Bake Sale Report

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this weekend's fundraising
activities. We raised $253!

Sent from my iPhone

Yum Sweet Yum

Home Sweet Home cookies by Treat Bakery in Chicago.

BAKE SALE SUNDAY APRIL 26th
1227 Fourth Street, Santa Monica, California 90401
11:40 am to 12:40 pm

If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to help out with the Adopt-an-Apartment project by supplying goodies for this weekend's bake sale, please shoot me an email at sunshinecook@gmail.com so I can give you a bit more information on how to participate. I am collecting baked goods all day Saturday and holding the bake sale in the late morning on Sunday April 26 (my 30th birthday.) I welcome any contribution!

LA times reports that twice as many homeless families sought shelter this winter

This winter, twice as many homeless families sought emergency shelter

Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

Alitha Chism, 28, reads a bedtime story to her children Friday
at the Union Rescue Mission in downtown L.A.
The family was evicted after Alitha’s husband Amos, in back,
lost his job and their apartment went into foreclosure.

Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority says 620 families sought shelter in the last 3 months, compared with 330 last winter. Individual shelter-seekers increased about 4% across L.A. County.

By Jia-Rui Chong March 30, 2009
Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-shelters30-2009mar30,0,7212414.story

The number of homeless families in Los Angeles County seeking emergency shelter over the winter nearly doubled this year compared to last, according to figures from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.

By the end of this year's winter shelter program, which wrapped up this month, 620 families had sought vouchers for motel or hotel stays. Last winter, there were 330 families.

The increase appears to be occurring at shelters all over the county, including a more than tenfold jump from 4 to 43 families at a Culver City shelter run by EIMAGO, an affiliate of the Union Rescue Mission.

"I think the economy has been really hard on families," said Rebecca Isaacs, executive director of the Homeless Services Authority. "There are many triggers for homelessness: an eviction, an increase in rent, the loss of a job, a health tragedy, domestic violence. A lot of people are living very close to the edge."

The joint city-county agency funds many shelters year-round, but has an additional budget of $4.3 million for winter shelters from Dec. 1 to March 15. The winter shelters, which are considered a last resort, provide on-site beds for individuals and vouchers for families.

The number of individuals seeking shelter this winter increased too, but only about 4% countywide. At the four winter shelters affiliated with the Union Rescue Mission, there was a 14% increase in individuals, compared with a 631% increase in families.

The Rev. Andy Bales, the mission's chief executive, speculated that foreclosures were probably throwing more families onto the street than individuals. And recently laid-off individuals were probably more likely to find a friend or family member to take them in, he added.

"When you bring the whole family into a house, the welcome wears out sooner," he said.

Neighbors of the Burbank winter shelter were not happy with the increased numbers, and the city is considering whether to host the shelter next year, said Mayor Dave Golonski. While neighbors had many concerns about the shelter -- including worries about sex offenders, which the shelter has tried to resolve -- they were also upset that more people than anticipated were walking through residential and commercial neighborhoods into the shelter at night, he said. Shelter residents had been expected to travel by shuttle bus.

About 100 people showed up at a March 19 public hearing about the shelter, Golonski said.

"We all know we're facing some extraordinarily tough economic times . . . and people expressed a desire to help the homeless," he said. "But the neighborhood contingent continued to express concerns about the impacts on their particular neighborhood."

Since the winter program ended, agencies have been scrambling to help individuals and families find other places to stay.

The mission has kept open 120 of its winter shelter beds downtown to accommodate individuals from other shelters that closed, Bales said. Several winter shelter families are also staying there in mobile tents.

The mission has placed 22 of the 117 winter shelter families in permanent or transitional housing. The rest may be seeking shelter with other providers or may be out on the street, mission officials said.

thank you from the bottom of my heart

Dearest donors,

I am so overwhelmed with your generosity! Check it out--we're 1/2 way to the goal. I am so very touched by your support.

Home is where the friends visit,
M

My list of wishes

Dear beloved participant,

There are two reasons why you should check out this list of the items which I need to collect (suggested by the charity coordinator at Upward Bound):

1. If you are a donor to the project (and hey, why not become one with my new easy "donate" button on the right) reading this list will help you get an idea of the kinds of thing your money will help supply for a family in need.
   
2. If you live in LA, please consider whether you've got a gently used version of any of these items to spare. If so, please contact me at sunshinecook@gmail.com.
   

Items for Bedroom(s):
• Blanket/Comforter
• Sheets
• 2 Pillows
• Lamp/Nightlight
• Alarm Clock (for adults)

Items for Kitchen:
• Pots (2 or more)
• Frying pan
• Baking dish
• Toaster
• Plates
• Cereal Bowls
• Silverware/Cutlery Tray
• Vegetable Peeler
• Can Opener
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Colander
• Water Pitcher
• Ice Cube Trays
• Cookie Jar
• Glasses
• Coffee Pot/Teakettle
• Coffee Cups
• Cutting Board
• Knives
• Wooden Spoon(s)
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Serving Spoon(s)
• Salt & Pepper Shakers
• Dish Rack/Drainer
• Fridge Magnets
• Dish Towels
• Tablecloths/Placemats
• Vase (for fresh flowers)
• Tupperware
• Rug
• Large Trash Can (white or metal)

Items for bathroom:
• Shower Curtain
• Shower Curtain Liner
• Shower Curtain Rings
• Shower Rug
• Bath Towels
• Hand Towels
• Washcloths
• Shampoo (kid/adult)
• Conditioner
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Soap (bars)
• Toilet Paper
• Toilet Brush
• Waste Basket (white)

Cleaning Supplies:
• Dishwashing Liquid
• Sponges
• Trash Can & Bags
• Rubber Gloves
• Broom & Dust Pan
• Mop & Bucket
• Paper Towels
• Cleaning products (Windex, etc.)
• Paper Lunch Bags
• Aluminum Foil
• Ziploc Bags
• Saran Wrap
• Lighting (standard bedside table lighting w/40-60w bulb)

For the baby's room:
• Crib ($140 if new)
• Mattress ($40 if new)
• Crib Sheet(s)
• Crib Blanket
• Lamp/Nightlight
• Diapers & Wipes
• Healthcare Kit

Thanks as always for your attention to this lil' project!

Love,
M

We have a family!

A family has been assigned to us! I haven't gotten any details or a firm date yet, but...

The move-in date for our family will be in early May!!

Knowing that a family has been assigned to me is exciting, but I am also suddenly very nervous about the reality of coordinating this project. A big part of the butterflies in my stomach arises from the fact that I haven't solicited donations yet, so I am in the dark about how much I'll be able to raise. There is a chance this could be the most expensive birthday present I've ever given myself. :-)

I've added a donation button to this page to make it easy to contribute to the project. I need to raise somewhere between $800 and $1200 bucks depending on the size of the family we're serving and whether or not they need baby stuff. First, the money will go towards all the home furnishings they need (the practical stuff like forks, bedsheets, or lamps.) If I can collect enough additional funds (including my own contribution) I'd like to fill the fridge with fresh food; the cabinets with dry goods and cleaning supplies; and the bathroom with basic stuff like bandages and q-tips. Anything more that we can't use (because hey, why not dream big?) will be donated to directly to Upward Bound for their ongoing work with homeless families.