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November Newsletter 2023

A Note From Angie

There are less than two months left in this year, and Fall is underway. We are filled with gratitude daily as we spend more time with our families. The Academic Enrichment Center is busy with wonderful student volunteers from local high schools as well as our caring adults from nearby. Our friends at Little Flock Church hosted their second annual Fall Festival and we all enjoyed games, yummy food, and lots of laughter; what a treat to celebrate in our neighborhood. We barely had time to breathe before another celebration at our AEC. Día de los Muertos is always a highlight here at Generations United; we celebrated the lives of those who have gone before us and enjoyed tasty treats and dancing from our favorite dance group, Danza Colibri. This past weekend, we hosted our friends from becomenew for lunch, and it was such a delight! We are heading straight into a fun-filled holiday season. Our Community Thanksgiving Dinner was held on November 12, and we also began registration for our Sponsor a Family Initiative. We will wrap presents at Sequoia Christian Church on December 8 and distribute them on the 9th. All the details are below, and we look forward to seeing you this Christmas season as we work together to empower the families in our community. Be on the lookout for our year-end fundraising letter and match campaign!

Dates to Remember

  • 11/15: Generations United turns 16!
  • 11/17 – Candice Bún’s birthday
  • 11/20-11/24: No AEC Programming – Happy Thanksgiving!
  • 12/8 & 12/9 – Sponsor A Family & Christmas Celebration

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

This event is a big hit every year. Where else can you enjoy a community dinner with turkey, tamales, ham, and pupusas? We shared a meal together and kicked off the Holiday Season at Generations United. Many friends signed up to bring food and serve, and we had an amazing time. Stay tuned for pics and video!

Fall Festival

Our staff and families enjoyed the 2nd Annual Fall Festival at Little Flock COGIC. We played games, ate treats, and had a blast. It was a beautiful picture of community right here in North Fair Oaks.

There were costumes, sack races, pumpkin carving, and all the Autumn joy we could contain. Thank you to our neighbors at Little Flock for hosting an amazing event!

Día de los Muertos

On November 1 & 2, we honored the memory of our loved ones and celebrated our rich cultural history with a joyous Dia de Los Muertos celebration. Thank you to all of the families and friends who joined us in sharing this tradition.
Special thanks to Sheena & the Laurel Street Arts team for helping us make frames for our ofrenda!

High School Helpers

It has been a joy and a blessing to have students join us from local high schools. Students from Woodside Priory, Serra, Menlo, and Everest have been giving their time in the afternoons to support our AEC students: reading, games, academic activities, crafts, and more. We hope GU students are inspired to give back and be high achievers with sights set on big things – just like the students who volunteer with us. Do you have a high school student with community service hours or a project to complete? We still need more volunteers (youth and adults) to read and spend time with our students after school. Click below for more information and to sign up.

Congratulations, Kat!

Congratulations to our talented and passionate AEC Staff Member, Katya Alvarado, on graduating from the Medical Assistant program through JobTrain. Kat has been connected to Generations United for many years and continues to invest in our students now that she has completed her schooling. We are so proud of you and wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Happy Birthday, Candice!

A very special happy birthday (11/17) to our longest-serving staff member, Candice Bún. She is a superstar in every sense of the word. Not only does she remotely manage so much of the day-to-day efforts at GU, she is a wife, mom, worship leader, business owner, gardener, and friend!

We are thrilled to watch Can excel at everything she does and doubly happy she is part of our team.

Hope you have an amazing birthday month! We love you!

Sponsor a Family

Every Christmas, Generations United hosts a celebration to bless the families of our community. In years past, we have had massive gift/toy drives to serve the numerous families we impacted through our food distribution and AEC programs. This year, we’ve received a very generous gift of toys through our partnership with TBC.

Additionally, we will focus with intention on the families we serve through our AEC and on-site programs. As we do this, we will match families with generous donors to provide some extra Christmas cheer for them. You can participate by providing a Holiday Meal (or a gift card) or purchasing from a family’s wish list. Volunteers are needed to help with shopping, wrapping, and distributing presents. We are honored to partner with Sequoia Christian Church to host this event. Please see the flyer below and click it for more information and to sign up.

Giving Tuesday
Remember that the Tuesday after Black Friday is #GivingTuesday and is the biggest giving day of the year for nonprofits! Please consider a generous gift in honor of our 16 years of service to the community, and we need your help to spread the word! Share Generations United with your friends. Tweet, add to stories, TikTok, LinkedIn, or Facebook…whatever you do, join us as we expand our reach.
Click here to view our AEC Calendar and stay up to date!

Fall Events 2023

Stay up to date with events and opportunities around our community. See below for more information on Fall events in Redwood City, activities, resources, and more.

Fall Festival With Little Flock COGIC

Día de los Muertos at Generations United

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

This annual event is a highlight of our holiday season. We would love to see you there! Click below to RSVP and sign up to help or bring food. This family-friendly event begins promptly at 4 pm with volunteer shifts starting at 3 and others finishing at 7.

Use the arrow to view the flyer in English / Use la flecha para ver el imagen en español.

Sign Up/RegístrateSign Up/Regístrate
Our annual Christmas event is coming! Stay tuned for more information on donation and volunteer opportunities!

Cultural and Community Opportunities

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Generations United!
Explore the culture around our city and find ways to get and stay connected to our neighbors in Redwood City.

We’ve added a map below for some of the suggested locations. Have fun exploring!

1. EL ELOTE Fiestas Patrias in Downtown Redwood City – Sun. Sept. 17 3 pm – 8 pm

2. EL PAVOJoin us in our Community Thanksgiving Dinner in November (details to follow)

3. LA IGLESIA Peninsula Covenant Church will host a Glocal Ministry Fair on Sunday, Sept. 24. 3560 Farm Hill Blvd. Redwood City.  Attend a Spanish-speaking church (Kairos Church or Verbo) Comunidad Familiar Cristiana, Familia Cristiana Verbo, Templo La Luz

7. LA MÚSICA Listen to Spanish worship music or attend a concert in Spanish

10. EL PAN DULCETry a warm concha or a Mexican snack (Panaderia Michoacán)

11. LOS TACOSTry a new restaurant/food (pupusas, tamales, caldo, birria, etc) or from a region you’ve never tried (Cuban, Puerto Rican, Peruvian)

15. EL MERCADOVisit a Hispanic Market (Mi Rancho, El Mercadito Latino, Chavez, etc.)

16. LA CALAVERA– Attend Redwood City’s Día De Los Muertos Festival (details to follow)

17. LA BANDERA– The Mexican flag will be raised for the first time in Redwood City Downtown at 10 am.

24. LA DANZAGo to a cultural presentation (Danza Colibrí), an art exhibit, or join us for our Danza & Music classes on Fridays (4:45pm-5:45pm) or Mariachi lessons on Sundays (9:00am-1:00pm)

A Summer to Remember

by Angie Ibarra Miller
Founder & Executive Director of Generations United

_______

This year, we started as every year does. We assessed our 2022, prayed, met as a staff, and mapped out our year. As we began to look towards summer, something just caused me to pause. I had a sense that summer would look different in 2023. We put some dates in the calendar, but it was only for a few weeks. We knew we would do our VBS with our partner, the Salvation Army, but we needed to figure out how the other weeks would empower children; we weren’t entirely sure. We did as we always do, jumped into action, and looked at grants, volunteers, and staff necessary for summer camp funding. We began preparing our grant requests and praying about what we would do. There were so many children to consider and families genuinely struggling to determine how they could work, but children needed care.

April 2023 – We decided not to have our joint summer camp with w/another church in San Mateo. We realized that we couldn’t pull it off. Staffing in Silicon Valley has been challenging. When young people can make $27 @ In and Out…why work at a small nonprofit? Our precious and dedicated volunteers wanted to take summer breaks. After all, it was the first summer where families felt they could travel freely.

The door that opened was with Peninsula Covenant Church (PCC). Someone advised us that they had space at SACC. We devised a plan for a small discount off the costly rate and frantically contacted our funders. 

We worked with Executive Director Dione and set in motion our plan to serve as many children as possible during the 8-week timeframe. North Fair Oaks (NFO) children had never been able to swim in a pool, run on a spacious lawn, learn bible songs daily, do woodwork, do cooking class, have water fun, and enjoy weekly field trips. This option was a blessing as families didn’t have to worry about their children staying home alone, playing in their carports unattended, or zoning out on video games. God had provided.

We are so thankful that after 15 years of partnership with PCC, we saw our children having such a fantastic summer on my church campus. I’m thinking of a student who lost an aunty in a horrible car accident and had so many friends to enjoy summer with. A family of 3 children who joined us, with three more at home, faced terrible circumstances this year when their father lost his job. Another family lives in a mobile park, and our sweet student is now in middle school and unsure if she wants to go. She smiled every day and said that bible time was her favorite time!

We launched with a prayer team covering all children, staff, and facilities! https://generations-united.com/summer-prayer-partners/

We pray this will be the first of many blessings as we bridge the communities of North Fair Oaks and PCC. They are only 3.8 miles from one another, and they are worlds apart. May our church look more like heaven in the days to come! 

There are many stories from this summer that we’d love to share with you! Please stop by our center in September, or consider volunteering! https://generations-united.com/volunteer/

Thank you for a stellar summer! <– Click to view our video recap of this amazing summer!

May Newsletter 2023

I am filled with gratitude for the beautiful gift of being a mom to two incredible women of God, and for being known as “MamaAng” to my extended family. Mother’s Day holds true significance for many, but it also can be a hard time for some. We acknowledge that and hold space for those who face this day with mixed feelings. In the midst of the grief of loss and the pain of estrangement, we also recognize that there are women who have demonstrated love in our lives in extraordinary ways. For these women, I am extremely grateful.
This month, we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! My own family tree has roots in the Philippines and several of our staff members (Tapelus, Bún) will celebrate and share their AAPI heritage with us throughout the month. As we honor our history and elevate the stories of our AAPI community, we welcome your stories and experiences. Please contact Julia for more information on how to share your story or tradition with our AEC students.

We invite you to celebrate Mother’s Day on Dia de Las Madres – Wednesday, May 10. Details below.
Happy May!

Blessings and gratitude,

Easter Celebration

We celebrated Easter with some fun at the AEC. Our new partnership with Stanford opened the park up to us for an egg hunt along with some lawn games. Click the photo to the right for a fun Instagram recap.
Thank you to the generous donors & volunteers who helped make it possible!
We look forward to returning to the park next week for Mother’s Day!

We’d love to see you this month!

There are many opportunities for you to support our students and be a part of events:

Día de las Madres

You are invited to join us as we celebrate the Mothers of our community. May 10 is the day that most Latin American countries celebrate Mother’s Day and we will honor our mothers on that afternoon.
We will have music, sweet treats, and a special performance by Danza Colibri!
Join us to celebrate the amazing women of North Fair Oaks. We also welcome your financial support.
Give Today!

We love our volunteers!

As we head into the final few weeks of school, we are calling on all volunteers to support our students in finishing the school year strong! We need your help to play games, read, do art projects, and just be present with our students at our AEC. Can you spare an hour or two in the coming weeks? Our center is open Mon-Thurs from 3-6 pm. We could also use some snack donations if you prefer a food donation! Click below for more information.

Join Us!

Thank You to all who served with us on the AEC Spring Cleaning team!

April was volunteer appreciation month and Julia (our Volunteer Coordinator) made this wonderful video featuring our students. Enjoy and be sure to follow us while you’re there!

Sponsor a Summer Camp Student

Summer brings a lot of free time for our students which creates an opportunity for us to help support them. “Summer slide” is a very real and pressing issue for our students as they miss out on dedicated academic support and instruction. Our summer camps allow them to have fun AND engage in some academic activities to help keep their brains sharp and their imaginations growing.
Most summer camps in Redwood City are $250-$650 weekly. Generations United program is $200 per child for one week of full-time programming.

Your financial help is a huge blessing and bridges the financial gap as we increase to longer hours versus after-school programming. We also welcome more volunteers to join us! We are so excited to partner with Salvation Army again this year! We know it will be a meaningful and joyful experience for all! Please pass the word on to friends, family, and coworkers!

Sponsor a Student

Economic Advancement
North Fair Oaks (NFO)
Business 101 Class
Jan-May 2023

We’re grateful for the amazing opportunity to work with our neighbors and business partners in North Fair Oaks to create a model to alleviate poverty. We knew it was time. We really weren’t sure what the response would be when we started working on the plan to gather entrepreneurs in NFO, but the result has been wonderful.
Sixteen students graduated from our class in 2022, and now we have 50+ active participants who will graduate with a business plan – that’s more than a 300% increase! We had to move to a larger space to accommodate everyone!
Completion of the class will allow these entrepreneurs to apply for a $5000 grant to launch their business and potentially a $10,000 interest-free loan for those completing a business plan.
Thank you to Renessaiance Entrepreneur Center, Marketea, and the incredibly dedicated entrepreneurs who dedicated twelve weeks to dreaming together!
Click to Sign Up

Graduation: May 20, 2023
Follow us for more updates and save the date for May 20 when we will celebrate the graduation of FIFTY small business owners!

Click to Sign Up
Important Dates in May
10 – Mother’s Day/Día de las Madres Celebration at Stanford Park
13 – Happy birthday to Keith Miller
14 – Mother’s Day – Outreach Opportunity at Sequoia Church. Join us for a special time of preparing Blessing Baskets for mothers in our community. 10:45 am 233 Topaz St. Redwood City
15 – Happy Birthday to Julia Fior
20 – Business 101 Class Graduation
26 – Last Day of AEC
Click here to view our current AEC Calendar
We welcome your financial support and encourage donations via Facebook or Zelle (no fees!). We also accept ACH, Venmo, and PayPal.
Details are on our website, click below.
FEIN 51-0666650

November Newsletter 2022

Just like that Generations United turns 15! As a young girl growing up in a challenging environment, I had a longing for mentors, encouragement, and support from caring adults. That desire led to a dream that children and families would have the opportunity to succeed. No matter what the circumstances, children deserve to be set up to flourish. We are grateful that this dream became a reality in November 2007 when Generations United stepped out in faith and became incorporated. After various endeavors, we launched an evening program at Hoover School in early 2010. This was the first step in our vision to empower children to succeed and to partner with caring leaders in Redwood City.
Students with mentors are 55% more likely to enroll in college and 130% more likely to hold leadership positions than students without mentors! Facts from Mentor.com (click to read more)
The vision of creating a safe and nurturing community while mobilizing caring adults in intergenerational relationships continues today. We are filled with gratitude for the hundreds of people who have joined us on this journey. No one knew what the future would hold, but we knew it would include providing an opportunity for many people to work together, sacrifice, and collaborate for the betterment of the lives of many. Join us in asking: How can we continue to collectively support students and their families in the days, weeks, and months to come? We will continue to touch the lives of many through our willingness to invest and stay the course in these difficult times. We are stronger together.
Below, we included an article from our friends at CZI. They also produced this beautiful video highlighting GU and the artwork of our students.

THANK YOU for all you do to help so many succeed through your prayers, love, encouragement, and support. We couldn’t do this without you! Join us for our Thanksgiving Community Dinner (see below). We’re excited that this dinner will be held in our community!

November Events

  • Sunday,11/13- Community Thanksgiving Dinner @ Little Flock Church in North Fair Oaks (info below)
  • Tuesday, 11/15 – Generations United turns 15!!!
  • Sunday, 12/4 – Christmas at the Fox (details below) Get your tickets now!

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

We would love to see you at our annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday, November 13. We will be at Little Flock COGIC and all of our community members, volunteers, and donors are invited!
Join us or Donate today

Día de Los Muertos

Thank you to those who joined us as we honored the memory of loved ones who have passed on. In the Mexican tradition, an ofrenda (altar) is put up in the home with photos of our departed relatives and friends. You can also include various items that they loved along with other symbolic things. We welcomed community members to add to our altar at our AEC and had a celebration together with snacks, and sharing!

Local & Global Mission Fair at PCC

Danza Colibri was the highlight of a recent event to engage the community at Peninsula Covenant Church (our partner for over a decade). They hosted an event to encourage their members to go GLOBAL AND LOCAL to mobilize more congregants to engage. As long-time supporters of Generations United, we were so proud to represent all of the work that we do in the community and demonstrate the talents of our students and families! These children participate in music and dance classes weekly at our location in North Fair Oaks and are quite busy this season. They will join us at our December holiday event!

The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative featured GU in a blog post highlighting our students’ artwork.
Visit our Donation Page
Click here to view our AEC Calendar and stay up to date!

Giving Tuesday
Remember that the Tuesday after Black Friday is #GivingTuesday and is the biggest giving day of the year for nonprofits! We have a goal of $15,000 in honor of our 15 years of service to the community and we need your help to spread the word! Share Generations United with your friends. Tweet, add to stories, TikTok, or Facebook…whatever you do, join us as we expand our reach. Don’t forget to add GU to your AmazonSmile donations to donate a percentage of your purchases to us. Info here.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to kick off the Christmas Season and support Generations United. We are so blessed to partner with Brandon and look forward to seeing you at the show!
VIP tickets are available. Click the photo for more information.

Fall Events 2021

Stay up to date with events and opportunities around our community. See below for more information on Fall events in Redwood City, activities, resources, and more.

Use the arrow to view the flyer in English / Use la flecha para ver el imagen en español.

Community Thanksgiving Dinner

Sign Up Here/Registrate AquiSign Up Here/Registrate Aqui
Learn about the traditional music and dance tradition of the southern region of Veracruz, Mexico. In this music and dance workshop you can learn to play the Jarana, a stringed instrument typical of the state of Veracruz. You will also learn platform dance with its zapateados that complement the Jarocha music. Join this fun workshop where everyone is welcome. Danza & Music Fridays (4:45pm-5:45pm) or Mariachi lessons on Sundays (9:00am-1:00pm)

Emergency Fund Spring Break Update

Neighbors Together

As we finished up “Spring Break” week and celebrated Easter last month, we were definitely not on a break! Generations United has been providing support to families for the last 8 weeks since the Shelter In Place order was issued. As an essential organization serving those who need food and financial assistance, we have taken to the streets! Volunteers have donated food, finances, and their time to supply our families with much needed resources.
We were even able to provide 200 children with an Easter basket to bring some joy and hope during this time.

Thank you for all you are doing to help us!

We are still in contact with our families and helping direct them to community resources and providing them with much needed essentials.
We are excited to share with you soon how our organization is strategically poised to impact the lives of our neighbors in Redwood City. YOU ARE KEY!
See below how you can help today.

Join us by partnering in any of these ways:
smile.amazon.com
(Search for “Generations United Inc.” in Redwood City, CA)
Amazon Wish List
(items can be shipped directly to us)
paypal.me/GenerationsUnited
650-352-3792 or info@generationsunited.com
Donate

YOUR GIFT HELPS MEET URGENT NEEDS
FOR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Every donation helps us provide immediate, tangible support to families who have experienced job loss. We are also coming alongside those who are challenged to support children’s educational needs with limited resources and language skills.

Your gifts at the following levels help us to provide for families of various sizes in a number of ways, including:

Lend A Hand – Emergency Fund

Friends of Generations United,

During this time, we will be collecting donations for an EMERGENCY FUND for the families we serve. Many of our students’ parents are out of work or have had hours drastically cut due to closures, lack of childcare, and lack of access to resources. This means an immediate threat to their housing as they will be unable to pay rent or utilities during this time. Additional difficulty getting basic items is also of great concern. We are communicating with them today to identify their needs and want to be able to spring into action as soon as possible.

In addition to monetary donations, we are accepting donations of

  • food (non-perishables like cereal, canned goods, oil, flour, etc, staples like bread, milk, eggs, and fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables)
  • personal hygiene items (feminine products, toothpaste, toiletries)
  • baby needs (diapers sizes 2-5, formula, wipes)
  • toilet paper, paper towels

Click here to make a donation and add a note “EMERGENCY” to mark your donation for these needs. 100% of donated funds will be used to support our families during this time. If you wish to make a cash or check donation, please mail to:
Generations United
PO Box 5131
Redwood City, CA 94063

For item donations, there are 2 options:

  • Scheduled drop off at: 2555 Middlefield Rd, Redwood City 94063.
  • Deliver a list of needed supplies directly to a family in need.

For either option, contact Mary Martinez (650)771-0013 mary@generations-united.com to coordinate a time.

Thank you for your continued support, kind words, and prayers. Please follow us on Facebook to stay updated with more ways to support our mission.

Angie Ibarra and the GU Team

“When we build relationships where we live, we discover the complexities of standing with the vulnerable and the commitment needed for long-term change.”

– Michelle Warren The Power of Proximity

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Year End Update 2019

Greetings,

An incredible 2019 for Generations United (GU) included twists and turns as well as divine surprises, sacrifices and a willingness to reach well beyond our comfort zone. Critical choices paid off in ways we never imagined as we partnered with more community members and organizations, got closer to new children and families as well as grew our staff and funding to new levels. Thank you to many who trusted in us as we met our changes and influx of families to reach into our community like never before.

January found us meeting with a new church partner: the Pastor of Redeemer Church in Redwood City joined me as I shared the challenging stories of the families in North Fair Oaks. Through tears we agreed that there was something we could do together. By March, we were dreaming of a summer camp for children displaced by the closures of four schools in Redwood City. So many of these precious families were heartbroken and there was only one thing we knew… we need to serve and honor them in a special way as they grieve the loss of their school community. Summer STEAM camp was already part of what we’ve offered over the years, but this was a newer (enhanced) model. Being on the beautiful Redeemer campus in June brought such dignity and joy to the families. We experienced community in a unique and special way with 120+ new volunteers from Redeemer, YMSL, and Street Code who served cross culturally with mothers in the kitchen preparing hot meals while offering whole family activities in a larger space. As we reminisce about this summer we are still brought to tears as we remember the lives that were impacted.

On the heels of a tremendous summer outreach, we headed right into the launch of a new school year. With the school closures we focused our efforts on developing new relationships while maintaining a presence where GU’s heartbeat lies, in North Fair Oaks. Formerly Fair Oaks school campus now has close to 1,000 students with 2 charter schools housed together. We began the school year with the intent of serving children on the campus, but found that in order for us to offer quality programming, while developing long term impact and relationships, we needed more space. Our surprise was when we took a risk and contacted a long time friend at a local church. Stewart Chapel AME Zion is the spot where our latest outreach center has been located since October 1st. It was no easy feat and we were thrust into planning and moving into a church we hoped would be blessed by some TLC with the smiles of 40 children. Just like Redeemer Church, a pastor opened his arms and church to a GU dream to serve children and families. This new location is just blocks from KIPP Excelencia and has brought such a confirmation of a dream to provide a safe place for those who live in fear, trauma, and pain. Please know that we’d love to have you come take a tour of any of our locations and see firsthand the beautiful families we serve.

The uneven wealth of the tech economy along with the spike in housing costs is causing systemic displacement. GU seeks to empower this community through our centers which provide academic and whole-family support. As we head into a new year and a new decade, I’m incredibly grateful for what is on the horizon. We are fortunate to have you consider joining the GU family as we remain committed to reach our city in love.

Our joy is to be on the forefront of serving the most vulnerable in our midst. May you find great joy in wrapping up 2019 and moving into a new decade. We hope you enjoy the holidays and will consider a generous investment in families. Our commitment remains to steward your finances well and see the lives of many transformed in Redwood City. We believe in the power of love. Please respond today with your generous and sacrificial financial support. Every year we have been fortunate to have generous donors who will allow for your gifts to be doubled! Our miracle challenge is for $100,000 that will be matched by 1/31/19. This is the biggest financial endeavor we have had, but know that we will accomplish this only with your help. As our work to serve women, children, and vulnerable and poor immigrants in our city is so important, we hope to be at the top of your year-end giving list.

This has sustained us and allowed us to witness first hand the beauty of a dream fulfilled by teaming with amazing people like yourselves. For this we are forever humbled and grateful. Thank you for standing with us and believing in us. Filled with gratitude and more determined than ever to launch full force into 2020 with a new vigor and focus.

– Angie Ibarra

“When we build relationships where we live, we discover the complexities of standing with the vulnerable and the commitment needed for long-term change.”

– Michelle Warren The Power of Proximity

Up to $100,000 match! Double your giving to reach more children & families!

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