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A letter from the Director |
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 When the Giving Is the Gift By Joan Whitenack
Executive Director, Foothill Unity Center For decades, Foothill Unity Center has been thankful for the many caring local people who make our work possible. But for this holiday season, "thank you" just doesn’t seem like enough. In a year when we wondered how we could possibly serve such an unprecedented number of people in need, we were blessed by an extraordinary number of people who wanted to help. It was a season when miracles of giving abounded. So many of the people who brought us donations of toys, food and money told me, "We decided not to give gifts this year. We wanted to help bring joy to families who are having a hard time." At our holiday distribution in mid-December, an elderly client on her way out of the Arboretum with her box of food stopped to tell me, " I’d like to make a donation." I gently explained that she didn’t need to pay for the food she’d been given, and suggested that she might want to use the money to pay for her utilities or other needs. She replied that she’d covered those costs, and now she wanted to help others. I said we’d be happy to accept her gift. When she apologized that it was small, I explained about the river. A river can’t exist without a drop of water, and another, and another. It takes many donations, large and small, to help our clients – and together, all those small drops make a huge difference to neighbors in need. She was so happy to be able to give a donation and know she was helping. Miracle: I realized that by accepting it, we’d given her a gift more lasting than her food box. A woman in Sierra Madre threw a neighborhood party, and everyone came. Restaurants donated food. There was a live band, a silent auction and more. Everyone brought a gift for a child, or donated funds. Miracle: They raised over $8,000, collected lots of toys for local kids whose families are struggling, and had a really good time doing it. As we worked to gather enough food for 1,871 low-income families, we quickly realized we didn’t have enough meats to go around. We asked the local papers to help us get the word out, and they did. The hams and turkeys started coming in – one at time, and sometimes even by the basketful. Every donation counted as we fought to reach the goal. Miracle: we had the right meat item for every family - thanks to a caring community who heard our plea for help. Giving each of our 3,040 client children a new toy and clothing this year was a daunting task. But our hand-decorated paper angels, each with a child’s name, age, and special wishes, were adopted by more people than ever before. One by one- ssometimes hundred by hundred - a ngels flew out our door and were brought back with the gifts written on them. Churches, companies, schools, organizations, families and individuals chose an angel and went shopping especially for that child. Even Department of Social Services employees helped provide angel toys for many of the families they worked with … and found great joy in helping. Miracle: we received enough gifts to give every child two toys and new clothing. On the days we packed our Thanksgiving and Holiday food boxes, hundreds of generous people came out to help. (This has become a time when our terrific local teenagers show up and make a tough job seem easy.) Miracle: We packed 1,871 food boxes in four hours flat. Two hours later, a mountain of cardboard was broken down, the walls were decorated and the floors were swept - rready for the big Distribution Day. Local police departments, firemen, seniors and other groups pitched in to make this year’s events the best ever. Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts mobilized to collect food, decorate angels, sort food and pack boxes.When we say our events are community efforts, we really mean it - and that’s never been truer than it was this year. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see so many people giving in so many ways. We simply couldn’t do it without them. As bleak times continue, your support will be even more crucial - aand it will make an even greater impact for good. Knowing the next person we help could easily be your friend or relative enhances the desire to take part. But as people tell us every day, it just feels good to help.Words can’t express how much we thank you.
Foothill Unity Center, Inc. is an IRS 501(c)(3) charitable corporation - Fed. Tax Id #95-4310817
Foothill Unity Center | Foothill Unity Center | Rainbow’s End | Distribution and Administration | Distribution Site | Boutique and Thrift Store | 415 W. Chestnut St. | 191 N. Oak St. | 346 W. Huntington Dr. | Monrovia, CA 91016 | Pasadena, CA 91107 | (King Ranch Center) | Tel: 626 358-3486 | Tel: 626 584-7420 | Monrovia, CA 91016 | Fax: 626 358-8224 | | Tel: 626 303-3040 |
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