Nov 30, 2021
Giving Back During the Holidays
Article contributed by Rosey Justine Exclusively for Lifeline Community Services Despite what TV ads and seasonal movies might suggest, many people tend to feel a bit down during the holidays. Interestingly, studies have shown that the holiday tradition of sharing cheer might be the solution.Helping others makes people feel more confident, and increases their sense of self-worth. This in turn boosts confidence, and can in many cases create a cycle of generosity that benefits more people. The holidays provide an excellent opportunity to do exactly that, particularly during challenging times. The pandemic exasperated the situation of many disadvantaged communities, making intervention programs more important than ever. And in times of difficulty, people learn to help each other, which is why this is the perfect opportunity to give back. The North County Community Image credit: Unsplash Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/k39RGHmLoV8 In 2018, one out of ten people living in North County were livingbelow the federal poverty level. 10% of the population struggles to afford basic needs like room, clothing, and transportation, with youth being among the most affected. Today, North County alone reports more than1,500 homeless individuals. It's also inside one of the areas with the highest rate of sex trafficking in the country. On top battling financial insecurity, many individuals are at an increased risk for human trafficking. Fortunately, different efforts have emerged to combat these issues. How Lifeline Community Services Serves the Community Image credit: Unsplash Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/Zyx1bK9mqmA Lifeline Community Services approaches these complex issues by focusing on both prevention and intervention. Our programs build self-reliance among youth, adults, and families through community-based services. Lifeline’s five areas of services include: Behavioral Health, Child Abuse & Domestic Violence Prevention and Intervention, Housing & Self-Sufficiency, Human Trafficking Prevention & Intervention, and Youth Development. Each area of service helps provide individuals with the tools they need to become self-reliant. Last year along, Lifeline served over 4,255 individuals across San Diego County. Providing long-term solutions to complex issues also requires adequately equipped professionals. Formal education andtraining in social work and advocacy, for example, allow people to learn the necessary skills to build resilient communities. This is something of particular importance when working with people facing trauma, domestic abuse, and human trafficking. How You Can Give Back Image credit: Unsplash Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/Cns0h4ypRyA There are many ways to help others through Lifeline Community Services. This year, Lifeline is offering several unique ways to give including: Crypto Donations, Adopt-A-Family Gift Card Donations, Celebratory Gifts, Monthly Giving, Vehicle Donations, and Stock Donations. Employer matching is another great way to maximize any gift to Lifeline. These gifts support youth and families who may be experiencing homelessness, human trafficking, domestic violence, or food insecurity this holiday. Lifeline is one of the first 10 non-profits in San Diego County offering crypto giving for our donors this year, so take advantage of this unique way to give back this season. Everybody Wins Image credit: Unsplash Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/y3ZY6qFln_g Helping others is a mutually beneficial activity. It has measurable results in society and reinforces individual self-worth and empathy. It also reduces the feeling of loneliness and strengthens people's connection to their community. Prevention and intervention programs are only as good as their teams though. People with a deep understanding of the community, and well-trained in their field, are necessary to provide effective support. This union between short-term and long-term solutions is what allows programs like Lifeline Community Services to achieve such consistent and long-lasting success. We couldn't do our work without your support - Thank you! Give today, and help us continue building self-reliance among youth, adults, and families across San Diego County! Article contributed by Rosey Justine Exclusively for Lifeline Community Services
Nov 17, 2021
Homelessness Awareness Rally
Runaway & Youth Homelessness Awareness Rally In partnership with YMCA Youth Services andSan Diego Youth Homelessness Consortium (SDYHC) a resource fair, walk, and rally in Escondido was held to raise awareness regarding youth homelessness. Special thanks to everyone who came out across San Diego County, and special thanks to Assemblymember Marie Waldron's Office and Office of Supervisor Jim Desmond for attending and providing certificates of recognition. Together we can help end youth homelessness in San Diego. Lifeline is proud to participate in advocacy efforts to help amplify youth voices. Click below to learn more about Lifeline's LifeSpring services and The Drop-in Center for youth who may be experiencing homelessness. LearnMore >
Nov 09, 2021
Lifeline & YMCA Hosts Runaway & Homeless Youth Rally - Nov. 17
November is National Runaway & Homeless Youth awareness month. Please join the community in amplifying our voices to end youth homelessness. Lifeline alongside YMCA Youth & Family Services andThe San Diego Youth Homelessness Consortium (SDYHC) are hostinga rally, resource fair & walk and invite you to join in! 1.Meet at YMCA Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Drop-in Center at 12:00PM:Stop by Lifeline's table and connect with staff at the Resource Fair! Free food and sign-making is available. 2.Walk to Escondido City Hall at 1:00 PM:Hear from youth and local elected officials. *Wear green, dress comfortably, and have walking shoes FOR MORE INFO, EMAIL: Charity Brant at cbrant@ymcasd.org Community partners: please contact Charity Brant if you would like to participate in the resource fair.
Oct 21, 2021
Lola's Story
Lola's Story An empowering story of a woman overcoming obstacles, finding healing & freedom from domestic violence, and becoming self-reliant. "I am an immigrant. I obtained my university degree in my country in Economics. In my tourist trips to the USA I met the man with whom I later married in Arizona and that is how my journey begins full of pain, hope, joys, sufferings, sacrifices, efforts, but above all a lot of learning. After three years of dating, we made the decision to get married at the end of 2018 he brought me to live in California. At the beginning of 2019, we began to have problems. I endured abuse in different ways: psychological, economic, sexual and even physical. I did not know what was happening was not normal until I received services from a therapist. For about 5yrs, I endured abuse from the person who I thought loved me and wanted the best for us. In 2020 after he threw me out of our home, as he had done several times before, he gave me an ultimatum. He told me I had to leave our home in June without compassion, income, employment, housing, or family. I was desperate, alone and in the middle of the pandemic. I begged him to let me stay because I had nowhere to go, it was very humiliating. I had no help other than my therapist. She provided me with phone numbers I called them they also gave me more numbers until I got to Lifeline. My worker at Lifeline helped me find a shelter, where I stayed for five months. My worker at Lifeline walked me through the transition, as an immigrant, I was unaware of the resources I could reach out to, the options of new paths I could make for myself. Since then Lifeline has been by my side helping me in several ways to address my needs. Lifeline has been the ideal help I needed to continue to move forward. Lifeline helped me with transitioning out of the shelter with rental assistance. At the end of 2020 my divorce was finalized from my abuser. It has been very difficult to find a stable job because of the pandemic but I have been able to survive, solving issues as they come. Another organization is helping me with resolving my immigration status. Now I only wait to be heard and be able to achieve self-sufficiency on my own here in this county. Contributing being productive, something at times taken for granted, something so simple had been denied to me by my controlling ex-husband. Being a migrant, all alone and new to the State of California. I found myself, thrown out of my home, by the man who abused for about five years. Desperate and in survival mode I found help from Lifeline. In my sadness and anguish, my caseworker helped me see that I can still get by alone and by my own means. I learned to be patient and to take guidance g from my caseworker. My worker always responded to my calls for help. She was with me in the hardest moments I went through with a professional and compassionate heart. I participate in the Communities in Action program. I have participated in virtual financial workshops and educational workshops learning topics from personal finances to healthy relationships. I was given information to continue my education to continue to grow. I enrolled in a High School program c. I was able to transfer some of my university credits and I only need to take a couple classes. I am taking a class at community college and a class at the adult school program. Little by little, I am moving forward. All of this has been thanks to the good work of support and service that Lifeline has provided me. *Names have been changed to protect client identity
Oct 15, 2021
Oceanside COVID-19 Vaccine Site
North Coastal Live Well Health Center Hosts Weekly COVID-19 Vaccinations in Oceanside Every Sunday through Thursday 12 PM –7 PM Oceanside Vaccine site at North Coastal Live Well Health Center 1701 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92058 First and second doses are available at no cost. Health insurance and appointments not required to be vaccinated Appointments also available, if preferred Number of no appointment vaccinations limited per location Parents or legal guardians must provide consent for an eligible minor to receive the vaccine. Parental consent must either occur in person at the vaccination site OR be given in advance when scheduling appointments on MyTurn.ca.gov ahead of time. Only the Pfizer BioNTech ™ COVID 19 vaccine may be provided to minors at this time, subject to change. For information on scheduling a vaccination appointment, please visit coronavirus sd.com or call 2 1 1. 2 1 1 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in more than 200 languages. All calls are free and confidential.
Oct 14, 2021
Dia De Los Muertos Celebration
Lifeline's Club Crown Heights program to host a Dia De Los Muertos Celebration on Friday, October 29, 2021 from 5:00 - 9:00 PM located at the Crown Heights Resource Center (1210 Division St., Oceanside). The event is free and open to all! Enjoy mariachi, costume contest, altars, food, raffles, activities and games! In partnership with TrueCare and theCity of Oceanside.
Oct 11, 2021
Rotary Club of Carlsbad Gives Back
Giving with Impact & Rotary Club of Carlsbad Give over $27,000 to Project LIFE Special thanks to theRotary Club Club of Carlsbad for their donations totaling over $27,000 towards Lifeline's Project LIFE program. Thanks to the hard work of fundraising through various means including the 1st Annual Golf Charity Scramble and Giving with Impact, Lifeline is able to continue furthering our mission of building self-reliance among the youth, adults, and families we serve. Giving with Impact through the Coastal Community Foundation helps facilitate philanthropic-minded individuals and businesses to collectively pool funding and resources for charitable causes. Thank you to theCity of CarlsbadandAssemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath for providing certificates of recognition honoring the Carlsbad Rotarians! Lifeline is grateful for our community partnerships.
Oct 10, 2021
Francisco Flores Recognized During Latino/a Heritage Month by Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath recognizes Lifeline Program Manager, Francisco Flores for his incredible impact on the lives of Club Crown Heights youth. Each day during this Latino/a Heritage Month, the Assemblymember is recognizing North County community members whose contributions to our region deserve to be shared and celebrated. Francisco Flores oversees Lifeline's youth programs in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Oceanside and is committed to helping Lifeline Community Services meet its mission. Francisco works day-in and day-out to help keep at-risk youth on the right track. Thank you, Francisco, for your commitment to Lifeline, your community, our youth, and for making AD76 a better place to live! Lifeline joins in congratulating Francisco Flores for this recognition! He continues to make a life-changing impact daily in the lives of the youth at Club Crown Heights. Lifeline is beyond grateful for his leadership.
Sep 29, 2021
FREE COVID-19 Vaccinations at Lifeline Community Services
Free Covid-19 Vaccinations Booster Shots & Flu Shots are also available! *Free Healthy Food Boxes will be available onsite Wednesday, October 27th 2:00 - 6:00 PM Location: Lifeline Community Services, 200 Michigan Ave, Vista, CA 92084 Protect yourself and the community by geting your free COVID-19 vaccine! *Vaccinating ages 12+ at this location Questions? Call (760) 736-6777 In partnership with TrueCare.
Sep 20, 2021
Adopt-a-Family 2021
Frequently Asked Questions Learn More about Lifeline's Annual Holiday Giving Tradition What is Adopt-A-Family? Adopt-A-Family is a holiday giving program designed to help low-income families who are Lifeline clients celebrate the holiday season by connecting them with local businesses, organizations, and individuals who “adopt” them. How does it work? Complete the Adopt-A-Family interest form to get started. Lifeline will match you with a Lifeline family and provide you with a personalized list of the things they need most, as well as wish items for the holidays. Then, you deliver the gifts no later than December 10th, 2021to Lifeline’s Vista Campus. Please make sure to meet this deadline. Lifeline staff arranges the delivery of gifts, and can include a personal message from you and your own household or group if you wish. Donors typically receive a thank you note from their recipient family. This year, because of COVID-19 and in an effort to maintain as little physical contact as possible, we are encouraging donors to use our online donation option, if they wish, so that families can purchase their own gifts. We will also be taking extra precautions for those who wish to continue to purchase gifts and deliver them to Lifeline. How are families selected for Adopt-A-Family? All families who are adopted are Lifeline clients and are nominated by Lifeline staff for their hard work and dedication to becoming self-sufficient. This includes families who have experienced homelessness, youth who have aged out of foster care, youth participating in juvenile diversion programs, survivors of human trafficking, and others. These families are low income or face economic challenges on a daily basis. Will I get a chance to meet thefamily I adopt? Due to the nature of services Lifeline provides and in order to best respect their confidentiality, we do not allow donors to meet the family(ies) and will not provide donors with more than first names of family members. Lifeline strives to give our clients the dignity and confidentiality they deserve. Thank you for your support and respecting the privacy of our clients. How much does it cost to adopt a family? We encourage donors to provide at least two gifts per family member. Over the years, we have estimatedthat donors on average spend between $75-100 per individual. If you want to make your gift go as far as possible, please contact us. We can match you with a larger or smaller family to meet your budget. You can also adopt a family as a group of two or more donors who give together to sponsor a family. Or, you can donate gift cards which are helpful in providing basic needs for families. Can I donate used items? We do not accept donations of used goods for the holiday season. All gifts and donations must be new. Why is the family asking for electronics or other "luxury" items if they are low-income? While we encourage families to focus on basic needs, we also ask them to think of a 'special wish.' Many of our families have never had the opportunity to wish for something some might consider a 'luxury' (for example, aniPhone, a tablet,or mani/pedis). Please don't be offended. Please let us know if you would like us to match you with a different family whose wants and needs seem to be most in line with your budget and expectations. Remember, you are not obligated to purchase everything on the wish list. We hope to provide at least two gifts for each person. You are welcome to provide more if you wish. Can I adopt multiple families? Yes, you can adopt as many families as you wish as long as you can provide the same level of commitment to each family. We also encourage donors with larger budgets to adopt larger famlies (6+) as those are typically the hardest/last to be adopted. Can my group adopt a family? Yes! The Adopt-A-Family program is a great opportunity for schools, faith groups, businesses, and other organizations. Groups are often able to adopt multiple families or larger families, which are typically more difficult to match. When and where should I deliver gifts? We will be accepting gifts November 29 - December 10during designated drop off times at our Vista Campus. We also hope to bring back our annual "Donation Drop-off Party" this year but will decide as we get closer to December. More information and details to come. How should the items be delivered? Should we wrap the gifts? Some families love the surprise of wrapped presents for all, while some would prefer to wrap the gifts themselves. We typically see this with parents who would like to feel part of the holiday tradition of wrapping gifts for their kids. There is a section in the wishlist that lets donors know what the families prefer. We ask that you deliver your gifts in large bins, boxes, or bags so we can ensure your items stay together. It is helpful, but not required, to separate gifts for each family member into their own box/bin/ bag. Most importantly: make sure the recipient’s name and family code are clearly labeled on all gifts. Once all of your gifts are labeled and placed in boxes/bins/ bags, please label the container with the family code and list of how many boxes you have for the family. For example if there are 3 total boxes: Box 1 of 3, Box 2 of 3, Box 3 of 3, etc. If you have more than one family, please use separate boxes for each family. *if you include Gift Cards, please make sure they are activated at time of drop off. To ensure they do not get lost, please put them in one envelope, clearly labeled with the intended recipient, and write the family code on the envelope.* What if I can’t follow through with my adoption? If you are unable to follow through with your adoption, please contact us immediately, do not wait. We will need to make other arrangements for the family. I can’t adopt a family, but I still want to donate and/or volunteer my time. How can I help? We always appreciate any donation to Lifeline! Please visit this page to learn about the various ways you can help. Gift cards of any denomination and stores are used to support a family who either hasn’t been adopted, or who needs a little extra support. We also have an Amazon wish list with items needed specifically for Adopt-A-Family such as wrapping paper and supplies, gift bags, Christmas trees and decorations, etc. Throughout the first 2 weeks of December, we need dozens of volunteers! Contact us if you would like to volunteer—bring family, friends, co-workers, the more the merrier! We will of course be following safety recommendations and protocols to prevent the spread COVID-19. Is my donation tax deductible? Adopt-A-Family gifts and donations can be tax-deductible. You will receive a thank you letter in January describing your participation in the program; only gift cards or cash donations will be given their corresponding dollar value in the letter. Keep your receipts as backup for in-kind donations so you can attach those to the letter for tax purposes. Our tax ID Number is 95-2794253. Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Email give@nclifeline.org or contact 760-842-6254.