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Looking for a way to get more involved and make an impact on young women's lives? Click Here to learn more! |
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 Dear Friends and Partners of Jeremiah's Promise,
We hope your year has gotten off to a great start, and this newsletter finds you well. The first quarter of 2009 certainly has been eventful for us in very good ways!
We want to begin by thanking the generous people who have given sacrificially to us over the past year, making the 2008 Christmas Giving Season our best ever! Thank you so much for your generous contributions, along with all the time and energy from volunteers that made the celebration extra special for the young women who live here. Previous Christmases for these ladies have only been met with poverty and disappointment, they have told us, making December 25th at JP a welcome surprise. Thank you!
Please take a moment to look at all the amazing things happening at Jeremiah's Promise! |
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Poker Night & Team Challenge Fund Raiser! |
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Jeremiah's Promise is very excited to announce our first Poker Night & Team Challenge Fund Raiser to be held Saturday, May 30, from 6 to 11 PM at the Garden House at Shoup Park, Los Altos, 400 University Ave., Los Altos. While the prizes will be noncash, the event is sure to be a fantastic night of fun for a good cause! The tournament will include both a team and individual challenge, with the top winners awarded some pretty special, donated prize packages! Here are the details:
- Registration is $275 per person
- 5% discount for 4 players and 10% discount for 8 players
- Prize Package and Bragging Rights to Team and the Top 3 individuals with Most Chips at the end of play
- Come dressed James Bond Style (suit for men and cocktail dress for ladies)
- Cocktails and heavy finger foods will be served
- Participate in our Silent Auction for enticing and adventurous packages
- Click here to Register Today!
For more information, contact Bonnie at 408.962.0630 |
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Success Stories from JP! |
The young women we serve are very precious to us, and we want to keep you updated on their recent successes. One of our young ladies is completing her high school diploma, and will be the first in her family to graduate from high school.  Math has been a difficult subject for her, but she recently completed a math test and scored 85%! We are very proud of her and grateful to the tutor who volunteered to help her. This lovely 19 year old also holds a job she enjoys and has started a savings plan. To most of us, these may be normal things we do in our everyday lives, but to these girls, they are huge victories. In the words of this young lady, "JP has helped me by being successful in the things that I thought I was incapable of doing! I am getting to understand myself and other people better, and I've noticed now that I have the capability of getting better grades because I finally have peace and happiness in my life. I am surrounded by wonderful adults that give me great advice and love me for who I am."
It is amazing to witness her transformation that is allowing her to regain her sense of dignity and self reliance. Her next dream is to become a massage therapist or study culinary arts. Having tasted her cooking, we're voting for culinary arts! |
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How You Can Make an Impact! |
 We would love to keep happy reports like this young woman's coming. But we need your help. In the midst of this economic challenge, we realize that not everyone can contribute; however, there are some basic items that even the smallest gift may provide:
- Groceries for the house. $150 pays for one week of groceries for the girls! The contribution of Safeway, Costco, or any other grocery card makes an enormous difference!
- This winter has been a little chilly, and even with keeping the thermostat at 63 degrees, the draftiness of an older home causes heating bills to rise. A contribution to our heating and electric bill will help to keep the girls warm!
- Most of the JP girls do not own cars and travel by bus. A single bus pass for one month costs $66. The contribution of one of these passes will allow one of the girls to get to school and work.
- Most of the girls in the house are on a job search, having had their hours cut back because of the economic situation. We know that making a great first impression is paramount. Interview clothing, shoes, or even a hair cut would be a great way to make their mark.
Click here if you would like to help us meet these needs!
Of course, if you cannot offer your financial support, consider volunteering some of your time! Here are some areas where your assistance would be greatly appreciated:
- We are looking for mentors and mentor families to reach out and form bonds with each one of the girls. Research supports that if a caring adult gets involved in a young person's life, it likely will produce a lifelong, positive impact.
- We are looking for help in producing a more current 3- to 5-minute documentary.
- There are many ways to volunteer your time at JP. Click here if you are looking for another way to get involved.
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Exciting News from Former Residents! |
One of Jeremiah's Promise's very first residents, Esmeralda, came to live at JP January 2004. Since then she has moved on, had a beautiful, well-adjusted son, and is living a successful, independent life. What's more, the 23-year-old, known for her quick wit and intelligence, now works in a  group home for foster youth that are in the same position she was in so many years before. Esmeralda came back to JP to speak about her life at a recent Life Skills meeting, leaving a tremendous impact on the young women here. Her first words of advice to our residents were to avoid single parenthood, bypass boyfriends who are disrespectful or even abusive, go to college and strengthen your network of support. Esmeralda has only one more quarter at Foothill before she will receive her Associates Degree in Childhood Development. It was amazing to see a challenging resident return and speak encouragement and power into these young women's lives.
Another resident, Vickie, also returned to speak at a life skills meeting. The now 21-year-old who has a generous heart and quick mind shared her experience as a struggling young 
person and how JP helped her get back on her feet. "Without these people, I wouldn't be here today," she said. It has been a full-circle blessing to watch former residents come back to show their successes and motivate the current residents. |
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Recent Grant Awards |
Thank you to All Stars Helping Kids ($5,000), the Los Altos Town Crier Holiday Fund ($10,000), Menlo Park Presbyterian Church ($7,000) and the John Burton Foundation ($10,000) for their grant awards this year! Without donors and grant making agencies such as these, we could not continue to roll out life-changing services for abandoned and often-forgotten former foster youth. |
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Jeremiah's Promise 5th Anniversary! |
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We were blessed to have celebrated Jeremiah's Promise's 5th anniversary on January 1st! A lot of time, energy, and fundraising have gone into keeping a roof over these young women's heads during the past five years, and we are grateful for your contribution and compassion!
The young women in our program have been given the opportunity for a better future because of your input. Please continue to keep them on track for success by providing a tax-deductible gift to our 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Check us out on www.guidestar.com. Or, you can send your gift by mail to P.O. Box 1393, Palo Alto, CA 94302.
All the Best from the Jeremiah's Promise Team! | |
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Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to get caught up on the amazing happenings at Jeremiah's Promise! We wish you a prosperous and fruitful quarter!
Sincerely,
The Jeremiah's Promise Team
Jeremiah's Promise, Inc. |
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