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Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, ̽����ѡ NorCal supporters continued a holiday welcoming tradition this year, bringing in nearly $15,000 worth of items for 60 ̽����ѡ families. 
 
For the past few years, the ̽����ѡ in Sacramento and Turlock have coordinated a Winter Welcome/Welcome Home Donation Drive to engage the generosity of the community to support newly arrived families and ̽����ѡ beneficiaries in transition. The ̽����ѡ received physical donations such as bicycles, kitchen accessories, and toys (as seen below) to inventory and distribute to families as a “winter welcome.” 

2019 Sacramento Winter Welcome Donation Drive – (left) Susan Hawkins, Refugee/Immigrant Specialist with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; (right) Missy! Orr, ̽����ѡ Community Engagement Manager

Due to the pandemic, the ̽����ѡ piloted the use of Amazon Wishlists, expanding across all four offices for a virtual experience. Donors were able to purchase pre-selected items through Amazon, and then have them shipped directly to clients’ homes. Northern California’s four ̽����ѡ offices – Turlock, San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento – coordinated with caseworkers to select high need families to support. In addition to nearly $15,000 worth of items that were shipped to families, donors provided nearly $5,000 worth of gift cards and general donations to support more families and emerging client needs.

The ̽����ѡ across Northern California is grateful for the continuous support of refugees, immigrants, and survivors of crime & human trafficking. Pictured below is a heart-warming thank you from one of the families who received donations this year saying, “you deserve a special place in our hearts… we did not feel alone, during this difficult time.”

Thank you letter from a family who received winter welcome donations (2020)