InterView
By Chris Murphy
This has been a year where everything is upside down. I know it has been a really hard time for these organizations this year. Fundraising is tough in a regular year, and 2020 has been hard and is delivering knock out blows to our people and our local businesses. Some of our issues and some of the problems they face, like domestic violence, homelessness, disabilities and food shortages are worse this year and the fundraising shortfall has really taken a toll. So much this season has turned into virtual fundraising, but the needs in our community are still very real. What can our community do to support these organizations this holiday season?
We asked the leaders of our local non-profits how our community can help this holiday season and we were amazed how our non-profits have changed with the COVID restrictions and how badly needed their services are needed and how important your funding is. Here is how you can help this holiday season. Please check these organizations, see what you can do, follow their social media pages so you can stay in the loop. ModestoView tries to keep you up to speed on local needs as well so make sure you like and follow us at @modestoview
Haven Women’s Center
May Rico, Executive Director
We are currently soliciting donations of Holiday Gifts for our families as we do every year. With the wonderful support of local donors and foundations, our extra costs related to COVID program modifications have been covered through the end of the year and into the beginning of 2021. This has allowed us to continue providing services such as 24 hour shelter, hospital response for sexual assault survivors, restraining order assistance, and remote services such as crisis line, safety planning, case management, and counseling.
Traditional fundraising has been drastically impacted. While grants and the COVID specific support we’ve received cover many of our direct expenses, there are indirect expenses that are just as vital to functioning. For example, a grant may pay for a counselor and materials used in counseling, but it might NOT cover rent and utilities for the office that counselor. Haven has three fundraising events each year: Kick Up Your Heels in the Fall, Holiday Letter at the end of the year, and Walk a Mile in Her Shoes (WAM) in the Spring. WAM 2020 had to be postponed and became WAM Reimagined this past October. We are extremely grateful for all the community support we received to keep WAM going, but our net revenue did not reach the mark of years past. Kick Up Your Heels has been postponed until spring and we aren’t sure conditions then will even allow it to happen. That makes response to our Holiday Letter, which is going out this weekend, so important to our continued stability.
Please consider donating at www.havenwcs.org
mrico@havenwcs.org<mailto:mrico@havenwcs.org>
Center for Human Services
Cindy Duenas and Gina Machado
Since 1970, Center for Human Services (CHS) has provided a wide range of services, starting at one location to six throughout Stanislaus County. Although our 50th anniversary milestone year has been one filled with uncertainties from the COVID-19 pandemic, CHS remained resilient! We adapted to new ways of providing services and with the unwavering support from the community, our services remained uninterrupted and readily available to vulnerable, underserved populations in Stanislaus County. We invite you to pick your passion. Center for Human Services has many programs that are supported through donations. Your gift can make an impact in several key areas: our new capital campaign<www.centerforhumanservices.org/support-us/capital-campaign/> for a youth navigation center, providing meals for teens at Hutton House<www.centerforhumanservices.org/what-we-do/shelter-services/hutton-house/>–our emergency shelter for 13-17 year olds, providing food boxes for families at one of our four family resource centers<www.centerforhumanservices.org/what-we-do/family-resource-centers/>, or providing virtual counseling through our mental health<www.centerforhumanservices.org/what-we-do/mental-health-services/> clinics. So, pick your passion and make a donation today at centerforhumanservices.org/donate<www.centerforhumanservices.org/support-us/donate-now/>.
United Way of Stanislaus County
By Francine Foley
For over 65 years, we have worked to address the most pressing issues in Stanislaus County. We work to address the root causes of issues that affect education, health, homelessness, and so much more. We ENGAGE by connecting organizations that can work together… we BUILD up other nonprofits so that they can serve our residents even more, and we continue to INVEST to improve our communities.
How can you help? Now, as we continue to face the uncertainty of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to LIVE UNITED. Visit YTT-uwaystan.org to learn about how we have raised over $1,000,000 (since the peak of the pandemic in March!) to support over 50 organizations in our community. Join us! Give today by visiting uwaystan.org and clicking DONATE at the top or texting UWDONATE to the number 41444.
Society for DisAbilities
By Cathy Mendoza
The Society for disABILITIES enhances the quality of life for people with disabilities within the Central Valley – and we need your help to bridge the financial gap that COVID-19 has created so we can continue to serve the most vulnerable in our community.
Our Medical Equipment Loan Closet is an important service, vital to those who are permanently disabled and those recovering from surgery or an accident. We loan everything from wheelchairs to hospital beds; standing poles to grab bars; bedside commodes to shower chairs. Last year, we loaned over 1,500 pieces of equipment – and the need continues. This year we are struggling to cover the costs of operating the Loan Closet. Our Loan Closet is not a revenue stream for us; it is our gift to the community. We rely on income received through donations and via our Thrift Store sales. Besides the maintenance and repair that our equipment sometimes requires, we must also cover the salary of our DME (Durable Medical Equipment) Specialist. Due to cancelled fundraisers and our Thrifts Shop closure, a result of COVID 19, we fear that our ability to have a positive impact on persons with disabilities will be impeded.
Please donate at www.societyfordisabilities.org<www.societyfordisabilities.org> You can also send a check to 1129 8th St., Modesto CA 95354 cathy@societyfordisabilities.org<mailto:cathy@societyfordisabilities.org>
InterFaith Ministries
By Elizabeth Wright
Through this time of scarcity and caution, we’ve received unprecedented support from agencies like United Way of Stanislaus, Kaiser Permanente, EFSP, SCAN, and many private donors, but we’ve also experienced unprecedented need in greater and ever-increasing measure. In short, our community has come through, but it’s not keeping up with the food insecurity that our neighbors are experiencing due to the economic fallout of COVID-19, and we don’t foresee a change any time soon. In order to keep serving at these increased levels, we must ask the community for the funds to support our expanded operations, or we risk diminished resources for the folks who need help.
At the same time, we are excited to announce that, after months of planning, Interfaith Ministries of Greater Modesto has launched a rebrand in order to make it easier to identify what we do, and who we serve. We hope that our new name, The Food Initiative of Greater Stanislaus, or “The Food Initiative” for short, does just that. The transition will be incremental so that we don’t confuse our donors and clients, but we hope that, in the long run, this new name and look will make us more recognizable as an organization that addresses food insecurity directly, and county-wide. Figs, our new icon, are symbolically relevant across many faiths, representing welcome and abundance, which we feel is a fitting tribute to our cherished heritage as an interfaith organization. Our mission, purpose, and people are the same. We continue to “Feed Modesto”. But we know that, with your help, we can do more.
Please consider giving today. You can give at www.interfaithmodesto.org/donate-online or send checks to 120 Kerr Avenue, Modesto, CA 95354.
Love Modesto
By Jeff Pishney
This year has been hard in so many ways, but I believe our community needs us now more than ever. We have received the support we have needed for our initiatives and events at least for now. The real need we (and I know other non-profits) have is the funds to keep our organization going. I just got our insurance renewal quotes for next year and it will increase significantly. Our accounting billing has been increasing, we’re having to pay for a more extensive audit this year, rent continues need to be paid, our printer just broke, etc. So I know it may not be as appealing as so many of the things we’re doing in our community, but we have to “keep the lights on” if we’re going to be able to keep helping our community in the increased amount of ways we are being asked to lead. We’re are up for it, but we could certainly use all the support we need this holiday season going into 2021. Thank you again, Jeff Pishney – Executive Director LoveModesto.com
and LoveOurCities.org
How to Support C.A.S.A
By Steve Ashman, Executive Director, CASA of Stanislaus County
Due to the pandemic facing our communities, over the past 6 months CASA of Stanislaus County lost more than $80,000 in revenue from events we had planned but were forced to cancel. Your donation will be of enormous help so that we can continue to serve our kids. Our volunteer Advocates are recruited, screened and trained by CASA and become sworn Officers of the Juvenile Division of Superior Court. Advocates represent the best interests of abused and neglected children, with our goal of a safe, secure and stable home environment. There are more than 800 dependent/foster children in Stanislaus County. In order to serve all of the children referred to us by the Court, CASA is continually recruiting and training volunteer advocates in an attempt to meet this growing need. Currently, we have 467 children on our high priority wait list that have been referred to our program by the Court. On behalf of the CASA Board of Directors, our staff and the children we serve, we thank you.
casaed@stanct.org<mailto:casaed@stanct.org>
Community Hospice Providing Vital Services
by C. DeSha McLeod, CEO & President
As the COVID-19 public health crisis has impacted Modesto, Community Hospice, Inc., our local nonprofit community-based palliative and hospice care provider, continues to stay focused on embracing individuals and their families facing life-changing journeys, enhancing quality of life for all. COVID-19 has forced our organization to think outside the box. Now more than ever, we are committed to providing the vital resources our community members need to help ease their fears and provide comfort. Our staff and volunteers have readily embraced this challenging time as an opportunity for creativity and change with additional safety precautions, personal protective equipment and education. Palliative and hospice staff continue to address the physical, emotional and spiritual care needs of those we are honored to serve, all while addressing the everchanging uncertainty and fear of the public health crisis. Upcoming virtual programs and events include Light Up A Life Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony to honor our patients and partnering frontline healthcare heroes, our annual Clergy Forum, Stronger Together campaign, Fantasy of Trees online fundraising auction, Family Tree Decorating Ceremony and more. Program and event details may be found at hospiceheart.org.
Salvation Army Serves Others in Need
by Major Harold Laubach Jr., Modesto Corps Officer
“The Salvation Army in Modesto has stepped up and increased certain programs that relate directly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Food Warehouse has distributed more than 1.4 million lbs. of food in the last 8 months including home delivery of food boxes to shut in seniors who are self-isolating and quarantined COVID-19 families within our county. We have distributed more than 18,000 food boxes for these individuals and families that are unable to get out and purchase food supplies. At the same time The Salvation Army has continued to provide shelter beds for this time, increasing our disinfecting schedules, isolating new shelter clients for 14 days, and even helping 45 clients and staff with their COVID-19 positive diagnosis. Of those 45 positive clients and staff, only two needed hospitalized and both were returned to our shelter and everyone made a full recovery.
While we have had to cancel at least 6 fundraisers in the last 8 months, our programs have continued and our community services have increased. We rely on amazing staff, volunteers and donors and get us through these challenging times. Your donations are so very needed and you can contribute on line at www.SalvationArmyModesto.org Blessings to you all as we serve our community together.
