Volume 6, Issue 1 | February 2020

The Uptown Update

Exciting opportunities to get involved this spring and highlights from our most recent quarter!

Save the Date: Uptown's Annual Walk-a-thon! Uptown's annual 5K walk-a-thon for our neighbors in need is not only one of our largest annual fundraisers, it's also a chance to raise awareness and connect with those making a difference in our community. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds directly fund Uptown's services and operations. Walkers and non-walkers alike welcome, check our website for event details! Join us March 14th from 8:00am-12:00pm! Register Here

Service Spotlight: Souper Bowl Sunday Mission Hills United Church of Christ held its annual Souper Bowl Sunday soup cook-off February 9th! Eight different groups created soups as the congregation test-tasted and voted with dollars. All proceeds are donated to local community organizations, and Mission Hills raised over $4,000 to be donated directly to Uptown. It was a good day for soup! Find out how your organization can get involved here !

Food for Thought Earlier this year, Uptown was awarded an in-kind grant from the San Diego Emergency Food and Shelter Program. This grant included $2,600 worth of canned food to provide directly to our clients. Thank you to all who were part of this effort to put this important resource in the hands of our clients! Read more about the impact of our efforts here .

Giving Thanks A huge thank you to the Eta Iota Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Women's International Education Society for the generous donation of goods provided to Uptown on January 14th! These goods directly support our clients in their journey to stability.

Current Center Needs. In-kind donations are vital to our day-to-day operations and are always greatly appreciated. We are currently in need of clothes hangers, new and lightly used clothing, new underwear, sandwich bags, a microwave, and snacks. Click here for donation details.

Keith's Corner: Celebrating Client Successes!

Joy, Hope, and Resilience in Our Clients' Lives We don't always get to see the impact of the work we do. We are so grateful to celebrate the successes of our Uptown clients! A previous client stopped by full of gratitude for our support during her time of need. She now has an apartment from the San Diego Housing Alliance and just landed a part time job in Chula Vista. She said, "It's only a part time job, but it's a start!" One of our long-time clients recently requested to have her mail redirected to a new address. She finally has housing after 13 years of waiting, has been sober for 2 years, and has a job. She was radiant with happiness.  After spending his childhood in the foster care system and the majority of his adult life in a gang, one of our clients just finished his first semester of college! He is pursuing an engineering degree and is working with a public defender to negotiate his probation thanks to the stability and support of Uptown.

Volunteer Holiday Party 2019 Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to our 2019 Volunteer Appreciation Potluck! It is not often enough that we get to celebrate the hard work of everyone involved in serving our clients and community. We are so grateful to all who have been a part of in Uptown's work in 2019. What a great way to wrap up a year of growth and success, we can't wait until next year!!

Get Involved! Volunteer   for 3-hour shifts on a regular or on-call basis. Get started  here . Donate Goods  in-person at our center. Travel-sized hygiene supplies, men’s clothing, underwear, socks, backpacks, sleeping bags, and blankets are always in big demand. Shop at  smile.amazon.com  and choose Uptown Faith Community Service Center as your charity.  Donate Money  online, in-person, or through Uptown’s fundraising events. Donation details  here .

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