Migrant workers arrived to Davis in the ’60s with the promise of work. But in 1967, it wasn’t work that greeted those workers, it was rain.

That winter, rain disrupted picking season and kept those workers from providing for their families. It also forced them to live on the street or in their cars without much to survive on.

Several members of the community got wind of the displaced families and knew they had to help. Thus, the Short-Term Emergency Aid Committee, or STEAC, was formed.

STEAC, the only food closet in the city of Davis, lent another helping hand on Saturday morning, during distribution day for its holiday family adoption program.

More than 390 families — 1,400 individuals, including about 700 children and 700 adults — were given food, clothes, books and various other supplies that had been donated from community members.

The families came to the First Baptist Church of Davis to collect the gifts at about 8:30 a.m. Saturday. As they loaded up the donations, many families expressed gratitude for what they received.

“The Lord is blessing me with food. I’m happy with anything the Lord gives me and I am very thankful,” said Mike Neff, a Davis resident who was picking up food for the holidays. “It helps a lot for people who can’t afford their grocery bills. And it’s not just kids but adults who need the help too.”

Single mother Kami Johnson has three kids at home and recently lost her job in sales. While she’s looking to pursue a career in nursing or as a physician’s assistant, she too needed some help over the holidays.

“We’ve fallen on a bit of hard times with this economy, “ Johnson said. “I’m just thankful for this. I’ve never seen anything so big and so organized. Davis is just a great city.”

“We’re very appreciative of this program,” said a friend of Johnson’s, Rafhea Oray, who came with her children Julian and Marcello. “We love Davis.”

STEAC has organized the family adoption program for more than 30 years, and every family that is adopted resides in Davis.

Volunteers circulated thousands of fliers around the city earlier this month in places like lower-income apartments, libraries, City Hall and the police station to get the word out to needy families about the program.

STEAC also sent out a mailer to their regular donor list for cash donations or for the opportunity to adopt a family. Individuals, families and even businesses adopt a family through the program.

According to Susan Simon, the executive director of STEAC, so many people ask for help that some must be turned away every year.

“We would love to do more, but we just don’t have the space or the manpower,” Simon said. “But Davis is the most generous community around. This is a wonderful community event. I wish more people could get involved.”

The boxes of food and gifts were dropped off at the church on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

All of the donations, then, were organized for distribution to the families on Saturday.

Cass Sylvia, a STEAC board member for about 20 years and current board president, said events like this are needed because there are some gaps in social services in Yolo County.

“This is a very important resource for people who don’t have enough food,” Sylvia said. “I think a lot of people count on this, this may be all they get for the holidays.”

Sylvia also described how one man showed up on Saturday morning to pick up food for his family, but donated $10 himself in appreciation of the work that STEAC was doing for the community.

The families ranged from two to three people, up to extra-large families of eight or more.

A family only qualified for the program through referrals from other service organizations or the county’s Department of Employment and Social Services.

According to Simon, about 100 volunteers contributed to make the program possible.

Ephrem Rukundo, a native Rwandan and UC Davis student who came to the United States in fall 2010, volunteered to help families bring the gifts to their cars. Rukundo grew up in a community where helping others was an important part of life and wanted to find something like that in Davis.

“It makes me happy that I’m contributing to this organization and that I’m making someone’s Christmas better,” said Rukundo, who was volunteering for the second straight year. “I know that not everyone can afford everything they need.

“It especially makes me happy when I see the children smile.”

— Reach Tom Sakash at [email protected] or (530) 747-8057. Follow him on Twitter @TomSakash

steac14W

STEAC volunteers Ephrem Rukumdo, a UC Davis exchange student from Rwanda, and Rory Jaffe help move boxes of donated food and gifts out to a waiting family at the First Baptist Church of Davis on Saturday for STEAC’s adopt-a-family holiday program. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

steac19W

Rafhea Oray, right, loads boxes of donated food and gifts into her car with the help of friend Kami Johnson as STEAC volunteer David Bonner chats with Rafhea’s children Julian and Marcello in the background. Wayne Tilcock/Enterprise photo

Comments

comments