Charity Report – 2020

Even during these unprecedented times, our Parish was able to make a difference in the lives of those in need both within our local community as well as in India. We want to thank our Parish family for their support with their time and money. Below are the highlights of 2020.

School Snack Program

Del Rey and Hesperian Elementary are Title 1 schools in San Lorenzo. Students at this school come from low-income families. The staff usually purchases snacks to give out to hungry children. During the 1st quarter of 2020, we purchased healthy snacks which were handed out to the students as needed. However, due to the pandemic and the distance model adopted by the county, we were unable to continue with this program.

Women’s Shelter Monthly Dinner Donors

Despite the pandemic, we are very fortunate that our parish volunteers continued to cook and drop off dinner for women and children at our local shelter in San Lorenzo. This shelter provides temporary housing for 30 women and children. They depend on volunteers like us for their daily meals and we are thankful that we can continue this program for the 5th year.

Grocery Help for Families in Need

For the fourth year, our parish donated a total of $500 Safeway gift cards to 20 families in need of food during the holidays. Washington Manor Middle School (in San Lorenzo) runs this program and the families are identified through the McKinney Vento Assistance Act.

Fairview Elementary (part of Hayward Unified School District), requested grocery assistance for approximately 10 families who were facing financial difficulties due to COVID-19. Our parish was able to purchase $500 worth of grocery gift cards, which the school distributed to the families in need.

Face Shields & Face Mask Distribution

In May 2020, we obtained and donated 500 medical-grade disposable face masks to the Hayward Police Department. The police officers distributed them to people they encountered on the streets without the necessary protection. We also provided 100 face shields to our essential front-line workers at Kaiser Hospital in San Leandro.

Arroyo High School Scholarship

For the 3rd year, our parish awarded $5,000 in college scholarship awards to five students at Arroyo High School. The students were chosen based on the students’ family financial needs, academic performance, and community service. All of the recipients performed strongly in their classes, were active in school athletics and groups, and provided many hours in community work. Each recipient received $1,000 to help with their college expenses.

WildFire Victims – Food Not Bombs (Santa Cruz)

Food Not Bombs is an all-volunteer program that provides food to those in need. We donated $500 to this organization to help the CZU wildfire victims who lost homes or were temporarily displaced.

One Bread Foundation

Based in San Ramon, One Bread Foundation is an organization that advocates, raises awareness, and provides monetary support for the rehabilitation of child victims of sex trafficking in the United States. We donated $500 towards this cause.

Sleeping Bags and Blanket Donations

We purchased 288 Blankets and 32 Sleeping bags and donated to the homeless and those in need through the following organizations:

  • Building Futures – San Leandro
  • Alameda Safe Parking Program – San Leandro
  • Women and Children’s Shelter – San Leandro
  • City of Fremont Human Services – Fremont
  • Sleeping Bags for the Homeless – San Jose
  • Shaver Lake Creek Fire Victims – Shaver Lake, Fresno

Food and Meal Donation to the Homeless and Needy

Though we could not volunteer in person this year we still served the elderly, homeless and those in need. We made monetary donations and sponsored meals during Thanksgiving and Christmas time. We worked with Sleeping Bags for the Homeless (San Jose), City of Fremont Warming Center and Fremont ElderCare. We also contributed $500 to the Contra Costa Food Bank.

Silver Baron MC for Kids

This organization works with Manteca Unified School District. They provide toys, clothes, coats, food and other necessities to children 18 and under. These items were distributed to those most in need during the holidays. We donated $500 towards this cause.

Farm Worker Families

Farmworkerfamily.org is a non-profit organization that helps farm worker families in need. They are based around the Watsonville area. The plight of many of these farm workers is dire, often the families go hungry and struggle with the basic need of food and clothing. We dropped off rice, beans, masa flour, diapers and soap to be distributed among the families. We have ordered blankets and hope to deliver these in the New Year. We identified this as an organization to continue to support going forward.

Angel Tree

Angel Tree is a program of Prison Fellowship that serves incarcerated parents. We facilitated donating Christmas presents to 30 children on behalf of their parents who are currently incarcerated.

Financial Aid for Individuals and Families

Our parish contributed a total of $3,150 to 8 families within the Bay Area who were suffering from physical infirmities, financial difficulties or unforeseen circumstances.

We also made contributions totaling $1,500 to 3 families in India who were suffering from physical infirmities or financial difficulties.

Contributions Overseas

  • $1,000 donation to Prerana School (a non profit organization that serves the needy and suffering near the villages around the seminary in Nagpur). In particular they provide schooling and help to the many special needs children in the area.
  • $1,000 donation to HG Mathews Mar Severios for his charity works.
  • $1,000 donation to Mar Baselius Gregorios Mercy Home. Mercy Home takes care of about 60 elderly residents from diverse backgrounds.
  • $500 donation to Ardratha Fellowship Charitable Trust – an OCYM charity organization that provides help and support to dialysis and cancer patients.
  • $500 donation to Ashraya Charitable Society. This institution aims at sheltering the elderly, handicapped, the sick who are abandoned by their families.
  • $500 donation to St George Charitable Dialysis Center (Puthuppady). This is a unit under Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Medical Mission. Dialysis treatment is provided free of charge to the vast majority of patients and a subsidized fee is charged from a few of them, who can afford it.

A huge thank you to our SGOCI families who made a difference in the lives of those who are in need and suffering.

Some pics from 2020 Charity initiatives