In 2011-2012, a focus group was formed to explore possible organizations that could use services by ALSJ members. These included an adult day care facility for dementia patients in Willow Glen, a senior apartment complex in Almaden, and an organization that worked with military families. The group settled on the concept of assisting shelters and two organizations were chosen—InnVision and Family Supportive Housing.
By the fall of 2012, ALSJ had programs set up at both locations.
InnVision
InnVision was a Santa Clara County organization serving low-income and homeless individuals. They had a free clothing shop for members of the community who were “in- need”.
In 2012, a team of AL of San Jose members went to InnVision to sort clothing and work in their store. ALSJ members also developed a program where members sewed bags from T-shirts which were given to shoppers to fill as they shopped. InnVision had many residential facilities throughout Santa Clara County, some for men, some for women, and some for women with children.
In September 2014, they merged with San Mateo County’s ShelterNetwork and closed the store ending our relationship with InnVision.
Family Supportive Housing of San Jose
Family Supportive Housing (FSH) had been providing temporary housing and targeted support to single-and two-parent families who were experiencing homelessness. FSH addressed their needs for food, shelter, employment and education, along with a system to aid in finding permanent housing and long-term independence, and still does. At the time, the facility needed volunteers to provide weekend dinners for the residents.
In 2012, Assistance League of San Jose started a program with FSH providing dinners once a month, cooking the dinners, setting up and serving the residents. Some of our members volunteered to work with staff to help, play and read to the children at the FSH daycare center. Due to licensing issues, the daycare center eventually closed.
AL of San Jose also provides Hug-a-Bears and handmade quilts for each family when they move into FSH.
In 2014, ALSJ started a Child Enrichment program. A $10,000 grant was solicited and the donor requested it be focused on the children at FSH. We continue to bring quarterly Child Enrichment programs, such as the Petting Zoo, Happy Birds, and Holiday Crafts to FSH, all educational and entertaining. A science enrichment activity, “Making Slime” was our first FSH event working with MadScience.org. The program expanded with AL of San Jose setting up a Halloween Costume Shop and a Holiday Gift shop with gift wrapping annually.
In 2020, during Covid, volunteers began baking and delivering cookies. Our bakers deliver 40 dozen cookies a month! The dinners have also continued, but beginning with the pandemic, volunteers now deliver the home cooked meals to the facility and the staff at FSH serves.
CityTeam
In 2014-2015, members were looking for a different organization where AL of San Jose members could work in a store and also sort clothing. Members began working at CityTeam a couple of days per month and expanded to six or seven days a month. At the onset of COVID, the CityTeam warehouse and store were closed.
In August 2020, AL of San Jose was able to initiate a toiletry kit program which fulfilled a need by CityTeam. Our members shopped and prepared toiletry kits. CityTeam staff members now distribute these kits at the popup closets and also in some of San Jose’s homeless communities. We currently pack and deliver between 70 and 100 toiletry kits each month.
In September 2022, this program was reorganized, and ALSJ members are no longer working at the pop-up closets.
As of February 2023, AL of San Jose members stopped sorting clothing donations and began sending teams of volunteers to pack food into bags for distribution to families in need and they continue to deliver toiletry kits every month.
In March 2022, we began sorting clothing donations in the warehouse at CityTeam two days per month. They did not reopen their store, but we hung clothing on rolling racks, and the racks were taken out to low-income neighborhoods in San Jose and distributed at their popup closets.
In September 2022, we began sending teams of workers to help distribute clothing at one popup closet each month. This program is currently being reorganized and is temporarily suspended.
In December 2022, ALSJ members helped by wrapping hundreds of holiday gifts which were given out to residents in need in the community.
As of February 2023, we no longer sort clothing donations at the CityTeam warehouse, but are sending teams of AL of San Jose members three times per month to pack food into bags for distribution to folks in need.
Parisi House on the Hill
In 2017, we partnered up with Parisi House on the Hill with a contract of services signed under the Hug-a-Bear Philanthropic Program and Parisi House. Our members started donating diapers, books, and other items. It was decided the facility would be better served by ALSJ if it were redesignated to Assist-a-Shelter.
In 2020, the contract was switched from the Hug-a-Bear Program to Assist-a-Shelter.
March 2020 to August 2020, during Covid, facemasks and quilts made by our members were delivered to Parisi House once a week. Due to the Covid restrictions members were not able to perform any on-site services but contributed by supplying the residents with diapers, quilts, books, Hug-a-Bears, baby layettes, children’s clothing and toiletry bags. 100 items were recently delivered to service both moms and their children.
In 2022, AL of San Jose Members began going into Parisi House on the Hill twice a month to read and sing, in both English and Spanish. Did you know Baby sign language has even been introduced! And with great success! The moms had requested a garden project and knitting / crocheting class; however, the expense of starting the garden project currently makes it infeasible. With the help of our Members in Caring Hands, we are working together to get a knitting / crochet class started.
