It Takes A Village . . . A Really Big Village

Community partnerships are crucial to our ability to improve the lives of the kids and families we serve.

We know we can’t do our work alone. Our community partners support us through volunteerism, funding, food for our Thanksgiving celebration and other distribution events, toys for our Home for the Holidays festival, and formal wear for graduating teens attending our Cinderella & Prince Charming Project.

Gilbert Radillo, our Director of Special Initiatives & External Relations, shares:

“A lot of companies want to get involved with A Place Called Home, and give their employees a chance to engage with the larger community. These connections and partnerships are great opportunities for them to do both. When corporate and community groups volunteer with us, it serves our organization’s mission and also serves as a great team-building experience.

Gilbert continues:

“Often, when we make a connection with a company or an organization, they keep coming back for more. And, many times individuals are eager to make a personal investment, so they start volunteering and bring their families.”

Right now A Place Called Home has hundreds of young people and families awaiting membership, but no available space to enroll them. While APCH builds toward expanding facilities, the best way we can reach and engage these community members is through partnerships and community events.

“There’s an elderly woman who came to our Thanksgiving outreach last year,” Gilbert shares. “She does not have any family in this country. She really is out here on her own.

“For Thanksgiving, she came to A Place Called Home to get groceries. Then she went home, cooked a huge Thanksgiving dinner, and invited all her neighbors over to celebrate with her. In that way, she made others who may have felt just as isolated as she did, part of her family. And it was made possible by our event, which depended on volunteers and partnerships. It’s just awesome. All of us working together can make a real difference.”

Here are a few events we’re looking forward to in the months ahead.

Friday nights in the summer

There are no movie theaters in our neighborhood, so we provide several outdoor evening screenings throughout the summer, with seats and blankets on our athletic field. The teens sell pizza and popcorn to raise funds for special projects, and mom and dad finally get an evening to relax and enjoy themselves under the stars. The films are always family-friendly and include Spanish subtitles so all our guests can enjoy them fully. Often, the feature film is preceded by shorts made by students in our very own Digital Media program!

Backpack to School event

For many families in our community, sending their kids back to school is stressful because they can’t afford to buy all the necessary supplies to be ready for that first day. What really helps a youngster feel ready is knowing that they will be equipped and stylin’!

At our Backpack to School Event, A Place Called Home welcomes students of all ages and provides more than 1,000 new backpacks full of books and school supplies, as well as sundries like sunglasses, personal hygiene kits, meal coupons, and more. We even provide eye exams and prescription glasses — all for free!

These are just two upcoming community events from our packed calendar. Click here to read about even more events coming up. And sign up to join us!