STEAC STORIES
Rain, wind couldn’t stop holiday giving
Letter to the Editor, December 13, 2022
Not even pouring rain or severe wind gusts could dampen the holiday spirit as the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee held its 55th annual Holiday Program Distribution Day. On Saturday, Dec. 10, recipients lined up in their cars at the First Baptist Church of Davis for a drive-through distribution of food and gifts donated by Davis families, groups and individuals who “adopted” them for the holidays.
First, I want to thank the volunteers who braved the weather on Saturday to make sure all the donations made it into the recipients’ cars. Their smiling faces and positive attitudes made one of the most weather-challenged Distribution Days in recent memory a success. In all, there were 125-plus volunteers who invested their time and energy to distribute all food and gifts to our cherished recipients.
STEAC is very grateful to the staff and congregation of First Baptist who donate their facilities and grounds for an entire week.
STEAC would like to thank Scott Love with the Yolo County Library and Scott Thompson with DJUSD for allowing us to host qualification sessions at the Davis library branches and providing access to laptop computers.
The families benefitted from the donations of gift cards from St. James Church parishioners and our partnership with Salvation Army of Davis. Each year we are awed by the hundreds of handmade blankets from Project Linus of Yolo County, led by Diane McGee.
Tiffany Clements at The Home Depot in Woodland, coordinated a donation of two Christmas trees with lights which provided décor during the week, and were delivered to two raffle winners at the end of Distribution Day.
We are so thankful to work with Li Yao at Empower Yolo; Harmony Scopazzi, Becky Morigo and Synda Whitmer at Davis Community Meals and Housing; Jeni Price at NAMI; Rachel Nervo at the Department of Veteran’s Affairs; Tiffany Cruz at Summer House; Shelley Arizaga at Hope Cooperative; and Yvonne Page and Jamallah Green at Davis Respite Center.
And, of course, we are incredibly grateful for the individuals, families, groups and organizations that banded together to support STEAC or adopt our 464 low-income individuals and families.
Kelly Coleman
STEAC Holiday Program chair