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Our Mission:
InnVision is a primary gateway for homeless families and individuals seeking shelter and resources that lead to self-sufficiency. Our comprehensive system of care promotes self-worth and dignity at multiple facilities throughout Silicon Valley, including shelters, longer-term housing options and service centers, each equipped to meet emergency and transitional needs of diverse, at-risk people.
InnVision is...the Way Home!
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Greetings!
During the Holiday Season, the Need is Greater Than Ever
 It's heartbreaking to imagine you and your family not having a home in which to celebrate the holidays. Unfortunately, for more than 29,000 men, women, and children in the Bay Area, homelessness is a reality. InnVision wants to provide hope for thousands of individuals and families this holiday season through shelter programs, the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe, and food programs. However, we need your help!
With the lingering economic crisis, government funding cuts, and continual increase in clients served, private funding continues to be an important means to support our clients during the holiday season and is critical to maintaining our various services year-round. We hope you will consider donating to InnVision to help a family in need during the holidays. If you are a first time donor, the Sobrato Family Foundation will match your donation dollar-for-dollar, making your gift go twice as far. As a Four Star Charity rated by Charity Navigator, you can be sure that your gift will go to good use.
With your help and support, we can make the holidays a joyful time of remembrance for all the individuals and families that InnVision serves during the holidays. Donations can be made online at www.InnVision.org or checks can be mailed to:
South Bay: 1900 The Alameda, San Jose, CA 95126
Mid-Peninsula: P.O. Box 702, Palo Alto, CA 94302
If you don't feel like you can make a financial gift at this time, consider these other ways to support InnVision:
- Volunteer at a shelter to serve a meal, teach a class, or sort clothing
- Host a fundraiser on our behalf at your place of employment or with your community group
- Organize an event to directly provide for our clients, such as a clothing or toy drive
- Speak to your corporation about matching gifts and grants to benefit InnVision
We appreciate every gift to InnVision during the holidays, for they bring us warmth during these cold winter months.
Warm regards,
 Christine Burroughs/CEO CBurroughs@InnVision.org |
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 Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe
The holidays are a very happy time for most families, and every year, InnVision makes sure that all families are able to have a joyous holiday season. We need your help to make that happen!
This year, nearly 1,500 families are expected to receive toys and gifts from our Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe in December. Check out our special Holiday Wish List to find out what types of items will be most appreciated for the holidays. Please don't forget our teens, who are often overlooked at this time of the year.
With your help, we can ensure that every child receives a gift, whether it is a new stuffed animal, manicure set, science and discovery toys, or awesome action figures. You can donate gifts yourself, or you can help organize a donation drive with your friends or colleagues. Visit our website for info on how to host a drive for InnVision.
Two InnVision locations will host the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe, and both need donations and volunteers!
Georgia Travis Center in San Jose - December 22, 2011
Contact Jaynie Neveras at 408-380-8718
Opportunity Services Center in Palo Alto - December 17-18, 2011
Contact Tristana Pirkl at 650-353-3707 x 205
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Opportunity Center
5th Anniversary
2011 marks the 5th Anniversary of the opening of the Opportunity Center of the Mid-Peninsula, located in Palo Alto. For the past five years, volunteers and staff have met thousands of homeless and at-risk families and individuals, serving their needs through housing, meals, clothing, health care, and so much more.
On November 22, clients, supporters, and staff came together to celebrate the success of the Opportunity Center. They were served lunch by dozens of volunteers from the Menlo School. The mothers and teens prepared enormous quantities of delicious fruit salad, lasagna, ravioli, caesar salad, bread, desserts, and drinks. During lunch, guests enjoyed the music of a reggae band in the Opportunity Center courtyard.
Volunteers from the Menlo School served a meal near Thanksgiving in 2009 for InnVision clients, and because of this and the other amazing work they do, the Menlo School was awarded the Spirit of InnVision award this year at the InnVision Garden Gala.
The Opportunity Center is the hub of InnVision services for the homeless on the Peninsula. If you would like to get involved in one of the many programs in the Palo Alto area, please contact Tristana Pirkl at TPirkl@InnVision.org or 650-353-3707 x 205.
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 Spooktacular Halloween Celebration
InnVision Georgia Travis Center helped get local families into the Halloween spirit on Saturday, Octover 22 with the annual Halloween Spooktacular. The event was sponsored by Texas Instruments (TI) and Arrow Electronics and supported by National Charity League, the Family Giving Tree, Resurrection School, and Canyon Heights Academy. 270 children were pre-registered for the event to receive donated Halloween costumes which their families otherwise would not have been able to afford.
Thanks to the generosity of TI and Arrow, the event featured a bounce house, face painting, balloon animals, carnival games, a haunted house, piņatas, crafts, and incredible amounts of food. National Semiconductor, which was bought out by Texas Instruments earlier this year, has been sponsoring this event for 10 years and they invited Arrow Electronics to join them as partners in the event coordination in 2010. The smiles and excitement inspired by this event would not have been possible without the generosity and energy of these sponsors and all of the other supporters and donors. A great big THANK YOU to all of you from InnVision and the families we serve!
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Kohl's and Stone Church Help Boost Kids' Confidence
Children living at InnVision Commercial Street Inn and InnVision Villa recently received a special treat for the school year. Stone Church has been outfitting homeless children since the late 1980s. The program was picked up in 2007 by dedicated church member and InnVision volunteer Alice McNelis, whose organizational skills help the event run smoothly and safely each year and have resulted in more than 20 children being given the gift of confidence through new clothes and shoes. Alice coordinated with the Kohl's store manager to allow the InnVision children early admission to the store - before the regular public - for their shopping spree.
Santa Clara Kohl's Customer Service Area Supervisor Rima Pharaon says, "We feel we can make a difference and add some joy and fun to these children's lives. We like our associates to be volunteers, to get more knowledge of different people and their stories. Seeing the smiles on the kids' faces is so important."
Mary, a mother of two, expressed her gratitude by saying, "It broke my heart to send my kids to school each day in worn out clothes that didn't fit. It reminded me of the times I was teased on the playground as a child because of my own appearance. I am so grateful that my kids have some clothes now that they can feel proud in."
InnVision is grateful for our generous partners at Stone Church of Willow Glen and Kohl's in Santa Clara that help us promote the dignity and confidence of our clients.
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"I really appreciated all of the residents at InnVision for allowing us to be a part of their lives. Each one has a story to tell. Each has their own unique path to independence. I think InnVision is a great place that provides the kind of structure and environment people need to reach their goals."
- InnVision Volunteer
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 Your Donation Can Go Further
Thanks to a challenge grant from the Sobrato Family Foundation, your gift can go further than ever. The foundation will match donations from any new or lapsed donor. So, if you have never given to InnVision or have not given since July 1, 2010, they will match your generosity dollar-for-dollar. In addition, if you increase your giving for the period July 1, 2011 to June 30, 2012, the Sobrato Family Foundation will match half. How about that for an easy way to have an impact? If you are not able to give now, please think about telling your friends how they can help the community by giving to InnVision the Way Home. Donate now. |
 Calling All Apple Employees!
Apple Computers CEO Tim Cook has recently announced that the company will be matching employee gifts up to $10,000 per year! If you are an Apple employee, can you consider making a multi-year donation to InnVision? Contact Ann-Marie Meacham to discuss. And, of course, we can use employee matching gifts from any of our donors. If you questions about how to do this at your work, contact your Human Resources or Benefits staff. |
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InnVision Holiday Appeal Progress
With your help, we can meet our holiday goal! Please donate today and help us create a magical holiday season for those most in need. |
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You have raised over $2,700!
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InnVision supporters have been using their S.H.A.R.E.S. cards at an increasing rate. You have now raised more than $2,700
to help feed homeless and at-risk families in Silicon Valley.
If you shop at
Lucky Supermarkets, Save Mart, FoodMaxx or S-Mart, you can help feed the hungry at no cost to you. When you use a S.H.A.R.E.S. card, 3% of each purchase will go to InnVision.
Request a card
here.
Read on for more details. |
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Travel as a Fundraiser
Wildland Adventures specializes in authentic Adventure Travel and Ecotourism worldwide. Or you can also choose from many other vacation packages. Your travel can make a difference! Book your hotel or vacation and we will receive a donation.
Click here to read more.
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Have you remembered InnVision in your will?
If you have included InnVision in your estate planning, please contact us so we can make sure we honor your wishes.
Ann-Marie Meacham, Director of Development, 408-380-8702.
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