We hope your Christmas holiday was good. Without a doubt, 2020 has been a challenging year, especially for those in need. However, we were able to Step Up in our giving as we surged ahead to do all that we could to help in March when the Country was shut down due to the COVID-19.
Lend A Hand volunteers stepped up and began gathering resources like food, rental assistance, backpacks, supplies, and other essentials. Here are some of the areas we were able to support:
- provided thousands of dollars’ worth of school supplies to Oakland Unified School District for delivery to homes where children were homeschooling in March.
- provided 480 backpacks filled with hygiene kits for both men and women residing in two shelters in Oakland and Hayward in April.
- provided over 200 meals, additional school supplies, and masks in May.
On August 4 and August 6, we continued to step up as the pandemic and resultant unemployment worsened by distributing over 8,000 backpacks with supplies and over 30,000 bags of groceries to families of students who attended 20 schools in the Oakland School District.
- Then there were raging fires and Lend A Hand stepped up and supported 10 individuals with temporary housing support, clothing, and food.
It has been an honor and a privilege to stand with the families in need during 2020 and we intend to be there in 2021 stepping up our efforts to bring much needed resources to many families experiencing much devastation during these turbulent times in our community. We have established a Family Emergency Fund, surely this fund is most needed, right now!
- For our 21st Annual “Joy of Giving” activity we pivoted to a new way of doing our event to make sure the families received as much help as we could provide and that their children, so innocently awaiting their promised gifts, would get them. With many hands, we were able to provide a lot of support. That is how is all happening, coming together.
We also know that in 2021, our families will need more resources. Can you please step up with us by making a gift of $50 or more? Your donation of $50 or whatever amount you can provide will be greatly appreciated and will support families with much needed items such as groceries and other essentials. We will continue to reach out to stores and others to help the families and we will build on the Family Emergency Fund to increase our support for as long as we can. Now that there will not be an unemployment check before the end of the year, the families are facing even more challenges.
Supporting our Family Emergency Fund will be a win-win situation all around, which will be better than what they have now toward food and other essentials.
You can give hope to a family now and throughout the coming year. Please join us in assisting families by making a gift today. With your hands helping our hands, we can make a huge difference during these times.
If you need further information, we can be reached by calling 510 553-1262. Your donation is tax deductible. Our Tax I.D. No. is 94-3293372. Thank you for your time and consideration. You can make your donation by clicking here or you can mail to – Lend A Hand Foundation, 8105 Capwell Drive, Oakland, CA 94621.
Again, thank you and we wish you a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!
The Lend A Hand Foundation Team