Preventing Homelessness
Promoting Self-Sufficiency
Providing Affordable Housing
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Week of Caring – Week of Sharing "Without a sense of caring, there can be no sense of community." |
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September usually marks the end of summer, the beginning of the school year and the changing of seasons. But thanks to the Volunteer Center of Contra Costa and the United Way, September has become a time to get things done.
SHELTER, Inc., like most nonprofits has a list of projects that seems to grow day by day. Just imagine that you need to landscape the yard, paint the interior and exterior of your house, reorganize the garage and totally restock the pantry – all without missing a day of work, getting the kids to school and completing that special project you committed to weeks ago. Just as you are thinking that it would be easier to herd kittens than tackle any of the projects on your list, everyone in you neighborhood shows up with gloves on, ready to work. Well, that’s how the week of September 11-16 felt for everyone at SHELTER, Inc.
The week started out with a group of 13 volunteers from Wells Fargo’s California Business Banking Division, located in Concord and San Leandro, landscaping SHELTER, Inc.’s Peach Street property. The hearty group of volunteers spent the day pulling weeds, trimming trees and shrubs, planting new trees and drought resistant plants and topping it all off with ground cover. The residents could hardly believe their eyes as the crew accomplished weeks worth of work in less than a day.
Next, the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company’s Walnut Creek branch choose SHELTER, Inc. for its Week of Sharing. This group of employees actually turned their project into weeks of sharing, buy starting a drive to collect baby items from everyone at their Walnut Creek office. The group was able to collect 2 carloads of diapers, wipes, baby food, clothing, bath items, books and stuffed animals. But that was just the beginning. When they delivered the items to SHELTER, Inc. they spent a day cleaning, organizing and stocking the donation room. The week of sharing will keep babies in good supply for months to come.
The week wrapped up with a group of 22 people from Chevron’s San Ramon facility performing an extreme make over at the Pittsburg Family Center. The group painted interior and exterior areas giving the building a bright new look. From there the crew moved furniture into newly painted units, giving incoming families a fresh start. They didn’t stop there. Next, they landscaped and renovated the family area, giving the center a park-like look and feel.