One Lucky Day Brings Hope

On Saint Patrick’s Day, not only did we have the luck of the Irish on our side holding off the rain until we were done, but we had you! Your generosity was overwhelming! Before, these two apartments were just shells; simply a shelter from the cold.

Now they are homes, and places where these two amazing women and their children, can recover and rebuild their lives. Without your donated items and time commitment, it would not have been possible. It would have taken these hard working mom’s years to afford what we were able to give them in a day.

Take a look at what you helped create.

Maria* and her daughters Alissa*, age 5, and Arianna*, age 13, sought shelter 6 months ago at Save, a not-for-profit that helps battered women and their children.  She left everything behind to get away from her abuser.  Finally, in December, Save was able to find housing for Maria and her family, but they have very few furnishings and are sleeping on air mattresses.  Every day Maria drives from Hayward to Fremont to take her girls to school, in order to give them the best education possible.  While they are at school she cleans homes to support them.  In her spare time, Maria takes courses to become a counselor, so she can help other victims of domestic violence

The amazing Danville chapter immediately began making Maria’s house into a beautiful home.

The surprise and joy on all of their faces were heartwarming. Maria said it was more than she could have ever expected.

Selena* is a young mother who also fell victim to domestic violence.  From the time her daughter Sophia was one years old, Selena* couch hopped to avoid her abuser.  After a year of being homeless, Save was able to offer her counseling, help finding a job, and ultimately a place to live. Now she works at a local health club and has a sparsely furnished apartment.   When asked what her future goals or aspirations where, she simply said, “I’ve been just trying to survive”.

Volunteers got to work, making beds, building furniture, hanging photos and cleaning.

Within just a few hours, we were ready to show Selena and Sophia their new home.

Sophia couldn’t wait to play with all of her new toys. She immediately pulled all of her stuffed animals out to play.

Thank you for giving these families the gift of home!

A special thank you to all of our volunteers for providing many hours of hard work and care for these families.

And as always, we could do none of this without the gift of CHIPMAN RELOCATION AND LOGISTICS.

Our next gathering is at CLAIRE’S HOUSE a living community of love, hope and healing for girls ages 12-17 who are recovering from human trafficking and sexual exploitation. Learn more here.

With gratitude,

Donna and Chris

Grateful Gatherings, Founders