Happy New Year!

 

2022 was an amazing year! It would not have been possible without your support. We continued to operate our emergency food pantry, hot lunch program, clothing house, and Peace Garden. Our after-school programs, Freedom School, and summer camp met the needs of community youth in grades K-12.

 

We added our street outreach program, free haircuts twice weekly, the AT&.T Digital Learning Lab, and our food pantry delivery truck. Many of you were involved in our quest for a part-time Youth Social Worker, and she joined our staff last month.

 

However, the year was not without challenges. Staffing issues were an ongoing concern, but staff and volunteers worked together as teams to ensure we did not have to close any of our programs. The good news is that all vacant positions are filled now.

 

During the Christmas holiday, our community suffered a huge loss with the tragic death of Edgar SantaCruz, our Adult Social Worker for five years. While Edgar had moved on to a position at FoodLink, he was still a part of the Cameron family. He continued to participate in street outreach, had scheduled gardening workshops with our youth, and kept us abreast of events/activities happening in the community. In the Spring, we will honor his memory by renaming our peace garden to the “Edgar SantaCruz Peace Garden,” and place a park bench in the garden area with an inscription in memory of him.

 

The overwhelming financial support, in-kind donations, and volunteer hours you provided throughout the year, sustained us. We are extremely grateful, and please know that it is immensely appreciated

 

We wish you a safe, healthy, and blessed new year!

 

Olivia Kassoum-Amadou

Executive Director