Events

A look back at the volunteer events our members have hosted and taken part in across the San Francisco Bay Area.

November 2024 — LifeMoves of San Mateo

Thanksgiving Breakfast Buffet - at First Steps of San Mateo

In November, around 15 ICL members gathered to host a Thanksgiving breakfast for the residents at First Steps, a LifeMoves homeless shelter in San Mateo. We cooked and served pancakes, eggs, sausages, and drinks to more than 100 individuals (both children and adults). This was an amazing way to celebrate Thanksgiving, and we are so grateful that we had the opportunity to work with such an amazing organization!

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September 2024 — LifeMoves of San Mateo

ICL's Second Annual Fall BBQ - at First Steps of San Mateo

This September, around thirty ICL volunteers hosted a fall BBQ for the residents at First Steps, the LifeMoves homeless shelter in San Mateo, which houses families with children. We served burgers, hot dogs, pulled pork sliders, sides, desserts, and drinks, which were made possible by the ICL membership dues and our February fundraiser. With the help of all the hard-working adult and teen volunteers, we fed many adults and children and then the volunteers also got to enjoy the BBQ together on this beautiful fall evening. This was an extremely gratifying experience and we are so excited to continue to partner with LifeMoves in the future!

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May 2024 — Samaritan House of San Mateo

Providing a helping hand, warm meals, and flowers for Mother's Day

On this special family weekend, a group of us returned to Samaritan House of San Mateo to help them staff their Mother's Day weekend meal and flower delivery. Our team helped sort, bag, wrap, and prepare over 100 meals and meal kits for those in need from the surrounding area. We even distributed flowers of various sorts (roses, plants, and more). By the end of the afternoon our scrappy team of nine volunteers had delivered meals and groceries to 75 families in need. It was such a rewarding way to start the weekend.

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March 2024 — San Francisco Marin Food Bank

Doing our part to help the 53,000 in SF who need food assistance

In March, a team of us worked at the San Francisco Marin Food Bank, which aims to address hunger in San Francisco (which has been exacerbated by the pandemic). Over 53,000 households count on the SF Marin Food Bank for food assistance. In addition to other services, the food bank distributes donated groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, to those in need. Together with a large number of other volunteers from the community, we worked in the warehouse, boxing groceries in an energetic and fast-paced assembly line, with fun music blasting. What a great way to spend a Saturday morning!

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February 2024 — ICL Fundraiser

Helped fundraise for both ICL and Visitacion Valley

We hosted a fundraiser at the Burlingame Farmers Market on Super Bowl Sunday to help raise money for ICL and the educational programs at Visitacion Valley Public School. We had carnival games with multiple prizes—including stuffed animals, 49er gear, and See's candy. We had a great time spending a Sunday morning in the community, bringing smiles to many children, and spreading the word on ICL and Visitacion Valley, and raising close to $1000 for the two organizations. We loved this experience and hope to organize more fundraisers in the future.

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January 2024 — Samaritan House of San Mateo

Kicking off the year with a peel

In January, we started the new year by volunteering at Samaritan House, which provides a broad range of support to over 23,000 men, women, and children living in poverty in San Mateo County. Samaritan House provides food, shelter, school supplies, and financial assistance to its clients. A group of us worked together in the pantry and the kitchen to help sort through and bag groceries to be handed out to Samaritan House's clients. We also peeled and chopped many, many potatoes for the warm meals that Samaritan House provides its clients. It was wonderful to start the new year together helping a good cause!

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December 2023 — America Supporting Americans

Halloween candy sorting event

In December, the members of ICL came together and helped sort 433 POUNDS of candy collected by a preschool in San Francisco. ICL members sorted, packed, and delivered bagged candies, along with handwritten cards and letters, for the military's 101st Airborne Division. Specifically, the candy will be shipped to American soldiers deployed to Europe (Germany, Romania, and Poland) including those who are helping train and support Ukrainian soldiers. This was a wonderful experience and we could not be more grateful to be able to support our soldiers together.

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October 2023 — Dignity Moves

Brought the joy of a Fall Barbeque to homeless in San Francisco

In San Francisco, we came together to host a fall barbecue for the residents of a temporary homeless housing site managed by Dignity Moves. It was a simple yet powerful event, where we served meals to approximately 70 residents. The smiles and heartfelt gratitude we received from them were truly inspiring. This gathering reinforced the profound impact of empathy and the importance of community. It's a reminder that even small acts of kindness can go a long way. Join us on this journey to continue spreading dignity, compassion, and hope to those in need.

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April 2023 — Dignity Moves

Helped launch the Dignity Moves Alameda Facility

In collaboration with Dignity Moves—a non-profit organization focused on providing temporary housing for the homeless—we organized a volunteer event to help clean, decorate, and hang posters in one of Dignity Moves' homeless housing facilities to prepare it for its grand opening. We transformed rooms, added vibrant decor, and adorned the walls with inspiring posters. These hands-on efforts from the members of ICL revitalized the space, leaving a lasting impact on both the facility and its future residents. Being able to lend our support to DignityMoves and contribute to their mission was extremely empowering and gratifying. Our commitment to fostering positive change through collective action drives us, and we look forward to many more opportunities to help non-profits and make a meaningful impact.

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