donated and made this happen with special thanks to two donors who made $5,000 and $1,000 donations! We are so grateful!
Toys, Toys, Toys!!!
A very generous donor donated $3,000 to purchase toys for children in our community. After receiving the donation our partner agencies, who have a targeted list of requested toys, started to buy the toys wished for by these children. The Santa helpers have been very busy fulfilling children’s wishes. Many children’s eyes will glow with joy when they receive what they hoped to receive. Thank you!
Potlucks
The potluck at the 950 Room in Cypress Ridge, hosted by South SLO County Womenade, was an amazing success! With over 35 people in attendance we raised $7,644.47 thanks to all the wonderful generous donors, and made it over the top to receive the $7,000 matching grant!
Next Potluck
Saturday January 18th at 3PM at
754 Avocet Way, Arroyo Grande In Cypress Ridge
Mark your calendars!
Projects updates
Laundry Pop-Up – Belinda Benassi, Terri Zielinski and Beth Hirsch
The new team of Terri Zielinski and Beth Hirsch helped clients with 82 loads of laundry in November and 51 loads in December in Nipomo at the Laundaria Laundre Mat.
Belinda Benassi’s team helped clients with 72 loads of laundry in November and the next Laundry Pop-Up will be on December 21st at the Laundromat at 119 S. 13th in Grover Beach.
To offer opportunities for volunteers to sign up in advance for the event site and dates of their choosing Belinda put together this Sign-Up Genius.
Nipomo Food Distribution – Rosemary Cleaves, Sue McCutcheon, and Mary Anne Morgan - project leaders
The December Food distribution was on Tuesday December 10th at the Nipomo Elementary School (always the second Tuesday of the month). It was a dark and cold evening, and there were so many families in need of food. Although we had food for 350 families we unfortunately ran out. But, thanks to the Season of Hope and Marcella Gelman, who has been collecting the food since the middle of October, clients were able to receive food from this month’s food donations .
We work with the SLO FoodBank and Nipomo Elementary School to make the Food Distribution happen. Thank you SLO Foodbank and all our fabulous volunteers! Let us know if you want to be on the substitute list. The next distribution will be on Tuesday, December 10th.
Season of Hope – Womenader Marcella Gelman has been working with the SLO Foodbank and picking up food at the 5 Cities Fire Station on Traffic Way in Arroyo Grande almost every day. After picking up the donated food, she sorts them and inspects them for damage and expiration dates before bringing them to be bagged and distributed at the Nipomo Food Distribution.
Christmas FOREVER SPARKLE BLING PARTY – At Christine Mateer’s party she raised $170 for South SLO County Womenade! Much gratitude for her generosity.
Help Needed – contact us at sslocwomenade@gmail.com
Adopt an Elementary School for Weekend Food Bags – thank you to so many people who have stepped up to adopt an Elementary School for Weekend Food Bags. There are still a couple of additional schools who are in need.
A project leader for a diaper drive
Shoppers for occasional items for example: food, toiletries, diapers etc.
Items Needed
Toilet paper
Diapers
Pack n Plays
Laundry detergent
Update on items donated
In November two bicycles were donated to clients in need. One for a man whose bike was stolen and he needed one to ride to work. The other was to a student needing transportation to school. AND a queen platform bed was donated to a safe house for women escaping domestic violence. Thank you all.
In Kind Receipt
Please complete and submit the in-kind receipt to help us track how much you are contributing in donor offered items: This is a jpeg that you can copy, paste and print.
UPDATE ON FUNDS RECEIVED
11/1//24 TO 11/30/24 $12,463.41
1/1/24 TO 11/30/24 $115,696.95
2/1/2019 TO 11/30/24 $626,376.57
Thank you to our November donors!
We appreciate all our wonderful donors! If you donate through your retirement fund or or other charitable foundation, please send us a note. Sometimes the giving fund doesn’t identify the donor, and we don’t have any way of communicating with you.
Linda and Bradley Wilbert , Kathi Pettersen, Fran Norris, Rosemary Cleaves, Linda Busek, Terry Parry, Anonymous, Mary De Jong, Marilyn Mullany, Sheila and Richard Semana, Diana Henderson, Betty Scully, Fred Donati, Joann and Stan Benson, Lola Zybura,Olive and Mike Shu, Ardith Julien-Heinrich, Cory Gonzalez, Elaine Stewart , Wendy Castleman, Sandy Richardson, Sharon Chirpich, Mary Anne Morgan, Gail Applegate, Carol Chenot , Caity McCardell., Paula Tripp, Dana Robertson, Anita Shower, Jessica Griffiths, Debra Jackson, Deb Sherry, Marilyn Gildea, Kathy Forenza
WHERE THE MONEY WENT
Casa Solana – Renée Poirier – Executive Director
Casa Solana was able to provide a gift bed to a 32 year old mother with two young children who was unable to pay for her stay at Casa Solana. $800
Nipomo Family Resource Center – Advocate TBD
Family in need of support with rent this month due to an increase in monthly rent. Mom is in the process of getting a job but she is short for this month. $400 Sophia Covarrubias-verified landlord
Oceano Family Resource Center – Advocate Stella Medina
Family of 5. Father lost his job two weeks ago and applied for EDD but has not received any benefits. In need of gas money so that the mother can get to work. $100 Chevron
Single mother of 3 children who is currently homeless and in need of gas money. Loss of wages as her seasonal work is coming to an end. Needs gas to get to work. $50 Chevron
Family of 4 with one income as one parent is disabled and waiting on SSDI benefits. Client had to pay for DMV registration fees and now needs gas to get to work until they get paid.$50 Chevron
Single mother of 5 girls struggling to keep utilities on without any child support. She needs assistance with trash service before it gets interrupted. $281.18 So.Co.Sanitary Service
Nutrition Team – Mary Anne Morgan leader
Food for Lopez High School Food Pantry and for Thanksgiving baskets $1,095.87 SLO Food Bank
5 Cities Homeless Coalition – Janna Nichols Executive Director
Client has been homeless and living on the street for over two years. He has been working with 5CHC Case Managers for several months and was recently selected for a Section 8 voucher and found his own home. This request was for bedding for his new bed that was donated. $70.16 Amazon
A former homeless prevention client reached out for assistance with a past due internet bill. He had been out of work for quite some time, but found a position where he could work remotely so he can care for his disabled child. He is awaiting his first paycheck, but requested assistance with his bill so he can continue to work and maintain his new job. $96.24 Internet bill
Client has been homeless and living on the street for over ten years. He has been working with 5CHC since 2015 and has struggled with mental health which has prevented him from working towards permanent housing. One of our case managers took over his case earlier this year, and has been working with him to get connected to mental health and housing resources. The client was finally ready to start addressing his mental health with the support of 5CHC. He has now been working with behavioral health for several months and was recently selected to move into a low-income housing unit. This request was for some basic household items to help set up his new place. 5CHC Case Manager was also able to reconnect this client with his family, who he had been estranged from for many years, and they have come back into his life and are offering additional support to ensure he is successful. $490.02 Amazon
Lopez High School – Keith Gledhill- Principal; Aurora Munoz – Admin
Wolf market supplies for Positive Behavioral Interventions and supports. Items purchased: 2 packages of Extra Sugarfree Gum,
Cup Noodles $46.46
Field Trip Scholarship, student in need $50
Lopez High School Wolf Den – Heidi Boatman
Guys & Gals socks, leggings & cough drops $52.27 Dollar Tree
Blankets/Throws, Guys flannel shirts $146.73 Costco
Razors & shaving cream$63.56 Walmart
Laundry detergent $39.23 Walmart
Families in Transition – Wendy Bruse Coordinator of After School Programs, Deicy Trejo –
Two students need locks for their bikes, to keep them safe at school. Parents could not afford the additional costs due to decreased work hours during winter months. $15.12
Student needed a SCT bus pass to get to school in the mornings. Parents leave too early to give the student a ride and the winter months have cut their hours in the field work they do. $37
Student had been receiving public bus passes, but with funding cuts, he needed an alternate plan. Student asked if a bike was possible, he was open to riding it for his last 2 years of high school. $156.26
Mission Hope – Katie Crafton – Oncology Social Worker
Man in 60’s Metastatic. Colon Cancer facing shut off notice for gas company. Helped pay gas bill to avoid loss of heat for his home $250 Gas Bill
Woman in 60’s with breast cancer at risk of eviction. Could not pay the remainder of rent and requested help to not be evicted. $300 Rent
County Nurses – Meryl Castro – County Nurse Supervisor
Womenade provided diapers and wipes from a potluck fundraiser
C.A.R.E.4Paws – Libby Williams-Cabral – area administrator
An unhoused Oceano gentleman brought his dog to the closest vet hospital after "Alf" was run over by a car. Alf, miraculously, had no broken bones or internal injuries but was incredibly painful with generalized soft tissue injuries. Alf lives in a car with Ray and because he was so sore and not getting up on his own, he was boarded at the hospital so staff could give him pain medications and provide mobility assistance while medications helped to reduce inflammation. Ray and Alf have been together for over 10 yrs. $219.50 Monarch Dunes Vet
People’s Self Help Housing – Joanna Domínguez - Director of Resource Development
Household currently only has $250 per month from her Youth Employment Program and $536 in food stamps. General assistance and SSDI applications are in progress. They are unable to buy hygiene products such as shampoo and toilet paper with food stamps and after paying rent they only have $19 remaining $200 Walmart
Resident was recently released from the hospital and needs personal hygiene products like adult diapers, wipes and pads. This social worker will purchase these items up to $100 and bring to resident to remove barrier of transportation. $100 Walmart
Arroyo Grande High School and Nipomo High School – Lisa Martinez and Natalie Garcia Counselors
Many students asking for assistance with toiletries – deodorants, toothbrushes, floss, shampoo and conditioner $466.59 Walmart
HOW TO DONATE:
To make a donation write a check to South SLO County Womenade and mail to:
Our bank asked that checks be made out with the full legal name on the account.
South SLO County Womenade, 1793 Farroll Rd., Grover Beach, CA 93433. We encourage you to become one of our monthly or regular donors. This can be easily done through your bank or charitable foundation. Please remember that if your company has a matching grants program to include us. As you make or update your wills, please consider adding a legacy gift to us for our future sustainability.
or go to our website sslocw.org
Our email is: sslocwomenade@gmail.com
Our website is: sslocw.org
Our EIN# 27-0809744
Phone number: (805) 270-5751
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