Holiday Gifts and Supplies Needed for Formerly Homeless Women and Children

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG)  – During this difficult year, local residents can bring joy to formerly homeless women and children in Sacramento this holiday season by contributing to Women’s Empowerment’s Holiday Gifts and Crafts Drive. The group is seeking 300 unstuffed gift bags and specific fillers for children, teens and women. Gifts for teens and women are especially needed. Women’s Empowerment also needs craft supplies to provide a Craft Party in a Box for each family since this year the group cannot hold its annual craft party for women and children to make holiday gifts for their loved ones. For a list of gift and craft needs, visit Womens-Empowerment.org. Items are needed by Dec. 8.

“There is dignity in both receiving and giving gifts, so each year we provide an opportunity for the women and children in our program to receive holiday gifts and to make gifts for their loved ones,” said Lisa Culp, executive director, Women’s Empowerment. “2020 has been at best difficult and at worst tragic for the women and children we serve. Providing gifts and our Craft Party in a Box will bring unspeakable joy and dignity to these women and children who have survived such a challenging year.”

Thanks to donations, Women’s Empowerment will include a warm hat, gloves and socks in each gift bag for the women and children. For those interested in making a financial donation toward a gift bag, the average cost is $40, but any amount helps. Women’s Empowerment also needs extra $15-$20 gift cards for Target, Walmart and grocery stores for emergency needs throughout the year.

Women’s Empowerment’s programs combine employment readiness, self-esteem courses, health classes and services, support services and paid job training to help women overcome homelessness across diverse ages, races and cultures. Women’s Empowerment was featured on NBC’s The TODAY Show in 2015 for offering the most comprehensive job-readiness program in the Sacramento area designed specifically for women who are homeless and their children. The award-winning organization has graduated 1,691 women and their 3,792 children. Last year, 70 percent of graduates found homes in the midst of the housing crisis, and 79 percent secured jobs or enrolled in school or training. Women’s Empowerment is funded through private donations from the community and grants. To donate: Womens-Empowerment.org.

Calling on the Community to Support the Homeless this Holiday Season

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - As the season of giving begins and many in our community have been financially impacted by the pandemic, local Facebook Group, Christmas in the Park Sacramento, is encouraging community members to not forget our most vulnerable population, our homeless community, this holiday.  

Christmas in the Park Sacramento is a public Facebook group where members are encouraged to hold collection drives or donate socks, gloves, scarves, hats, toiletries, food, water, backpacks, and most importantly this year, hand sanitizer and face masks, for their homeless neighbors. Volunteers coordinate these donations through Facebook and fill backpacks with the donated supplies. On Christmas morning, the group meets at Caesar Chavez Park in Downtown at 7am and begins handing out the donated backpacks and supplies along with a $5 bill to all the homeless individuals. The group has over 90 local members, many of which have been participating in the event for many years and others who will be participating for the first time this year.

“I have been doing Christmas in the Park for 21 years and I will continue to do it every year, because helping our homeless community has become my family tradition,” said Judy Serafini, Founder of Christmas in the Park Sacramento. “I am grateful for our Facebook Group that allows us to bring the community together to help our most vulnerable neighbors and coordinate this incredible team effort.”

With 24 days left, the group is still in need of donations to be able to provide each homeless individual with a backpack. Individuals interested in donating items are encouraged to join the Christmas in the Park Sacramento Facebook group. If individuals are not able to donate or volunteer, they are still encouraged to show up and take in the beautiful feeling of being a part of a local tradition on Christmas morning that will fill anyone’s heart with goodness and gratitude.

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Small Business Saturday is celebrated across the nation every year to highlight the importance of supporting small businesses. This year, Small Business Saturday falls on November 28 and kicks off the holiday shopping season in Sacramento County. Holiday shoppers in our region are especially encouraged to shop small and shop local to help support struggling businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While this year’s shopping experience may look a little different, you can show your support by shopping small and keeping local businesses safe with these helpful tips:

• Purchase gift cards from local businesses and restaurants
• When possible, shop online with local businesses
• Mail gifts or send no-contact e-gift cards to friends and family
• Help protect employees by practicing social distancing and wearing a face covering while shopping or dining
• Skip holiday cooking and order takeout from your favorite local restaurant 

To find small businesses in your area, reach out to your local chamber of commerce​ or business association by visiting our Economic Development Resource Page. For business owner resources, visit the U.S. Small Business Administration’s website. Looking for more safe holiday tips, read our “How to Celebrate More Safely” news story.

NEW YORK, NY (NAPSI) - For many families this holiday season will be like no other. Without the gathering at the table, some traditions will be impractical this year.

So this may be a good time to try something new like adding a “jazzy” side dish to your holiday meal.

For instance, try a twist on Thanksgiving, Christmas or other occasion, with Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers and Sausages.

This recipe by Fleur de Lolly is easy to make because you can start with a box of Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix, seasoned with cayenne pepper and the “holy trinity” of New Orleans cuisine: diced onion, celery and bell pepper. 

Jambalaya Stuffed Peppers  And Sausages

Serves 4

4 red bell pepper, hollowed out

1 red bell pepper, diced

½ package Zatarain’s Cajun-style smoked sausage

1 package Zatarain’s Jambalaya Mix

Chopped fresh parsley to taste

Preheat oven to 375° F. Dice and brown the sausages in a cast iron skillet if you have one. Make the jambalaya according to package directions. When the jambalaya starts to boil, add the sausage. Once the jambalaya is cooked, gently fill the peppers with the jambalaya, lightly packing as you fill them. Place in a shallow baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375° F for 25-30 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Smoked sausage adds a complexity to the flavor without adding complexity to preparing the dish.

Both Zatarain’s Andouille and Cajun Style Smoked sausages can be found across the country at Kroger owned stores, Sam’s Club, Food Lion and select independent retailers.

Zatarain’s sausages are 100% pork, contain no MSG, no by-products, no gluten nor artificial color or flavors. You can save that for the holiday decorations!

Learn More

You can find more great recipes and suggestions from the experts on good food at Zatarain’s online at www.mccormick.com/zatarains. 

NEW YORK, NY (NAPSI)—There are two easy and fully virtual ways to ensure the holiday season is bright for youth in foster care this year through Treehouse. The nonprofit partners with thousands of youth to provide access to childhood experiences and critical resources as they plan for the future.

“It’s been a challenging year in so many ways, and youth in foster care have shouldered some of the heaviest burden,” said Spencer Sheridan, Treehouse’s Senior Event Coordinator.

“A meaningful holiday gift or warm clothes can make all the difference in a child’s confidence and determination to persevere.” 

Here are the two ways you can get involved: 

1.Host a Virtual Donation Drive—It only takes a minute to set up. Determine the goal, pick a name for the campaign and select a photo. “The donation drive is fun because you can set a goal as a group and easily see your collective impact. We’ll provide the proper materials and guidance for a successful virtual drive that gets everyone in the holiday spirit,” Sheridan said. Visit www.treehouseforkids.org  to get started. 

2.Shop the Holiday Wish List—Treehouse’s online registry has been curated to match the ongoing winter and holiday needs of youth in foster care. All items will be shipped to Treehouse for distribution. Just visit www.treehouseforkids.org/wishlist. “The wish list is a way to do a little shopping and stay safe since it’s virtual. You can see the toys and clothes that are in demand for our youth,” Sheridan said.

Treehouse will be updating the wish list all holiday season long so it matches the latest requests. 

Any individual or organization interested in learning more can call Spencer at 206.498.3910 or contact drives@treehouseforkids.org. 

Learn more at treehouseforkids.org.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) – A decorative fence has replaced almost a mile of battered chain-link in Ancil Hoffman Park. An eyesore to many visitors, the old barrier separated the park golf course from Tarshes Drive for decades.

Susan Peters – who ends her 16 year tenure as County Supervisor next month – commissioned new construction as one of her final beautification projects for District 3.  Totaling nearly $146,000, the cost was funded partly by the Regional Parks Golf fund but mostly by a discretionary allowance that enables Supervisors to assist chosen projects.  “I’ve been wanting to get this done for 30 years,” Peters said. “To me, it’s a great enhancement. The fence style doesn’t stand out like it’s new; it looks like it belongs in this beautiful park.”

Already dubbed “The Great Wall of Susan” the barrier is six feet high for much of its 4000 foot length. Remaining portions are two feet lower, allowing comfortable leaps for deer migrating from the golf course to the Effie Yeaw Nature Preserve. “The movement of animals was an important design consideration,” explained Regional Parks Director Liz Bellas. “One of the best things about visiting Ancil Hoffman is seeing wildlife in its natural habitat.”

Indeed, the170-acre reserve (acquired for the American River Parkway in 1960) is famed for critter inhabitants. Barred only from the Main Event restaurant, wild animals enjoy right of way on park roads and throughout the 18-hole golf course. By night, raccoons and bunnies scurry over tees. Foxes and bobcats prowl the greens. A nonchalant coyote visits so regularly that golfers time their drives to avoid the canine they call “Wiley.” River otters come inland for autumn feasting on Carmichael Creek crawfish. Bucks lock antlers on the fairways and in spring, does birth their Bambis in bunkers.

The new fence was designed with a break at San Lorenzo Way.  The gap allows deer and turkey moms to shepherd babies across Tarshes Drive to the nature preserve.

Even in its 6 ft. segments, the barricade can be cleared by adult deer. To prevent in-flight injuries, upper bars are picket-free. “We’ve seen some horrific wounds caused by spear-topped fences some residents have built nearby,” reports a park hiker. “It’s a relief that the County thought about wildlife safety when designing the new barrier.”

Ancil Hoffman Park is located at 6700 Tarshes Drive, Carmichael.

 

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Due to COVID restrictions, St. John the Evangelist School’s annual craft blowout -- “A Holiday Show of Hands” – will continue as a virtual event this year.

“We’ve never had to cancel in 42 years,” explains indefatigable fair founder Pat Holbus. “It’s our most important fundraiser, so we’ve had to reinvent ourselves in the hope of raising the money our school needs.”

Usually boasting more than 150 vendors, the market traditionally fills the entire Catholic school campus on Locust Avenue. This year, shoppers are encouraged to register for an online auction of about 200 items.  Some were donated by crafters who annually vend at the fair. Other prizes were purchased and contributed by church parishioners and school families.

As well as scores of one-off craft gifts, the auction will offer gourmet food baskets and out-of-town adventures. These include Tahoe vacation home stay; a hiking/bike-riding weekend in Cold Springs, Nevada; a kayaking trip for four on the Napa River. Wine tasting for six - complete with six complimentary bottles of wine -- is offered at the Silt Wine Company, Clarksburg.

In keeping with the festival’s tradition for serving home-made meals, St John’s will offer a drive-thru pick up of pre-ordered lasagna dinners on Friday, December 4.

St John the Evangelist School is located at 5701 Locust Avenue.

For information, www.stjohnev.com or call 916 481-8845.