HOLIDAY FUND
Helping the needy
Holiday Fund 2009 BY JEB BING
T
EMILY WEST
A bedroom is seen above at Tri-Valley Haven’s Sojourner House, which is eligible to receive “wrap around” funds through the 2009 Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund. Page 16 • November 20, 2009 • Pleasanton Weekly
he 7th annual Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund campaign kicks off this week, with the aim of raising several hundred thousand dollars through a unique opportunity to provide assistance to some of the poorest families in the Tri-Valley with a 4-to-1 match of each contribution through the 2009 Tri-Valley Regional Initiative. The Initiative is a collaborative economic recovery program being sponsored through the Tri-Valley Community Foundation, the Tri-Valley Business Council and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty. Gifts to the Holiday Fund will be matched by federal stimulus money designated for temporary assistance to needy families, including a strong employment development component. The matched funds will be used to identify and evaluate the needs of local families hardest hit by the economic downturn and help them directly with crisis counseling, emergency food, housing, job training, and other basic necessities. This year’s new matching gift program means that a gift of $100 will be matched for a total of $400 in aid to help families in the Tri-Valley living below 200 percent of the federal poverty line ($48,000 for a family of four). The money donated and matched through the 2009 Tri-Valley Regional Initiative will be used to identify and evaluate the needs of families hardest hit by the economic downturn, and then distributed to local community organizations to provide “wrap around” services for these families, helping them acquire rental housing, complete job training, gain employment and meet the basic needs of their family. This could include providing emergency food, school supplies for the children, car repairs and crisis intervention counseling. In addition to a wider base of needy recipients, the Weekly’s campaign will continue to provide grants to Pleasanton and Tri-Valley nonprofit organizations that provide “wrap around” services for families, including Axis Community Health, Open Heart Kitchen and Tri-Valley Haven. This year, these groups will benefit more than ever by the 4-to-1 match. “In this time of economic crisis with so many people unemployed and so many families hurting, the Pleasanton Weekly couldn’t pass up this opportunity to receive a 4 -to-1 match with federal funds,” said Gina Channell-Allen, president of the Pleasanton Weekly. “This will help the largest number of families and individuals in our community.” Last year, thanks to matching funds from the Tri-Valley Community Foundation, seven nonprofit organizations serving the needs of children and families in the Pleasanton area received grants totaling more than $138,000 from the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund. With the Weekly’s new partners for 2009, it’s hoped that total contributions will be at least four times as much. Among those who benefited last year from the Holiday Fund are people such as Tracy, 34, the mother of two children, a son, 8 and a daughter, 11. Tracy’s husband became terribly depressed and abandoned the family after he lost his job. Until then, the couple had a happy marriage, but little extra money to invest in savings. Tracy found a temporary home at Sojourner House in Livermore, a family crisis shelter. She had been pursuing a certificate in cosmetology prior to her husband’s departure, but then had no money or time to complete the certification process. Sojourner House, operated by Tri-Valley Haven, provided a safe place for her family, care for her children, including academic tutoring in their school subjects, and access to “Linkages,” a HUD (Housing and Urban Development) program designed to provide “wrap around services” to families in crisis that is operated by Tri-Valley Haven under a contract with HUD. While at Sojourner House, Tracy and her family thrived. The children blossomed in school, excelling in their academic subjects. Specially trained and certified counselors at Sojourner House provided extra support and guidance for the children, including help dealing with the loss of their father. They knew there were adults who cared about them and were helping them adjust to their new community. Today, Tracy has her cosmetology license and is fully employed, able to support her young family. During the