Holiday Cheer             

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Holiday Cheer

Holiday cheer lifts up our families, seniors, and the community as a whole. Thank you to the dozens of community-based organizations, businesses, and individuals who helped to make this holiday season a little brighter for Upvalley families by supporting this year's Holiday Assistance Program. Last Friday and Saturday, 300 households received gifts for their family, a turkey, and food gift cards to buy groceries for a holiday meal, through our pick-up events and deliveries in Calistoga and St. Helena.

We are deeply grateful to our partners, donors, and volunteers for making this year's program possible: Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, CANV Food Bank, St. Helena Catholic Church/St. Vincent de Paul Society, Adventist Health St. Helena, St. Helena Hospital Foundation, The Peter A. & Vernice H. Gasser Foundation, St. Helena Fire Department, St. Helena Police Officers Association, Robert Louis Stevenson Middle School, Napa CHP, Soroptimist International of Calistoga, St. Helena Montessori School, Grace Episcopal Church, The Haven Seventh-day Adventist Church, Calistoga Community Chest, Blue Zones Project - Upper Napa Valley and team, Smiths St Helena Pharmacy, staff of Mustards Grill, and many individual donors.

Meet Carolina

A devoted mother, provider, and local community member.

Calistoga resident, Carolina, has utilized UpValley Family Centers’ free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to file her taxes. One year, she was able to use her tax refund to purchase a vehicle to be able to transport her children to appointments.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Carolina lost her main source of income and was at risk of not being able to pay her rent. With nowhere else to turn, Carolina reached out to the Family Center, and obtained Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) to cover her rent and keep her family safely housed. Through the EFA program, Carolina received financial coaching from a case manager, coaching tied to her personal goals, and she was able to adjust her monthly living costs in line with her changing income.

As the shutdowns continued, Carolina sought new employment options to address her financial responsibilities. She found a job as a vineyard worker and worked for several months until the 2020 wildfires struck and she was left jobless again. Carolina utilized the knowledge from her financial coaching to rework her monthly budget. Carolina’s resilience and determination, in the face of widespread economic uncertainty, helped her to improve her financial health and have a plan for her family’s stability and well-being.

Success Stories like Carolina’s are made possible thanks to the generous support from Wells Fargo, Napa Valley Community Foundation, Napa Valley Vintners, Redwood Credit Union, Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, and United Way of the Bay Area. To learn more about our Economic Success programs, including VITA, EFA and Financial Coaching, please call (707) 965-5010.

Inspiring a Community of Givers

Support us through CanDo’s Napa Valley Give!Guide 2021! An UpValley Family Centers board member and their spouse will double your donation by matching the first $5,000 contributed to the UpValley Family Centers through CanDo's Give!Guide.

Your gift, and the support provided through the Give!Guide, means that our neighbors have a trusted ally to count on and a place to turn to when they need guidance. Giving ends on December 31st - just click the button below to support UpValley Family Centers through the Give!Guide today!

Housing is Key

The California Rent Relief program is still accepting applications to help those impacted by COVID1-9 pay 100% of their rent and utility bills. Protect yourself from eviction, know your rights, and apply now. Text RENT to 211-211 to learn how to apply for the COVID Rent Relief program.

UpValley Family Centers can provide bilingual (English and Spanish) eligibility verification and application assistance for those with additional questions. Please call UpValley Family Centers at (707) 965-5010 or email efa@upvalleyfamilycenters.org for an appointment.

Join our team!

Are you interested in doing meaningful work that strengthens families and the community?  Please visit our website to view current openings. 

Holiday Office Closure

Our offices in Calistoga and St. Helena will be closed for the holidays starting on Thursday, December 23, 2021 through Sunday, January 2, 2022. We will reopen with our normal business hours on Monday, January 3, 2022. If you have an urgent request for assistance, we will be monitoring our voicemail and taking phone appointments on an as-needed basis over this period. Please call our office at (707) 965-5010 be sure to leave a message so we can get back to you.

From our families to yours, we wish you a joyous and bright holiday season, and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year. Thank you for your compassion, and for everything you do to support our upvalley community.

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