CREER Holiday Fundraiser

Dear Friends of CREER

Greetings! We hope this note finds you and your families doing well, and you are looking forward to an amazing Holiday Season, starting with Thanksgiving! All of us at CREER would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to everyone who has contributed to our services and programs.  We would not have been able to make it this far without your support. We also want to thank all our volunteers for their dedication and hard work; you are the heart that makes us beat! And more importantly, we are grateful for all the families who have given us their trust and have allowed us to serve them throughout the years. It is a privilege to serve you! Thank you!  

As many of you may know, we recently had to cancel the CREER Afternoon Party Event due to unforeseen issues. Instead, we are asking all of our fun and loyal CREER supporters to please donate to the CREER Holiday Fundraising. Please be so kind to send your donation to CREER, P.O. Box 1347, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693 or use the donate now button. We hope you can enjoy the below slide show with the CREER Impact Report which highlights some of our accomplishments. 

As many in our community, we have been severely affected by the aftermath of the COVID-19 Crisis not only financially, but more importantly, it has forced us to restructure our organization and limited resources to accommodate both the reimplementation of the 2024 CREER summer programs as well as to continue with our food and diaper distribution efforts to keep on helping more than 425 families with their number one concern which is food insecurity. Unfortunately, in April of last year, and due to the end of most government programs, lack of food at the food banks, and limited funding, we were forced to change our weekly food distribution schedule to bi-weekly instead. 

We are requesting your help this Holiday Season to raise the $30,000.00 that we need to continue with our food and diaper distribution efforts next year. It is of vital importance that we raise these funds by the end of the year. We know that with your help and generosity, we will be able to achieve our goal.

“No one can measure the effects of a single act of giving, for its repercussions are beyond our limited imagination.” - Taitetsu Unno.

According to a recently published article in OC Voice, food insecurity in Orange County is on the rise and the available resources are just not enough to keep up with the demand. We of course know this; we live it every other Tuesday. Last Tuesday we had to turn away more than 30 families because we did not have enough food for all the families who came to the CREER Food Distribution. 

The CREER Food Distribution has completed 240 weeks (56 Months) of food and diaper distribution to families affected economically by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath. By Tuesday, November 26th, 2024, we have distributed more than 4,028 pallets, 185,285 boxes/bags of food, 237 pallets of diapers, and more than $185,752.00 in emergency funds and goods. The food boxes represent 741,148 meals distributed in 56 months. 

In the last 240 weeks, the average number of families served is 122,222 with an average of 4 individuals per family. The average number of people served by the pantry is 488,888. We also distributed more than 900 Christmas Presents to families in OC last year. The CREER Food and Diaper Distribution operates without interruptions on a bi-weekly basis. 

CREER believes that education is the key that will open the door to a better future for our children and their families. Our educational programs help close the academic and cultural gaps that poverty creates. In 2024 we continued our educational programs by implementing a small CREER Summer session with 52 children (288 spots), fifteen high-school and Junior high-school volunteers, and six educators. 

100% of the students who attended these programs were given full scholarships. In addition to the 2024 CREER Summer Programs and thanks to the close and long partnership with Emerald Day Cove Summer Programs and Rockstar Ministries’ generosity we were able to send 65 CREER students to a one-week summer session on full scholarships, a $750 dollar value per child. We also sent two CREER volunteers to the Yosemite Sierra Summer Camps. Unfortunately, and due to lack of funding and space, we could not implement the CREER Homework Club and Tutoring Programs this year. We are planning to reopen these vital programs by January of 2025. 

CREER aims to give our children and youth academic success, leading to higher education and an artistic base as alternatives to negative influences. Our cultural and performing arts programs especially aim to give the children and youth of our community the opportunity to develop a keen sense of belonging and to understand that hard work and commitment will help them achieve their goals in life. 

In addition to our educational and food distribution programs, CREER is also a vital source of information, advocacy, mentoring, and resource channeling to the CREER families. In recent months and in partnership with Families Together, we have been providing access to Dental & Vision services to more than 250 patients in Mobil Clinics out of our parking lot. 

CREER, in coordination with The Outreach Program Services of America and the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), distributed more than 1,275 tablets and phones to the most vulnerable members of our community. 

CREER, in partnerships with EDISON International and SDG&E, have also connected hundreds of qualifying families to the CARE, FERA, and Medical Baseline Programs. Families enrolled in the CARE Program are eligible to receive a 30% Discount on their electricity and gas bills. 

CREER is a universal program that will never be discriminatory to anyone. Although 95% of the families that CREER serves live in poverty and are of Hispanic descent, all of our programs are open to whomever needs food, diapers, or educational Programs.

We are looking into the future with hope, and with your help, the continued support of the OC Food Bank, the City of San Juan Capistrano, and the generosity of so many members of our community, we will make sure our children and their families continue to have food on their tables and much needed access to quality educational programs.

Please help us celebrate this Holiday Season by donating to any of our programs and sending your check to CREER Comunidad y Familia at P.O. Box 1347, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92693 or by using the donate now button below. Any funding consideration will be heartily appreciated by all of us at CREER, but more importantly our children and their families. We need your help more than ever.  We thank you again for your continued support and dedication to the CREER Mission. Have an amazing Holiday Season!

With Infinite Gratitude,

Angeles, Rosario, The CREER Board of Directors,

Our Children, and their Families.