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"I like to do my part helping the community to help us prosper."
— Sunday Friends Dad
Roots in Volunteerism
Sunday Friends was founded by
Janis Baron, a mother of three and Silicon Valley engineer, in January
of 1997. A twenty-year community volunteer, she was discouraged by the
lack of awareness among high school students about different cultures,
races and lifestyles. One Sunday afternoon, hoping to influence her own
children's attitudes, Janis took them to a family shelter. Uncertain about how to help, her family began reaching out to the children in the shelter through games,
drawing and reading. The children were reluctant at first to participate, but Janis and her children continued to return each Sunday, building relationships and trust.
"In Sunday Friends, I learn that not everything in this world is work and to be sad.
There are better things to do like to be here."— Sunday Friends Mom
The
Treasure Chest is born
One day, Janis noticed that the grounds of the shelter were riddled with trash and asked one of the children to help her pick it up in exchange for some stickers used in
an art project. Almost immediately, more children came running and
wanted to know how many pieces of trash they would have to pick up for
a whole page of stickers. Janis had found their motivation: the
opportunity to earn something and the feeling of achievement and pride
that comes from giving back. Trash collecting expanded into cleaning
projects around the shelter. Stickers were replaced with
“tickets” produced on the Baron home computer. She
made weekly trips to a dollar store for crayons, jump ropes, and
various toys — all to be purchased by the kids with the
tickets they had earned. The ticket concept caught on like wildfire.
Not long afterwards, the shelter provided a big closet to house our
first Treasure Chest, a “store” which was stocked
with a variety of goods donated by the community. In return, the
children eagerly participated in new activities.
You guys do great work - we're happy to be associated with you,
and happy
to help!"
— Sunday Friends Corporate Supporter
More
Than Just Earning
Janis found that when items
were earned, rather than given way, they were of more value to the
families. More importantly, families were developing a greater value in
themselves. She introduced healthy snacks by offering fresh fruit
smoothies, which were always made by the children and served to
everyone in the shelter. Janis also worked with the children to help
write thank you letters to donors who were now filling the Treasure
Chest with its merchandise. These letters create a bond between the
donors and the families who benefit from their gifts, linking real
people to one another. It was the first of many literacy programs
offered by Sunday Friends and continues to this day.
"Sunday Friends really reinforced my view that we don't change people directly, but instead
alter the conditions
surrounding everybody so that people may more easily lift themselves up."
— San Jose State student
A Program on the Move
Near the end of the second
year of the program, the EHC shelter was closed. The leaders searched
for another shelter in the community to hold our programs. They landed
at the Family Shelter in downtown San Jose. With more space and help
from the community, the group built a separate building attached to the
shelter that became Sunday Friends' new Treasure Chest. At the same
time, Sunday Friends’ volunteer base was growing. Janis
encouraged community members to lead activities and bring in new ideas.
Sunday Friends became a place for volunteers to realize their own
strengths and build on these skills while gaining a sense of awareness
of the diversity in their community. By drawing on the amazing
resources of the community, Sunday Friends evolved and expanded its
program offerings.
"You are doing such wonderful things!
I am so happy to be associated with your group."
— San Jose State professor
Structural
Constraints
Sunday Friends believes that
the values and attitudes that families practice must be sustained over
long periods of time to truly assist them in breaking the generational
cycle of poverty. So, after six years within homeless shelters, Sunday
Friends sought out a location that would be available to all families in need and for
as long as they chose. The San Jose Unified School District offered
Sunday Friends the use of the Lowell Elementary School cafeteria and an
unused building on its campus to house the Treasure Chest rent-free.
Thus began a collaboration that would grow to fulfill the long-range
needs of the community.
"I think (Sunday Friends) not only brings the families together, but it also brings the whole community together." —
Volunteer
A
Turning Point
This move from the shelter to
an open community setting was a crucial transition in the evolution of
Sunday Friends. Because they had to make special efforts to
participate, families were now demonstrating their willingness to take
responsibility for improving their own lives. In the new setting, we
attracted families who were most likely to benefit from what was being
offered. The move also allowed parents to be more involved with their
children in activities so that the values and attitudes they learned
could be practiced throughout the week in their own homes. In response
to the growing number of immigrant families participating, Sunday
Friends added an English as a Second Language (ESL) program with
dedicated, bi-lingual teachers from the community.
"It is one of the best organizations we know that allows recipients to be donors,
thereby gaining a sense of empowerment and reinforcing their self-dignity" — Ziv Tzedakah Foundation
Financial Challenges
The beginning of 2005 brought
financial challenges. Owing to the economic downturn at home and
overwhelming need abroad, financial resources diminished. With greater
program offerings and growing family participation, funding to continue
running our program each and every Sunday was simply not available. The
decision to reduce program frequency from weekly to monthly was a
painful one. There is a real need for consistency when practicing the
principles and attitudes we impart. Yet, after 423 consecutive programs
without interruption, Sunday Friends became a monthly program in April 2005.
After that time, the response from the community was impressive. Individuals stepped forward to offer their support.
Donations came in and Sunday Friends began to rally.
The Newest Treasure Chest
In July of 2005, to make way
for improved educational facilities at Lowell, the School District was
forced to demolish the building that housed our Treasure Chest. They helped relocate the Treasure Chest to storage containers on the campus in recognition of the value brought to the families in the neighborhood. Although the new facility was much smaller and presented unexpected challenges, monthly programs continued.
Expansion Again
The great news is that community support for Sunday Friends was so strong that we were able to stabilize financially and strengthen significantly during 2005, allowing us to expand from one program per month to two programs per month in January of 2006! Our participating families, bringing their very most enthusiastic and helpful attitudes – as well as new families - to our programs, helped us to develop the positive community feeling and the curriculum even more. Sunday Friends flourished – educationally, socially and organizationally – during 2006.
Sunday Friends Today
At the beginning of 2008, as we begin our twelfth year,
Sunday Friends' program is more than ever rich with opportunities and education. Many of the initial activities started by Sunday Friends still remain in the program. The healthy cooking projects have expanded significantly, offering families everything from simple snacks like apples and peanut butter to salads, ethnic and high protein dishes. Thank You Letter writing has expanded to include emphasis on assisting native
Spanish speakers. A variety of activities, such as Holiday-themed art
projects and crafts made for senior centers, have become staples of the program. Families are now able to learn important life skills, including English-As-A-Second-Language, to deal with day-to-day challenges. Our programs also offer creative and fun education in nutrition, financial literacy, science, piano, dance, math, reading, school readiness for preschoolers, parenting, health and multi-culturalism.
Over the course of eleven years, Sunday Friends has engaged in helping more than 9,000 children in our community. We have collaborated with hundreds of groups. Over 1,800 members of the community volunteer each year. In the process,
lives have changed as skills and attitudes of self-reliance and pride
have been nurtured. As a result, we believe that the community at large
has been uplifted.
It is our hope that Sunday
Friends will serve as a model for programs throughout the Bay Area and
the nation. By combining the vast resources of local communities,
Sunday Friends has demonstrated that together we can make a significant
difference in the lives of families in need.
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