We’ve mobilized to help new and existing clients in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
Now we're asking for your help.
Dear Supporter,
I hope that you and your family are healthy and safe during this challenging time. Thank you for your continued support.
I am writing today to update you on our response to the coronavirus pandemic, and to ask you to make a tax-deductible gift to support our work.
The need for our services has increased in recent days, as people face a series of challenges related to the outbreak. Our team has mobilized to support both new and existing clients in the following ways:
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Preventing Homelessness. For many people, the order to shelter-in-place is resulting in loss of income from missed days of work or being laid-off altogether. The start of a new month is rapidly approaching, and many of our neighbors will not be able to pay their rent. In anticipation of this, our team has been advocating with elected officials to enact eviction moratoriums since the start of this crisis. Becoming homeless is devastating at any time, and is especially dangerous during a pandemic. We successfully advocated for eviction moratoriums in Palo Alto and San Jose, and earlier this week the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted to freeze evictions for the entire county during this crisis.
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Keeping Foster Kids Connected. There are 60,000 children in foster care in California on any given day. Visits with siblings, parents or other family members are crucial to their well-being. The order to shelter-in-place puts hundreds of children in Silicon Valley at risk of being unable to connect with family in person. We successfully advocated with the Department of Family and Children’s Services, the Office of County Counsel and Dependency Advocacy Center so that many of these foster youth can see their family if it is safe, and visit by phone and video conference when it is not. Now we are working with the affected children and teens to ensure that their rights are upheld.
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Access to Benefits. This is an especially nerve-wracking time for people in need of public benefits, such as veterans, low-income families and those who live with a disability. Gaining access to public benefits is a challenge during normal circumstances. The current situation, which has rendered people homebound and requires that applying for benefits be conducted online or by phone, instead of having the option to apply in person, has complicated the process further. We are helping new and existing clients gain access to the benefits they need to stay housed and cared for.
These are just a few examples of how we are helping people through this challenging time.
As a non-profit 501(c)3, we rely on support from individuals like you. We are already feeling the effects of this crisis on our budget.
I am asking our friends and supporters who may be in a position to make a contribution, or who planned to donate later in the year, to make a gift today.
Thank you, and be well.
With gratitude,
