A Special Christmas request

http://ifhomeless.org/

My family & I are so very thankful for all that we have been blessed with this year! We are thankful for our health, our home and each other!

But this year has been very very difficult for many families around all of us. In searching for new ways to help some of these families, we recently became involved with an organization that helps homeless families with children. My 3 kids and I have become volunteer babysitters for the Illumination Foundation.

This foundation operates out of a hotel in Costa Mesa, CA that provides a number of services to the homeless. The bulk of their program works to get families w/children off the streets and into the hotel as a transition (back) to independent living. They also work with Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach by taking in homeless persons who have been discharged from the hospital but still need medical attention. Many private & public donations are used to fund the Illumination Foundation.

It is a comprehensive & effective program!! As you can imagine in this economy, the foundation is overwhelmed with the number of families who are homeless. Many of these families had good jobs and enjoyed independent living like you and me until they were laid off, or suffered some form of financial tragedy and lost everything from their pets to their dignity and are now homeless with their children.

In addition to being a family with children, one of the requirements for admission into the Illumination Foundation’s program is mandatory counseling 3 evenings per week. Volunteer Counselors provide information on everything from anger management to family counseling to job retraining.

This is where we come in. My kids & I babysit up to 2 dozen children three evenings a week while the parents (& older siblings) are in counseling sessions. We read books, do crafts & play cards with a great bunch of kids!

Of the 2 dozen kids that we have gotten to know, we have discovered that most of them are over weight and only a couple of them have a bicycle to ride and none of them have a helmet to wear.

How can you help? We are looking for 20 youth helmets & 20 youth bicycle donations in time for the foundation's Christmas Party on December 20th. These children range in age/size from 4-12 yrs old. We are asking for new items, but will be grateful for whatever you can donate!!

Dec 20th ~ My kids have also asked me if we can put together some fun fitness & cycling oriented Christmas gifts for the kids and for the Illumination Foundation in time for their Christmas Party on Dec 20th. We will appreciate items such as training wheels, handlebar grips & streamers, bicycle horns & bells, long & short jump ropes, hula hoops, twister, water bottles, sneakers, bicyle tubes & tires (for 12-24" wheels), floor pumps, shoes & socks (you’d be surprised at how many of these kids only pair of shoes is beach flip-flops!), & any other portable toys/games that encourage the kids to exercise while playing! There are a gazillion books & board/card games available to these kids but nothing that encourages exercise.

1 Very Special Need ~ The Illumination Foundation recently enrolled a homeless family with a young blind boy named Deshawn. Deshawn is 4 yrs old and has been blind since birth. Due to his family’s homelessness, he has not had access to age appropriate toys to play with and learn from. Both his family and the Illumination Foundation are in desperate need of touchy-feely toys, games, puzzles & books for this boy to facilitate his natural curiosity & learning needs. If you have any gently used items that you would like to give specifically to Deshawn for Christmas, please let me know.

Thank you to everyone who reads this!
Hebrews 13:5

Julia