Dear Neighbors, Earlier this week you got the email below asking you to support area families experiencing homelessness by either making a donation via the Heading Home for the Holidays Somerville Moms and Beyond page <https://www.justgiving.com/page/kim-jalet-1730918738889?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fkim-jalet-1730918738889&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share> or by donating books through wish lists at Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1A9761V5119YT?ref_=wl_share> or Porter Square Books (PSB) <https://www.portersquarebooks.com/wishlist/3267>. I inadvertently provided the wrong coupon code for getting 10% off your order for donation at PSB. The correct code is HEADINGHOME24.
Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you. Sincerely, Kim (Brooks Rd.) Dear Neighbors, If you're seeking a meaningful way to contribute this holiday season, please consider joining me in making a donation to assist families in our community who are experiencing homelessness. This is my 11th year organizing for Heading Home for the Holidays. Heading Home is an organization located in Boston dedicated to ending homelessness, and you can help make the holidays brighter for families in need in our area by contributing to online gift cards and children’s books, allowing parents to select gifts for their children. And it’s not just about the power to choose. It’s a holiday meal on the table for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. It’s this season’s latest toy that has been on a child’s wish list for months. It’s warm winter coats for the family that just arrived here from a warmer climate. It’s the formula and diapers for the brand new baby. Gift cards equate to choice, but they also equate to happy, healthy families spending time together this holiday season. And that’s the real gift! HOW TO HELP If you’d like to make a donation, please go to our Somerville Moms and Beyond page <https://www.justgiving.com/page/kim-jalet-1730918738889?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fkim-jalet-1730918738889&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=pfp-share> and click “Give Now” to make a donation in the amount that is right for you. I ask you to share this fundraising page widely. We will need lots of support to get to our goal by December 1st this year. You may also consider purchasing children's books for Heading Home through wish lists at Amazon <https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1A9761V5119YT?ref_=wl_share> or Porter Square Books (PSB) <https://www.portersquarebooks.com/wishlist/3267> by November 23rd. At PSB, you can use the code HEADINGHOME2024 for a 10% discount. Amazon books will ship directly to me, and I will pick up books from PSB. If you choose to buy from another vendor, please ship them to me. I will deliver all books to Heading Home. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me, and if you give, please send me your email address ([email protected]) so I can thank you and send an annual notification of the Drive. WHY GIFT CARDS? Gift cards provide families the dignity of choosing gifts for their children at a time in their lives when so much is decided for them. According to a Heading Home staffer, “Our Families often naturally lose autonomy as they enter into Emergency Shelter due to the strict rules and guidelines. Providing the families with gift cards allows them to feel autonomy and pride by picking out their child’s presents for the holidays.” THE GOAL Heading Home is hoping to raise $50,000 so that they can provide gift cards to every household in their programs, and I am hoping to raise $20,000 of that. ABOUT HEADING HOME Heading Home is on the frontlines of fighting homelessness in Massachusetts. In FY24, they served a total of 8,462 clients in 3,195 families across all types of programs. They have 2,488 clients, 1,311 of whom are children, in housing programs. 194 households were placed out of homelessness with a retention rate of 97.7%. I am particularly impressed by their addition of diversion services. Diversion services help families on the brink of homelessness secure safe alternatives to shelter and address barriers to housing, including but not limited to financial, legal, mental health, substance abuse, safety, employment, healthcare, and housekeeping. This allows Heading Home to treat the root causes of homelessness, ending homelessness before it even begins. In FY24, 67 families (231 clients total) were successfully diverted from entering the shelter system. So many donors reach out to tell me that Heading Home for the Holidays has become a beloved tradition for their families - a way to know that they are making a meaningful impact locally. With so much uncertainty in our world, I hope you will help me make the holidays more joyous and meaningful for the families served by Heading Home and for your own. Sincerely, Kim (19 Brooks Rd.) P.S. If you please like our Facebook page <https://www.facebook.com/somervillemomsheadinghomeholidaydrive/>. P.P.S. A note about receipts for taxes. If I have your email address, I will notify you when I receive children’s books if you include a gift receipt with your name or email me your confirmation (PSB does not provide me with a list of donors). If you buy children’s books, at the end of the Drive, I will send out an in-kind receipt for your tax records. If you donate via the Heading Home website, you will get a donor receipt from them. Please note, if you donate anonymously, I have no way to know that you donated.
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