Greetings!

2011 is now behind us, and I would like to spend a few minutes thanking all those who made this past year so special. Every day we saw homeless and at-risk clients spending all their energy trying to become independent, some taking computer skills classes to become job-ready, others balancing young children and jobs like Karen who is featured in our client story below. I am constantly in awe of their commitment to overcoming obstacles and trauma that you and I can only imagine. 

Of course, it is with the help of the amazing staff, volunteers, and donors that InnVision clients are able to reach self-sufficiency. From fundraising events like the Garden and Fall Galas to donation drives and the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe, you have shown how much you care about your neighbors in Silicon Valley. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the generosity and love you have given in 2011.

In this newsletter, you will hear some uplifting stories about clients, volunteers, and programs for the new year. If your New Year's resolution was to become more involved in your community (or even if it wasn't!), perhaps you can take inspiration from one of their stories. I especially hope you will consider signing up yourself, your family, your friends, or your workplace for volunteer opportunities. From individuals to corporate groups, InnVision would never be able to operate without all of the wonderful volunteers with whom we partner - they save us more than $700,000 a year!

I hope this letter finds you and your loved ones well. Happy New Year!

Client Story: 

How a driven InnVision mother worked her way from emergency to the middle class

Karen came to InnVision Commercial Street Inn emergency shelter in fall 2005 with her two small boys.  At the time she was also pregnant with her third son.  To provide her with longer-term housing support until she was able to return to work, Karen was moved from the emergency shelter to the Villa transitional housing apartments.  After delivering her son, Karen immediately enrolled in the CalWORKs Job Club program and quickly found a job at a local fast food restaurant.  

Each morning, Karen put her two older sons in a twin stroller and strapped her youngest to her chest in a sling so that she could walk the three boys to their day care provider's home before catching the bus to her job.  Each afternoon at the end of a long day of work, she reversed this exhausting commute, then juggled her three young children while simultaneously cooking dinner for the family.  With the help of her case manager, Karen carefully budgeted her new earned income to pay back some of her old debts which improved her credit and qualified her for referral to InnVision Sunset Square permanent housing program.  

Karen moved to Sunset Square in December 2006, where she and her boys had their own two-bedroom apartment.  Karen kept striving to improve life for her family, finding a higher-paying job as a temporary receptionist for a major local tech company.  As she continued to impress her employer, her income increased to the point where she no longer qualified for welfare or food stamps and no longer needed public medical coverage because she was receiving full health and dental benefits through her employer.  

In December 2011, Karen was offered a permanent position with the tech company and received such a raise that her income was too high for her to continue receiving a rent subsidy through the Sunset Square HUD-grant.  Starting in January 2012, Karen has taken over the full responsibility for the rent of her Sunset Square apartment.  We congratulate Karen on being able to enjoy the fruits of her vision and perseverance.  We are certain that a bright and exciting future lays ahead for this ambitious woman and her family!

InnVision's Holiday Helper

 

A few of the racks that were installed thanks to Jerry

This past holiday season, Santa's helper came in the form of Cisco employee Jerry Green. Jerry took it upon himself to make sure that the nearly 2,000 families helped by InnVision's Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe in San Jose had a very special Christmas. During the week of Thanksgiving, Jerry had a construction crew completely revamp the Holiday Storage unit. They installed new lighting, a mezzanine for decoration storage, and new mobile shelves for toy donations which also double as shelving inside the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe set up. Jerry wanted to make sure that the construction didn't cost InnVision a dime so he took it on himself to raise the $16,000 plus labor and material donations needed for the project!

But the holiday help didn't stop there - on December 22, opening day for the Holiday Toy and Teen Shoppe - Jerry organized 40 Cisco volunteers to turn the Georgia Travis Center into a 'department store' by setting up aisles of new toys, stuffed animals, and games for homeless and at-risk parents to come and 'shop' for their children. A BIG InnVision thank you to Jerry Green for helping make the holidays bright for so many children in Silicon Valley this year!

 Julian Street Inn Sings for the Season

On December 14, staff and clients at InnVision Julian Street Inn (JSI) invited supporters, volunteers, staff, and clients to come celebrate the successes and joy of the past year. Every year, the celebration features clients who share their stories through original song, poetry, and prose, letting people know about their journey from homelessness to independence.

Julian Street Inn is the only emergency shelter in San Jose for homeless individuals who are diagnosed with mental illness. JSI is a warm and welcoming home for those who have nowhere else to turn, and staff members provide services specific to their unique needs. In the process of finding self-sufficiency, they also find a life-long family at the shelter.

The event featured the fifth performance of the Reunion Choir, made up of former JSI residents who still feel connected to the shelter. Says Lori Collins, director of the emergency shelter, "We were excited to once again welcome JSI alumni back to celebrate with us. These former clients have moved on to more self-sufficient living, yet they still visit with their JSI family and keep us updated on their lives. The holiday celebration has become a favorite annual tradition here, and it is our way of saying thank you to our amazing family of clients, staff, and supporters."

Watch the entire celebration here:

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. 

Many companies offer matching gifts as one of their employee benefits. It's an easy and quick way to double the impact of your donation to InnVision. Make sure you submit a matching request for any gits you have made in the past year!

If you have questions about how to initiate this through your employer, contact your Human Resources or Benefits staff. You may also contact Julia Gregory at InnVision for assistance.

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.

Thank you to all of our wonderful supporters for helping us surpass our holiday fundraising goal! You donated over $650,000 to ensure InnVision programs can continue throughout 2012! Every penny you have given will make a difference in the lives of homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Silicon Valley.

Read on for more details. 

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