Even amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, IRC NorCal supporters continued a holiday welcoming tradition this year, bringing in nearly $15,000 worth of items for 60 IRC families. 
 
For the past few years, the IRC in Sacramento and Turlock have coordinated a Winter Welcome/Welcome Home Donation Drive to engage the generosity of the community to support newly arrived families and IRC beneficiaries in transition. The IRC received physical donations such as bicycles, kitchen accessories, and toys (as seen below) to inventory and distribute to families as a “winter welcome.” 

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2019 Sacramento Winter Welcome Donation Drive – (left) Susan Hawkins, Refugee/Immigrant Specialist with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; (right) Missy! Orr, IRC Community Engagement Manager

Due to the pandemic, the IRC piloted the use of Amazon Wishlists, expanding across all four offices for a virtual experience. Donors were able to purchase pre-selected items through Amazon, and then have them shipped directly to clients’ homes. Northern California’s four IRC offices – Turlock, San Jose, Oakland, and Sacramento – coordinated with caseworkers to select high need families to support. In addition to nearly $15,000 worth of items that were shipped to families, donors provided nearly $5,000 worth of gift cards and general donations to support more families and emerging client needs.

The IRC across Northern California is grateful for the continuous support of refugees, immigrants, and survivors of crime & human trafficking. Pictured below is a heart-warming thank you from one of the families who received donations this year saying, “you deserve a special place in our hearts… we did not feel alone, during this difficult time.”

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Thank you letter from a family who received winter welcome donations (2020)