Three Crazy Ladies On A Mission 2020

The Cause

Three Crazy Ladies On A Mission supports families recovering from domestic violence and/or trauma that could use a hand up at Christmas. The families that we help are the families that either don't qualify for help at other larger organizations or are families that require rather last minute help. Choosing to be part of the “community of kindness” that helps these families sends a message to the family that they are not alone and that there are people who care about them and wish them well. With so much on their minds, we try to help alleviate the financial stress of Christmas, so that the family can have the chance to enjoy the holiday instead of feeling weighed down by the stress of it. We contact a local agency that works with families experiencing domestic violence for referrals. In addition to the referrals we receive, we always get "last minute" referrals later on in December for families in emergency situations. We do our best to help all referrals with as much support as we can provide. Each year we help 4-6 families and last year we began supporting a local elementary school with snacks, warm winter clothing, necessities (eg. band aids and balls), and a Superstore gift card to purchase supplies.
We have an amazing group of supporters, but this year we anticipate an increased need for our services due to the pandemic which has resulted in an increase in domestic violence incidents and stress on families coupled with some unemployment and financial stress on our donor pool. We are concerned that we will not be able to fundraise enough money to meet this increased need so we are requesting funding to bridge the gap.

Who Will it Benefit?

We would like to provide holiday hampers consisting of gifts for each member of the family, gas cards or transit passes, needed household items, and grocery gift cards for 6 families recovering from domestic violence or trauma. We contact a local agency that work with families experiencing domestic violence for referrals. Families typically consist of a parent and 2-4 children.
A message from a worker that delivered to family last year:
"I was greeted at the door by two little girls who told me about their magical Elf on a Shelf who flies to the North Pole every night to report to Santa every night. Mom was so grateful and there were lots of tears. She said she's so happy to be able to keep them believing in their magical elf after they have been through so much this last year.
A message from Three Crazy Ladies:
Our hearts are filled with gratitude at the response we had to help this family this Christmas. Not only was my car filled with gifts and food (and I mean FILLED!!), but we received enough in gift cards that the family will not have to worry about being able to afford groceries for a few months..."
Last year we began supporting Mother Mary Greene school by donating warm winter clothing, snacks, necessities such as band-aids, balls, and a gift card to buy additional supplies as needed. We do not have data to report the number of students who were helped by our donation but the school population is around 300.
The principal of the school said the following in regards to who benefited from the donation we made in December 2019 and who would benefit this year:
"In terms of the population and how this support would benefit our community, we have a large immigrant population that fall into a variety of socioeconomic areas. Support from your team last year allowed us to help provide Christmas for some families and supported students who may have needed additional warm coats, hats, mitts, and hoodies that fit. Our population is diverse and we have found that some of our families struggle with our winters.
I anticipate that this year we could see greater numbers of families requesting a school fee waiver due to greater unemployment or reduced working hours as a result of the pandemic. We believe that students who attend our school should feel safe and happy while they are in attendance. Support with food items, clothing items, and those necessities that some families require would certainly be helpful."