I know some of you may not receive the Santa Rosa mothers group newsletter so I just wanted to pass a long this information about The Living Room's Gift and Clothing drive going on during the month of November.

The Living Room is a wonderful local agency that supports women and children in homeless situations. If you are able to donate gift items (for women or children), clothing or food items (particularly those listed below) or if you can donate some of your time at the organization during the week of Dec 14 while they are setting up for the holidays and making it a really special time for their participants, anything you can do to help would be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me or the Living Room coordinator Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Thank you very much in advance if you can help in any way. - Emily Vincent


Here (below) is a copy of an article written in this months newsletter with more detailed info.....

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The Living Room Clothing and Gift Drive

By Mary Hortin & Emily Vincent – Community Service Coordinators

 For the last several years, the Santa Rosa Mothers’ Club has collected donations for The Living Room’s Holiday Store. We are proud to be continuing this tradition again this year. The Living Room is very concerned about receiving enough items this year.

 The Living Room is a daytime, drop-in center providing safe haven for women and their children who are homeless in Santa Rosa. Throughout the year, women who utilize The Living Room earn “points” which they use at the “store” to purchase donated goods for themselves and their children for the holidays.They serve people from 0-80 years old.

Don’t be intimidated by this long list, whatever you can do to help is greatly appreciated.

Please only NEW, unused items.

For their Christmas store and Santa’s visit: new children’s toys (no plush toys please) and adult gifts.

 High need items are:

• Pajamas (two piece sets sizes 4-14)
• Blanket sleepers (toddler sizes)
• Slippers for mothers and children (all sizes)
• Pocket calendars
• New underwear (kids to adult, especially ladies’ sizes 8 and up)
• Diapers (especially sizes 5 and 6)
• Sanitary pads and tampons
• Anything for cold and rainy weather (especially socks, gloves, scarves, hats, blankets, coats, sleeping bags and umbrellas)
• Stocking stuffer items
• Gift cards for teenagers (movies and clothes)
• Handheld games
• Arts and craft supplies
• Cosmetic bags
• Large shampoos
• Hair accessories (brushes, combs, clips, scrunchies)

The Living Room feeds 60-80 people two meals a day.

They frequently run out of items like :

• oatmeal packets,
• packets of hot chocolate,
• tea (especially herbal)
• dry cereal.

 Items need to be turned in to The Living Room by December 10 becasue the store and dinner party are the next week.

The Living Room is seeking volunteers for the week of December 14^th.Even a small amount of your time would be greatly appreciated. 

Duties would range from

• setting up the store for the women and children,
• assisting them in selecting items  
• wrapping gifts

If you are interested in helping please contact Caroline Banuelos at 321-0976 or cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Drop off sites all through November / Deadline Dec 9th:

 The Living Room

636 Cherry St

Santa Rosa 95404

cbanuelos@thelivingroomsc.org

Monday through Friday OPEN 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

       or) Emily Vincent

579-3566 or emilyvincent@hotmail.com

(I can pick up your items if you are unable to deliver to one of the drop off sites)

Mary Hortin

570-1621 or morthort@sonic.net

On December 7, we are hosting a Amnesty International Write A Thon at our house from 10 - 1 where we will try to write as many letters as possible in the name of human rights around the world. I hope you can join us.

This will be an adult event so either Cam or I will take the kids out while one of us stays here to write letters. 

December 10--International Human Rights Day--marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. You can honor this important day by participating in Amnesty International's Global Write-a-thon--the world's largest letter writing event. Write letters on behalf of prisoners of conscience and human rights defenders at risk of severe human rights violations. Join thousands of people across the United States and around the world for this monumental event.

Today I participated in my first protest.  Actually my family and I did.  Calvin, the boys and I, went downtown to march in support of gay marriage.  I'm so glad we went.  There was such an outpouring of love and support.  Prop 8 was a big step backwards for gay rights, but I was so impressed with the way this protest was conducted.  One of the main reasons it was organized was to say THANK YOU to the people who voted aganist Prop 8, and in favor of gay marriage.  Everyone we talked to was so kind and so positive.  I know we'll get there.  

This event was a great thing to expose our young boys too.  I want them to know some people are gay, some are straight.  It really doesn't  matter.   I loved that they started doing one of the chants that was done call and response style during the march, just before bed tonight:

WHAT DO WE WANT?

EQUALITY!

WHEN DO WE WANT IT?

NOW!

 (BTW, I have pics from the march on my Facebook page.  Jennifer Wofford Krug.  I have trouble getting my own pics up here.)