As the Holiday Season approaches, many of us think of the warmth and comfort of family. For too many families in Marin, however, this season is wrought with hardships – parents unable to feed their children, let alone to provide them with gifts and cheer during the holidays. But there are several stories with happy, hopeful endings thanks to the FAMILY TO FAMILY FUND, which began with the generosity and leadership of the Randy Fong family and was established by the FSA Board in 1991 to assist agency clients facing extraordinary needs during the holiday season.

This is the way the FAMILY TO FAMILY FUND works:  FSA staff confidentially identify potential recipients from among the many deserving families in their caseloads. A donation from a donor family is matched to the needs of the recipient family.  After the gift is made, the donor family receives a letter that describes the specific gift and the impact of that gift.

Some examples of recipients who have benefited from the Family to Family Fund include: one family, temporarily impoverished due to both parents losing their jobs, was able to continue providing music lessons for their gifted teenage son.  Another family – an unemployed single mother with four children who lived in a cramped motel room because she couldn’t save money for a rental deposit – was able to rent an apartment, as well as purchase some much-needed warm clothes for her kids.

This month, I’d like to share some of the true stories of FSA family clients who have been touched by the FAMILY TO FAMILY FUND. The recipients have not asked for financial assistance from the agency and are, without exception, deeply surprised and touched by the gift.

Donate now at www.fsamarin.org.

I hope that you will join us in the holiday spirit of giving!
Alissa Steiner