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Taking part in the Ritter Center Thanksgiving and Holiday programs helps
my husband and I give our four children the kind of holidays we could only
dream of before coming to Ritter Center.” —Zolia ― a mom of four children

Help us raise $500,000 this holiday season to provide food, living essentials, and seasonal cheer to our neighbors in need.

 

The holidays are meant to be a time of joy. But for nearly 20,000 people in Marin—including families and children living on the edge of homelessness or facing another winter without shelter—  the holiday season is a time of fear, stress, and loneliness.

Zolia, a mom of four kids, made hard decisions every week. Pay rent and go hungry or buy food and lose utilities? You may have noticed your own grocery expenses climbing higher and higher each week. Zolia needed help. She heard about Ritter Center from a friend and has since relied on our Food Pantry and Seasonal Programs to help her keep her family housed, healthy, and happy.

“I came to Ritter Center with my children for food. The Food Pantry helps us save money for bills and to pay our rent. We’ve even started a very small emergency fund!” —Zolia, mom of 4 kids, Ritter Center client

 

Zolia’s family is one of 350 families who rely on Ritter Center’s Food Pantry each week. Did you know that access to food can prevent homelessness?

65% of our clients are housed and need assistance to stay housed. Our Food Pantry keeps many individuals and families from becoming homeless, ensuring they can put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads.

 

Give our neighbors in need food, housing support & healthcare!

Our Hope for the Holidays campaign raises funds for our seasonal programs and provides vital support for our health and social services for the coming year including:

  • November Meal Kits for more than 170 families
  • Seated Holiday Meal for 100+ people experiencing homelessness
  • Gift cards for over 600 families and individuals to buy toys and items for their homes; and
  • many other services that lift spirits, prevent hunger, keep people housed, and give access to high-quality healthcare

Thank you to the following partners for their Hope for the Holidays support!

 

This season, many local groups, businesses, and faith-based organizations have provided in-kind donations of clothing, coats, knitted items, hygiene kits, wrapped gifts, decorated place mats and gift bags, non-perishable food, sleeping bags, and more: Our sincere thanks goes to: Bel Marin Keys Realtors, BioMarin, Graffeo Coffee, First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, Good Fairy, Peacock Point HOA, Marin Covenant Church, San Domenico School students, St. Anselm Church, National Charity League Marin Chapter, St. San Rafael School, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Ultragenyx, United Markets, and the many individuals who dropped off packages and hand-made items to support our holiday programs and clients.

*We accept in-kind donations and seek corporate support to help fund our programs, year-round. Please contact Annie Everett at [email protected] for more details.

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Photo Gallery from 2023 Seasonal Programs

Check out our photo gallery from our Seasonal Program events in 2023. Thanks to our donor community, hundreds of parents with children, seniors and individuals living in poverty or on the streets got some relief during the winter months and enjoyed the holiday festivities.

Learn More & Get Involved

Call (415) 457-8182 if you or someone you know needs help getting food and shelter this holiday season. Click to learn more about our holiday programs.

Can you volunteer this season? We need help in our Food Pantry preparing bags for over 400 families each week, as well as sorting clothes, and helping in our Client Services department.

Read our latest news stories on our blog to learn how your donations help our local neighbors in need access nutritious food, housing, healthcare, benefits support, and more.