Sponsored Welcoming
As they have for the last several years, Marin Country Day School staff and teachers sponsored the furnishing of this formerly unhoused family's home. Darcy Ellsworth Yow, Director of Community Engagement for the school, described the experience...
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Our Marin Country Day School team met Paula and her sons, Evan (8) and Nicholas (5), in early April. The family was referred to Welcoming Home by Parent Services Project.
Immediately, we noticed the strong bond between Paula and her sons. Paula’s humility and soft-spokenness belie her creativity, strength and resilience. She bravely fled an abusive environment with her sons, only to be uprooted again when their new apartment proved to be infested with toxic mold.
To support and personally care for her sons, Paula started a home bakery in her tiny kitchen. (Her cakes are incredible -- crafted using borrowed equipment and repurposed containers!)
Spending quality time with them during home preparation visits, at Nicolas' preschool fair, and during a trip to Bloom where the family selected full wardrobes, only deepened our appreciation for them.
With only one month to prepare for this home transformation, MCDS faculty and staff truly delivered! Early morning, May 16, four volunteers gathered at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church to receive, clean and organize donations.
That afternoon, while the family enjoyed a portrait session with one of our art teachers, ten of us moved everything in – arranging furniture, hanging art created by colleagues, and unboxing new appliances, including a beautiful powder blue stand mixer for Paula!
When they arrived home, the boys were thrilled to discover their new ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ bedspreads! Then, remote control in hand, Evan settled into their new easy chair to check out the TV. A radiant smile conveyed the joy and appreciation Paula felt for the support and furnishings her family had received.
A sincere thank you to all 60+ donors for their time, talent and treasures, and to our long-time partner Welcoming Home who, as always, made this sponsorship event so delightful.
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Ann and Bill could not believe their eyes walking into their newly furnished apartment, “This is beyond anything we had imagined!" ... they said, while thanking the Welcoming Home team profusely with hugs and tears.
Marin Country Day School Volunteers
We, at Welcoming Home, are truly grateful for the continued support of MCDS. This is the Marin Country Day School'e FIFTH sponsorship! This means that MCDS covered the cost of: a "Starter Kit" of essential items, the purchase of brand-new beds, and the delivery of furniture by professional movers. They also gathered donated furniture and other household items.
About Sponsored Welcomings
"Sponsorship" means paying for the brand new mattresses, box springs and frames; the cost of the movers; the Starter Kit of necessary items that the individual or family needs in the short term, and any needed items that aren't donated. To enable us to help more people, we need more organizations, groups of friends, schools, etc. to sponsor Welcomings.
Click here or contact info@welcominghome.org for more information.