ABC7's Day of Giving: How to help in your community
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- This holiday season is a time to give back and to help Build a Better Bay Area. Join ABC7's Day of Giving on Tuesday. Give what you can and donate to your favorite local charities.
We are highlighting several Bay Area charities and food banks that are going above and beyond for their communities -- you'll find a list of them below:
Healthy Planet Project
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley
In the South Bay one organization works tirelessly to provide safe homes for people in dire conditions.
Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley has done that work for more than three decades and hopes this Giving Tuesday will be a step that helps it continue its mission.
In just two days this year, 800 volunteers were able to refurbish over 40 homes fixing roofs, plumbing and providing wheelchair access.
"We provide life-changing home repairs for low-income clients across the Valley," said Alaina Purcell Schroeder, Development Director at Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley. This Day of Giving, the nonprofit hopes people will consider helping them continue their decades-long work.
Junior Achievement of Northern California
Junior Achievement, or JA, is an organization dedicated to teaching students financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship through methods that aren't taught inside the classroom.
ABC7 News Anchor Jobina Fortson has been volunteering with JA since early 2020 and now serves as a board member. Jobina joined in JA's effort to make a virtual pivot in March of 2020.
Pre-pandemic, students had opportunities to visit job sites, interact with corporate sponsors, and receive mentors from companies like Google and the San Francisco Giants.
East Side Education Foundation
For Day of Giving on Tuesday, the East Side Union High School District and the East Side Education Foundation are launching a fundraiser.
It's to supplement the district's McKinney-Vento Program, a federal program created to protect and support enrollment and education of homeless students.
The district says 900 homeless students qualify for the program and they're trying to identify more. Learn more here.
Meals on Wheels San Francisco
Since 1970, Meals on Wheels not only delivers meals to isolated, homebound adults, they also provide daily human contact and other supportive services to prevent premature institutionalization.
Meals on Wheels spokesperson Jim Oswald said, "Loneliness and isolation are one of the biggest factors in pretty much all groups, but certainly older adults, 60 and older," and a Meals and Wheels driver may be the only person these adults see that day.
According to their website, the organization is built upon the belief that "all seniors have the right to live independently with dignity and respect in their own homes for as long as safely possible."
San Leandro Community Food Pantry
From fresh meat, eggs, bread and more, around 300 registered families get a week's worth of groceries every Thursday night at the Bethel Community Presbyterian Church from the San Leandro Community Food Pantry.
It's powered by donations from their grocery recovery program, the Alameda County Community Food Bank and from the generosity of community members.
Moira Fry, coordinator and board member of the food pantry, says their mission started in 2016 with giving out bags of canned food to churchgoers, until they realized a greater need across San Leandro.
The food pantry quickly became its own 501c3. But Fry says the need has more than doubled since the pandemic.
Any financial donations given to the food pantry before Nov. 30, will be matched by the organization.
Project by Project
Whether it's at the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose, cleaning up a beach or lending a hand at food pantries. Project by Project is everywhere.
For more than a quarter century, the nonprofit has picked a local Asian American organization to partner with.
Then, using teamwork, Project by Project finds a way to raise money and awareness for the cause.
On this Giving Tuesday, Project by Project hopes you'll contribute in some way. This is a group that grows community, one project, at a time.
Oakland Interfaith Choir
There With Care
Ruby's Place
SF-Marin Food Bank
Redwood Empire Food Bank
Second Harvest of Silicon Valley
Alameda County Community Food Bank
Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
If you need ideas, we have created a short list of vetted local organizations that make a big impact in helping to build a better Bay Area. The list of community groups will be updated periodically.
GIVE WHERE YOU LIVE: Full list of organizations across San Francisco Bay Area to donate to
We have a full day of stories on ABC7 that highlight some of the groups that are doing great work across the region. Learn more about them below, and you can watch live on abc7news.com/live.
If you'd like to nominate a community group in your neighborhood that's doing great work, please fill out the form below.
Click here for a look at other ways you can Take Action where you live.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
