Jul 25, 2019
The Hidden Gem of Lifeline Community Services
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Each year Lifeline Community Services receives invaluable assistance for program needs from over 300 volunteers and interns. With 5 service areas, and close to 40 programs, have you ever wondered how Lifeline Community Services is able to continue providing for the needs of our community with such a high level of care? We'll let you in on a little secret...its our volunteers! From AmeriCorp VIP Fellows to Adopt-A-Family gift wrappers, we are indebted to our volunteers for the service they provide, and their continuous commitment to our mission. Our volunteers come to us from various backgrounds, education levels, and with varying amounts of time to invest, but each one of them leaves an indelible mark on the fabric of our agency that cannot be erased. They put the LIFE in Lifeline! If you are interested in learning more about our volunteer opportunities please visit our website, or contact our volunteer manager at volunteer@nclifeline.org. THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS! With your help we've been able to accomplish so much! Your hours of service have contributed to the success of our programs, and we appreciate your help with: Admin Assistance Tutoring Community Events Adopt-A-Family Teens Leading North County Childcare Food Donation Pick-ups Gardening Site Clean-up/Renovations Backpack Drive The VITA Program Internships Lifeline Events Donations...and so much more!
May 11, 2020
LifeSpring Volunteer Spotlight
In honor of National Foster Care Month, we are highlighting a volunteer at The House Drop-in Center, which serves former foster youth and youth and young adults experiencing homelessness through our partnership with Just in Time. Allie shares that "the most rewarding part of volunteering is the people that I’ve gotten to meet. The staff and participants are all such wonderful people and I’ve learned a ton about all the work that goes on, especially behind the scenes." "Allie was constantly having positive interactions with youth and their children and was a warm face for those first entering into the space. She went above and beyond to assist in daily functionality within the Drop-in Center.”- Katie Ramos, LifeSpring Program Coordinator Thank you for your dedication to the community, Allie! To join Allie in her support of the youth and young adults in the LifeSpring program, you can take our Matching May Challenge.Donations made in May will be matched dollar for dollar by the David C. Copley Foundation to support homeless and foster youth and young adults.
Oct 14, 2020
Adopt-a-Family 2020!
Adopt-a-FamilyFrequently Asked Questions Learn More about Lifeline's Annual Holiday Giving Campaign 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 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 my family? Due to the nature of services Lifeline provides and in order to best respect this 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 does it work? Complete the Adopt-a-Family interest form to get started. Then, 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 14th, 2020 to Lifeline’s Vista Campus. 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 will 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 much does it cost to adopt a family? Over the years, we have determined that 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. 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. 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? Due to COVID-19, this year we will not be hosting our annual Drop-off Party. Instead, we will be accepting gifts November 30-December 14 during designated drop off times at our Vista Campus. More information and details to come. How should the items be delivered? Should we wrap the gifts? This year we ask that ALL gifts be unwrapped. We encourage donors to include gift-wrapping with the donation so that families can wrap presents themselves. 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 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. 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.
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.
Jun 30, 2023
Host a Dropbox for this Year's Back to School Drive!
Lifeline is committed to helping the youth in all of our community-based programs start the year off right. We know that for many students from low-income families, having the necessary supplies at the beginning of the school year helps remove barriers to learning. Join us this year in meeting our goal of collecting over 500 brand new backpacks filled with supplies--- together we can make sure our youth and young adults start off the school year right! There are three ways you can help: 1. ShopourAmazon Wish List 2.Donate Online 3. Host your own back to school drive with your friends and family. Here are some tips and pointers on how to successfully host a dropbox at your office, neighborhood, or other places of gathering. (You can download a full donation drive kit/plan from the button below.) 1. Contact Anabel Melo, amelo@nclifeline.org / 760-842-6254 to sign up.She can also provide extras of the following: Electronic files or hard copies of posters or fliers to decorate your box/bin. Branded graphics and logos to allow personalization of marketing materials. Electronic or hard copies of a donation form for each donor to fill out when they drop off their backpack/supplies. This allows Lifeline to thank your donors and to ensure that they receive credit for their donations. Lifeline swag (limited quantities available) to give away to donors when they drop off. 2. Obtaina box or bin and place in a prominent location preferably with lots of foot traffic at your place of business, church, community center or your home. 3. Decorate the box. If possible, make the drop-off location area exciting (add balloons or streamers etc.) Smaller sized boxes/bins, as well as clear/seeing through boxes/bins give the appearance of fullness. A box/bin that appears full is more likely to entice donors to vie even more than a sad, empty box. You can replace with a bigger box as you receive donations. Below are some examples of boxes/bins: 5. Draftand forward an e-blast to your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and anyone you think would like to participate. Let them know they can purchase a backpack and/or supplies or they can make a donation online or buy supplies from Amazon’s Wish List. You can begin letting people know on July 10th that the collection dates are from July 12through August 2. 6.Continue to spread the word, with updated e-blasts and social media and drive traffic to your box and Lifeline’s website and Amazon account. 7.Deliverbackpacks and all completed donation forms to Lifeline at200 Michigan Avenue, Vista, CA 92084 no later than Wednesday, August 2nd. Backpacks will be distributed to a variety of Lifeline clients on Friday, August 4th, one week before the start of school. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Sep 27, 2023
Adopt-A-Family 2023
Frequently Asked Questions Learn More about Lifeline's Annual Holiday Giving Tradition 1. What is Adopt-A-Family? Adopt-A-Family is a holiday giving program in North County San Diego 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. 2. 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 9th, 2023to Lifeline’s Vista Campus. Please make sure to meet this deadline. Lifeline staff arranges the delivery of gifts. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Can I donate used items? All gifts and donations must be new. 6. Why is the family asking for electronics or other "luxury" itemsand not just basic needs? 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 spa days, etc). 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. 7. When and where should I deliver gifts? We will be accepting gifts December 4 - December 9during designated drop off times at our Vista Campus. We will also be hosting our annual "Donation Drop-off Party" this year.More information and details to come. 8. 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. 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. *see samples below. 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.* 9. 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. 10. 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. 11. 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. 12. I can’t adopt a family, but I still want to donate and/or volunteer my time. How can I 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. The most requested stores include: Food4Less, Stater Bros, Albertsons, and any gas station. 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! Email us at volunteer@nclifeline.org 13. 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.