Our Mission
About Us
Grateful Gatherings began in 2013 when Donna and her family saw a 10-year-old named Ayisha on the local news talking about being homeless during the holidays. Donna connected with the family and delivered Christmas dinner and presents. A few months later, Ayisha’s family was placed in a new apartment but had nothing to furnish their new home… nothing! Donna emailed 20 friends; within four days, Ayisha’s family had enough furniture and household items to set up their new home and new life.
Grateful Gatherings has turned into a vibrant, close-knit, and dedicated community of volunteers, donors, and corporate partners who help furnish homes of families transitioning out of homelessness or crisis, including single mothers, foster children, and military veterans.
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area and our organization ID is #47-1169913. Thank you for your support.
The Team
Donna Wright Somerville
Executive Director
Donna was a national television producer for over 20 years. During her career, she worked at ABC, NBC, CBS, as well as major cable outlets like Lifetime Television, HGTV, MSNBC and The Food Network. She produced talent including Matt Lauer, Joan Rivers, and Phil Donahue.
Christine Flitter
Director of Programs
Chris began her television career in local news at the NBC and FOX affiliates in San Francisco. Eventually she followed her passion for home design and moved to HGTV where over 12 years she developed, booked, wrote, and produced some of HGTV’s most successful shows.
Local Community Impact
700+ PEOPLE SERVED BY 3500+ VOLUNTEERS SINCE 2013
Look no further for a better place to invest in your local community. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the San Francisco Bay Area, we specialize in connecting volunteers, donors, and corporate partners with families who are transitioning from homelessness and crisis.
Poverty does not end when a family moves into a new apartment, so we donate household items (new and secondhand) and new mattresses to local families who deserve a safe, warm, and comfortable home.
View our 2020 Impact Report.
Donate to Families in Need
We work with 20+ social service agencies to identify families who are transitioning from homelessness, poverty, or crisis.
Support Your Community
Families that benefit from Grateful Gatherings all live in the Bay Area. We try to match volunteer groups with families as close as possible.
Achieve Immediate Impact
After a Gathering, volunteers and families see an immediate impact when new apartments are transformed into safe, warm, and comfortable homes.
Kind Words From Friends
