Philanthropy - Children & Family


FRIDAY NIGHTS OUT

Creating a community for people with special needs, Friday Nights Out is a monthly gathering of high school & young adult students with special needs. It is a safe place where inclusion and acceptance prevail and where young people can socialize and build lifelong relationships.  For information on this activity please contact Noralyn Giles.  

VESTIA (Volunteer Emergency Services Team in Action)

A nonprofit corporation under the County's Employment & Human Services division, VESTIA is composed of volunteers who raise money and obtain donated goods and services to provide supplemental support to County clients. Annually it serves over 6200 clients with low to very low incomes. VESTIA has been a safety net for thousands of low-income children and families in Contra Costa County and works in a public-private partnership to provide supplemental support to clients when no other resources exist.                                   

Volunteer opportunities:

  • Help to sort and distribute holiday gifts to families in need.
  • Collect and organize donated work clothes and toiletries.
  • Participate in their yearly Coat Drive in November.

 

WE CARE SERVICES FOR CHILDREN

This organization focuses on providing early intervention programs and services to infants and preschoolers with special needs. Through targeted early intervention services, We Care helps young children and their families reach their full potential, regardless of their ability or circumstances.

Programs offered include: mental health services for children with social, emotional, and behavior issues, early screening and identification of preschool children with learning delays, speech and physical challenges, as well as behavioral and emotional needs.

Volunteer opportunities:
    •    Help us host two, daylong events per year at the preschool, including collecting supplies.
    •    Volunteer at the Center.

 

YOUTH HOMES

Youth Homes provides a safe place for foster youth to heal from emotional and sometimes physical abuse, and gives them the support they need to grow into a happy, healthy adult. They feel that each of their young clients deserves a chance to grasp a new reality, and to understand that their past will not dictate their future.

Volunteer opportunities:

  • Make blankets for use in the group homes.
  • Teach jewelry making, and help the youth to sell their creations for their only source of pocket money.
  • Teach life-skill classes such as cooking, budgeting, scholarship application, workplace etiquette, establishing credit.
  • Contribute through monetary or household donations to assist Youth Homes aged-out students in furnishing their first apartment or whatever their needs are.