Here are some pictures and stories to put a smile on your face!
Cookies, Cookies, Cookies and more!
We have some amazing Womenaders in our midst. Vanessa Fujimoto, contributed so many things to our efforts in South SLO County. She gathered 19 of her many like-minded neighbors and organized a cookie “exchange”. They all made cookies and then lovingly plated them on holiday platters complete with handmade decorations and donated them to families in need during the holidays. Two of our agencies were working so hard Christmas week, and hand delivered these trays to 19 families. The families were so grateful that someone who doesn’t even know them would make such a beautiful tray of cookies for them.
Erica Andrade, an advocate with the Link sent this story:
Hi! I just dropped off a cookie tray to a family that just lost their uncle to COVID19 this am. They didn't have time to plan anything for Christmas, and we're so grateful that Womenade gave them a cookie tray. It lifted their spirits.
Vanessa also made a dozen beautiful reversible Christmas aprons, and gave one to each of the women who volunteers at the Nipomo Food Distribution. They are beautiful and most of them wore them with joy on Christmas!
Vanessa and Helen Powell have been seamstresses extraordinaires making hundreds of facemasks for clients at the food distributions and for students at Nipomo Elementary School. Clients and families at the school can't afford to purchase these facemasks.
A Grateful Client
Shannon Pimentel from the First5 Early Learning Program shared the following note from one of her clients who was so grateful for assistance your donations provided –
"Hello, I am a single parent to a 4 year old boy. I am currently in nursing school going for my LVN license at the moment and let me tell you it has been so tough. I have been trying to balance everything from working, taking the time to help my son with school stuff, to also having ten hour lecture days and traveling a couple hours away for 12 hour shifts for clinicals. With COVID-19 going on it’s been tough with school and now my job being shut down due to the state mandating it for the third time since March. Your offering and support is going to be such a big help being that I drive so much for school and the clinical sites I have to go to. Thank you for all you do for those of us in need. This definitely comes to show that what I am doing for my son now will pay off and not only will he appreciate it but others as well. Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart."
-Maria, mother of Gabriel at Oceano Early Learning Center
Toys, Toys, Toys
We received a $2,000 donation from an amazing donor on December 20th to be spent on toys! This gift put Santa and his elves in a mad dash to figure out how to get this money into the hands of the agencies and to buy toys to be delivered before Christmas! Sara Zepeda, from the South County Youth Coalition was up to the task. She went to Whiz Kids in SLO, an independent toy store, and gleefully went down her lists of lists that were still unfulfilled! Then she and some of her fellow advocates took off on their sleighs and delivered toys in time for Christmas! Here is a picture of Sara with the toys she gathered!
Here is some feedback from the toys deliveries:
Sweet boy with autism soooo excited for his legos!!! Over the moon!!!
Today there was a family who thought they filled out the salvation army paperwork but apparently they did it wrong and were going to have no gifts! Whiz Kids and Womenade to the rescue both kids got amazing presents!!
Another family was sponsored but they were doubled up with a family who did not get a sponsor, and we were able to make sure the second family got toys and presents!! Imagine how it would have felt Christmas day if they had been left out!!
There were so many toys, Sara had to go back the next day to pick up the rest!
The Wolf Den at Lopez High School Played Santa
The Wolf Den provided 16 Gift Bags for the Children in the Lopez High Nursery for Christmas and adopted two families of three each and provided them with nice clothing from top to bottom.
We are so proud to be surrounded by all you wonderful donors, agencies, and advocates, and of all the good we have done in South SLO County this year!
The board of South SLO County Womenade and our sponsored agencies thank you all for your support throughout the year. We wish you the best for a much improved and healthy 2021!
To make a donation write a check to South SLO County Womenade and mail to: South SLO County Womenade, 1793 Farroll Rd., Grover Beach, CA 93433 or go to our website sslocw.org or paypal.me/sslocwomenade .
Our email is: sslocwomenade@gmail.com
Our website is: sslocw.org
Our EIN# is:27-0809744
Phone number: (805) 270-5751
Copyright © 2020 South SLO County Womenade, All rights reserved.
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