IT'S A GIRL!

When ten year old Sammi saw homeless people at the park during our Solar Cooking for Kids! event on 3/25/06, she was moved to learn more about the issue of homelessness and how she could help. She was surprised to learn that, unlike the men she saw in the park, 40% of the homeless in the US are women and children, with the average age of a homeless person being nine years old. After researching some of the organizations that serve the homeless here in the Valley of the Sun, Sammi decided to find out more about volunteering with Save the Family, an organization with a mission “to provide homeless families with children the tools necessary to achieve long-term financial, parental and personal self-sufficiency through a comprehensive program of transitional housing, case management and supportive services.” Sammi attended the volunteer orientation and chose to help by throwing a baby shower for a mom in the program, collecting items that the family needed from our group members and preparing food and decorations for a celebration to shower the family with gifts. Seven families from our group generously contributed items such as baby clothes, toys, sippy cups, a bouncer, and a double stroller, as well as pizza and cake for the shower. Sammi baked cupcakes to bring, and was thrilled to meet the mom we were helping and watch her eyes light up as she unwrapped the gift. The highlight of the evening for Sammi was holding the three month old baby and having her fall asleep right in her arms.