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Volunteers TLC Clean-Up Day, October 2007
If you haven't had a chance to visit TLC (Tenderloin Childcare Center) you'll need a little background to appreciate just how hard our volunteers worked. TLC is a big facility with three floors, including the rooftop playground, three large classrooms, a huge play area complete with a toddler sized climbing wall and a parent education room. The center is used each day by 66 students from homeless and very low-income families who rely on it to be an oasis from the chaotic neighborhoods in which many of them live. Volunteers arrived early for the day of cleaning and organizing. Each classroom received a thorough going-over. Chairs were turned upside down, floors were scrubbed and the front door got a fresh coat of paint. If you happened to drive by that morning, you may have even glimpsed one of Compass' own board members power washing the front of the building! TLC's teachers and families were thrilled when they returned to the center on Monday morning. The efforts of our TLC Clean-Up Day volunteers were truly appreciated! Connecting Point's Annual Halloween Party, October 2007
Each year things get a little bit spookier at Connecting Point's Annual Halloween Party. This year spider webs dripped from the ceilings and the kids shrieked with delight at the full-sized mechanical zombie guarding the party entrance. More than one hundred families gathered to trick-or-treat, participate in great activities and show off their little goblins, ghosts and princesses. Thanks to generous donors and volunteers the children enjoyed painting pumpkins, fun carnival games, cookie decorating and face painting. Best of all, we were able to provide a costume to every child who needed one! The Wrapping Party, December 2007
With close to 500 children expected to attend our holiday party, we knew that we needed help to wrap the 1000+ presents that we planned to distribute. The volunteers were amazing! They wrapped the presents in record time and figured out how to wrap even the most unusual objects - like stuffed rats - beautifully. Wrapping, however, was not the end of the job. Once the presents were wrapped, volunteers then helped to assemble individual gift bags for each family who would be attending the party. It was especially touching to see the care that went into assembling each bag to ensure that every child would receive the perfect gift.
The Annual Holiday Party, December 2007
The holiday season at Compass would not be complete with out the annual Holiday Party. It has always been a big event, but this year the addition of two new projects has increased the size of our Compass family considerably. In order to accommodate the number of families who would be attending, the party found a new home at the San Francisco County Fair Building. We knew, however, that transforming the space into a winter wonderland, cooking and serving a complete meal and running the children’s carnival would been impossible without help Help arrived in the form of more than 200 volunteers who assisted with every aspect of the party. The first shift arrived at 9am to help us set-up and decorate. This included inflating 2000 helium balloons! Volunteers continued to arrive all day and remained until the last garbage can was emptied. Connecting Point case manager, Veronica Estrella, worked closely with many of the volunteers and had the monumental task of organizing and scheduling volunteers for the entire day. "I was very impressed with the volunteers’ enthusiasm and flexibility," said Estrella. "It felt really good as an organizer to see so many eager people want to help at our event. I firmly believe that our event was successful because of our volunteers." Most importantly, the event was a huge hit with our families who overwhelmingly reported that this was our best party ever!
Adopt-A-Family Brings More than just Presents to Families in Need Each year the Adopt-A-Family project ensures that families in need do not miss out on the joy of opening presents. For parents of young children, there is no easy explanation when Santa seems to have overlooked their household. While children are the most obvious beneficiaries, Adopt-A-Family can also have a dramatic affect on the overall well being of the entire family. This year many parents received gifts that will help them advance in their careers, raise their self-esteem and create safe and comfortable households for their families. Several parents received tool kits or cookware essential to their job performance and security. Many families received household essentials such as towels, sheets and blankets that are difficult to afford on limited budgets. With more than 70 families moving into permanent housing in 2007, these gifts have truly transformed lives. Compass' families are not the only ones who benefit from the Adopt-A-Family project. According to Ruth Hook, who has participated in the project for the past five years, shopping for her adopted family is a much anticipated event. "It's just a thrill to do something for someone who might not have a nice Christmas," said Hook. "I look forward to Adopt-A-Family every year." Other participants see Adopt-A-Family as a way in which to introduce the concepts of volunteerism and compassion for those less fortunate to their own children. Based on their Adopt-A-Family experience, several participants have even sought ways in which they can continue to work with Compass’ programs. This year, thanks to our donors, 214 Compass families enjoyed a very happy holiday season.
SF HOME Ends 2007 on a High Note Since the first family moved into their own apartment last March, SF HOME has helped approximately 52 families to secure their own, private-market housing. Impressively, several families have already successfully transitioned off of the rental subsidy received through the Project - well ahead of the 12 month time period for which they were able eligible to receive assistance.
Special thanks to... ...the Junior League of San Francisco for their ongoing support and dedicated volunteers. ...the Hearst Foundation for providing the students of TLC with a fun-filled morning of face painting, a puppet show and a pizza lunch! ...the JP Morgan Chase Foundation for their generous ongoing support of the students at TLC. ...Chef Alex Tamburro for donating his time and talents to give our families a truly memorable holiday feast during the Annual Holiday Party. ...Parthenon Capital for their generous and ongoing support of the Annual Holiday Party. ...our generous Adopt-A-Family donors. ...and to all of the volunteers who helped us create a beautiful Holiday Party for the families of Compass Community Services. On behalf of the staff and families of Compass Community Services, thank you!
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