Peggy Introduces Nichole

Those of you who have been reading our blogs will note that there's been, well, a gap lately. December is our busiest month of the year: people calling daily to see what we need for Christmas and then stopping by to deliver their gifts; organizing those gifts in our Gift Room, including passing along any that we cannot use; coordinating our volunteers; fund-raising events such as selling our jelly bean jars and Pietro's Pizza Night; also tracking financial donations and acknowledging them. All of this culminates in our holiday party and dinner which is just before Christmas.


It's really been a wonderful month. The generosity of our community is amazing. The gratefulness of the youth for what amounts to very basic gifts is rewarding. The energy and excitement level was pretty constant all month.




That's my explanation for so little blogging lately. And now I'd like to introduce Nichole, a practicum student from Willamette University who will be taking on our blog and Facebook duties for a while.


Hello everyone! I'm Nichole, a senior at Willamette University, doing my final senior experience studies at HOME to complete my Sociology major. I've volunteered for a few days now and I'm happy to say that I think this will be a rewarding experience and I'm excited to get to know everyone. HOME is such an awesome place that really reaches out to the youth in Salem and I'm so glad to be a part of that makes an effort to be a positive aspect in a youth's life. I'll be updating the blog with my experiences throughout my time here, so check back often.

Holiday Party

The day began with craft projects led by volunteers—Nancy with her beading and Rosa with Christmas balls, which several youth painted and glittered. Santa stopped by on loan from HOST with some candy and McDonalds gift certificates. He had his picture taken with 42 youth.

Salem Emblem Club donated Christmas frames so after the photos were printed up, the teens received a framed picture of themselves with Santa.


Once again, members from 1^st Christian Church helped out by preparing a delicious ham dinner. At least 53 youth had dinner, plus approximately 10 former HOME kids (over 18 years old now) came back to visit. Two brought their own little ones. With volunteers and staff, the total was about 70 served.

Youth passed through the Gift Room starting at 4pm and the last teens finished their selections at 6:30pm. A total of 73 youth participated. There were two staff helping three youth at a time make their gift choices. Youth first selected backpacks and then were guided through the room while being instructed on the types of items available and the number they could take. Everyone was given the choice of a pair of socks, gloves, a scarf, a hat, make-up and chapstick, a hoodie, a warm coat, two gifts from the gifts table, a blanket, and other items including stuffed animals, shirts, pajama pants, and shoes. Everyone was so appreciative. As hectic as it was, it was a happy time to celebrate the season of giving.  

Molly, our VISTA member, was in charge of expanding our Backpack Project as well as coordinating donations and she performed both tasks admirably. Willamette University started a Backpack Project for HOME several years ago. Different departments within the school are challenged to collect backpacks as well as items to put into them. Molly worked with Willamette but also enlisted other organizations to help. Last year approximately 50 backpacks were available for HOME teens; this year there were 70. Backpacks were collected from a variety of businesses, agencies, and individuals.