STEAC STORIES
2025 STEAC Holiday Program
The 58th annual STEAC Holiday Program Distribution event was held at the First Baptist Church of Davis. The grey skies were no match for the jolly spirit that our volunteers brought as 510 households drove in to collect their food and gifts donated by local families. With the ongoing challenges of inflation and rising costs that continue to affect everyone, community support is more critical now than ever. We are taken aback by the generosity from local families, workplaces, and organizations who once again stepped up to ensure neighbors in need could experience the warmth and joy of the holiday season.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the many donors whose contributions of food, gifts, and monetary support helped make this holiday season brighter for families in need. “It is incredibly heartwarming to hear how many people in our community eagerly look forward to continuing this time-honored tradition of spreading holiday cheer to local families each year,” said Kelly Coleman, Chair of the STEAC Holiday Program.
This event is truly a community effort, and there are so many to thank for their involvement.
Over 115 volunteers contributed their time and energy to the program—distributing flyers, interviewing clients, setting up and cleaning the church, collecting donations, preparing for distribution, and distributing food and gifts to our valued recipients. Their smiles and positive attitudes made this year’s Distribution Day a resounding success and the entire team deserves our deepest appreciation.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the staff and congregation of the First Baptist Church of Davis for generously opening their facilities and grounds for an entire week each year to host our volunteers as food and gifts are collected and distributed. Their dedication goes far beyond providing space, with members actively supporting our mission by interviewing clients, adopting families, and caring for our volunteers throughout the program.
A big thank you goes out to Scott Love, Joseph Piette, and Gaby Magallanes with the Yolo County Library, along with Scott Thompson, Lisa Mayfield, and Mikayla Miller with DJUSD, for their partnership in providing in-person qualification sessions at the Mary L. Stephens Library and South Davis Montgomery Library, as well as access to laptop computers.
Each year, we are amazed by the dedication of the Blanketeers from the Project Linus of Yolo County Chapter, led by Deanne Meyer, who generously donated 348 handmade blankets for our recipients. We were also grateful to receive an additional handcrafted blankets from the Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis Quilting Group.
Partnerships with local organizations are vital to the success of the STEAC Holiday Program. We are deeply grateful to Jeni Price at Homestead House/NAMI; Rachel Hart and Jennifer Xepoleas at the Department of Veterans Affairs; Tiffany Cruz at Summer House; Harmony Scopazzi, Becky Marigo, Silas Kirsch, Synda Whitmer, and Ross Hansted at Davis Community Meals and Housing; and Gia Anwar at Empower Yolo.
Finally, our heartfelt thanks goes to the many individuals, families, groups, and organizations that came together to adopt the 510 low-income families and individuals served through this program. This neighbor-helping-neighbor effort is what truly makes the STEAC Holiday Program so special.
Year after year, the ongoing support of the Davis community brings holiday joy to those facing hardships. We hope to see you again in 2026!