Lions & Tigers & Bears...OH MY! 

Halloween is always a special day at Saint John's! As many of our clients are on a restricted schedule, each Halloween our administrative offices turn very spooky and are chock-a-block full of treats as the Saint John's children come trick-or-treating door-to-door! Our staff, donning some very creative costumes, so enjoys the short break in the always-busy work day to welcome the children as they work their way down the hallw ays visiting each office in search of full-size candy bars. Thanks to so many of you who donated costumes for our children, many of whom have never trick-or-treated before! A SPOOKTACULAR time was had by all!
Purple Purse Challenge Brings in More than $20,000 in Support of
Saint John's in Recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

A heartfelt thank you to all who donated to our Allstate Purple Purse Challenge during the month of October, recognized nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. More than 70% of our clients are survivors of domestic violence; a statistic that is at once startling yet, in many cases, just one of a myriad of factors that has led to their homelessness. Thanks to fundraising efforts like these, we are able to offer centralized, wrap-around services to 270 women and children per day, providing them with the life-changing tools they need to leave poverty and dependence behind and move forward into a life of confidence and self-sustainability.

As part of this month-long campaign and together with our corporate partner Allstate Insurance, a "Reverse Guest Chef Dinner" was held on October 22 at Plates Café. A "reverse" of our Guest Chef Dinner fundraisers, where guest chefs from popular local restaurants prepare a delicious dinner with the help of our volunteer learners in the Employment Development Program, the October 22 dinner was prepared and served by Allstate employees for our very appreciative clients, all of whom dressed to the nines and enjoyed a fabulous evening of amazing food, a photo booth, music and dancing.


15 More Skilled Workers Enter Sacramento's Workforce

Congratulations to 15 of our clients for obtaining and starting new jobs in the past month! High-fives to Maria, Alicia (featured right), Carmen, Natisha and Jessica for signing on to work in Environmental Services at UC Davis, kudos to Kelli, Paulina, Silver, Jenifer and Angel, all of whom are now gainfully employed in Donor Recruitment at Bloodsource, a crown for Neda for being hired on at Burger King, good will for Angelique as she begins her new job at Goodwill in Folsom, gold stars for Susan, who is now a cook at Golden One Center, and Josephine, now a prep cook at Mulvaneys, and finally, a giant hot diggity dog for Leanna for starting her new job at Umai Hot Dogs! We are so grateful for our awesome Community Partners, all of whom step up by offering our hard-working women a hand up and out of poverty and dependence on their journeys to self-sustainability. If you have a job opening or are in need of extra restaurant or catering help over the holidays, please contact our Career Education and Placement Center Manager Karen O'Hara,  kohara@saintjohnsprogram.org .
Jesuit & St. Francis High Schools Drama Students Deliver Anti-bullying Message to Saint John's Smallest Clients

November 6 was a special day in the Saint John's Community Room, as students from Jesuit & St. Francis High Schools' Drama Departments presented our children with a special anti-bullying workshop as an extension of their current production of "Elephant Man," based on a true story about a man whose disease caused great deformity and who was thus  mocked and treated as a creature. As the story goes, an English doctor found him to be a good, quiet and interesting man and managed to get him housed in a hospital and visited by people that saw beyond his physical differences and treated him as a human being. In the workshop, the students acted out scenes from the play, demonstrating the importance of kindness, acceptance and compassion. The students improvised an epic dance battle, which our kids LOVED! Thank you so much to the Jesuit & St. Francis High Schools' Drama Departments for your entertaining, informative and thought-provoking workshop! 

Inkoff.me Partners with Saint John's to Offer Tattoo Removal

Inkoff.me, whose clients include new moms who want to remove tats from their time as teens and former prisoners and gang members with markings of their former alliances, began in Sacramento to help people looking for a fresh start to a new life, and to be more presentable in their search for a job. The organization, now with additional locations in Stockton and Berkeley, donates a portion of its profits to support House of Acts, an Oak Park home for at-risk youth, and offers discounted services to other like-minded non-profits.  Inkoff.me will be visiting Saint John's in the next two months to offer its services to our clients. For $500 - a significantly discounted rate -- they will serve up to 20 clients in two hours. Tattoo removal can take up to 12 sessions to complete, depending on the intricacy, size and quality of the tattoo being removed. If you'd like to sponsor this worthwhile initiative, contact Sasha Wirth, SW irth@saintjohnsprogram.org .

Donate!
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Oh What a Night! Party For Change Dazzled 600+ Guests, Raising More than $500,000 in Support of Our Women and Children!
 



Our third Annual Party for Change, Saint John's largest fundraiser, did not disappoint as some 600 guests enjoyed an evening of fabulous food, wine, signature cocktails, song, dance, aerialist performances, awards, video presentations and a few surprises tucked in between! There were hundreds of volunteers, donors, staff, committee members, board members, clients and community partners who came together to make this event possible, proving that it really does take a village to achieve the excellence of this year's Party for Change event! Special thanks to Allstate for being our Presenting Sponsor, to Sacramento Jet Center and Mather Jet Center, for being our gracious host, to our emcees Kellie DeMarco from KCRA and Rob Stewart from KVIE, to our 2018 Champions of Change Councilwoman Angelique Ashby and Sierra Health Foundation President and CEO, and outgoing Saint John's Board Chair Chet Hewitt, and to all of the sponsors and committee members listed below! We look forward to seeing you all at our Polo for Change event in June, 2019!
To see photos from the event, please click here!


Cater Your Holidays with Delectable Dishes from Plates Café!

If you're in the throes of planning your holiday party at your home or office, please consider contacting our catering manager to explore our delicious catering menus and competitive pricing! Your guests will enjoy the culinary creations of our Plates Cafe team lovingly and meticulously prepared by our volunteer learners as part of our Employment Training Program. For more information, contact our Catering Manager Erin Landreth, elandreth@eatatplates.com.

Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays

Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays
Our Adopt-A-Family program is a very special, personal way for members of our community to directly help a family in need during the holidays.  You choose the size of family you are comfortable adopting, and we will match your request, providing you with the family's holiday "wish list" specific to each individual family member.  We ask that you purchase only new (not used) items, and have them delivered unwrapped by December.  We recommend a spending level of $50-$75 per family member, and the wish list is simply meant to help you shop, so please don't feel that you have to purchase everything on the list!  To adopt a family or for more information, contact Christy Glime,  cglime@saintjohnsprogram.org.  And don't forget to shop on Amazon Smile, which donates a portion of each sale to Saint John's:   https://smile.amazon.com/ch/68-0132934  
NOVEMBER WISH LIST 


  • Larger size diapers 4, 5, & 6, plus wipes
  • Sleep mats/sheets for childcare
  • Twin sheet sets
  • Twin comforters/blankets
  • Feminine hygiene products
  • New pajamas for women & children-all sizes



To access our full wish list registry, visit:   
https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/15YALKND2VMV8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_t-3Pzb4XCQWND
Party for Change 2018 Sponsors
Thank you to our 2018 Party for Change
Presenting Sponsor 


Thank you to our Celebrity Chef & Restaurant Partner

Brad Cecchi


Thank you Underwriting Sponsors


Print Sponsor
Beverage 
Sponsor

Jenifer & Tony Russo
Wine Sponsor

Entertainment
Venue
 Sponsor

Media Sponsor

Decor Sponsor
VIP/Bar Area

A/V Sponsor



Thank you Diamond Sponsor


Thank you Platinum Sponsors

political data inc
 

Gold Sponsors




Barbara & Charlie Demmon


Kim & Tom Hiltachk
Kim Pacini-Hauch






Silver Sponsors


Judy & Ed Baloney
Rachel & Matt Cate






Eva & David Nybo

Kathy Prizmich
Katz, Johnson & Wright 
Ann & Scott Sadler

Michele & Jim Steeb


Wong & Hubbard Families

Ruby Sponsors

Tracey & Mark Demetre







Thank you to our Donors

Katherine 
Fairbanks

Ose Family Fund of the Sacramento Region Community Foundation
VOLUNTEER
Prepare and serve a meal in our kitchen, assist in our administrative offices, mentor a mother, help in our donation center or spend time rocking babies in our child development center. To learn more contact Christy Glime, Community Engagement Coordinator, at cglime@saintjohnsprogram.org

The Saint John's Circle is a fundraising and awareness-building auxiliary group for Saint John's. Members are active volunteers committed to the growth of Saint John's, organizing special events and providing essential support. To learn more email Circle President Elizabeth Jackson, circle@saintjohnsprogram.org



DONATE MONEY OR GOODS
Saint John's relies heavily on donations from our community. Your financial support of Saint John's crucial. We also need your support in providing clothing for school and/or for job interviews, diapers or feminine hygiene products, and/or an unused vehicle. These are all donations that will make an enormous impact on a woman or child's life. 

By dining at Plates Midtown or Plates Cafe, or by choosing Plates to cater your next event, you are not only eating fresh and locally sourced food, you are also supporting the employment training of Saint John's women, contributing to the success of the program as a whole. 100% of proceeds directly support women working to recuperate and reengineer their lives. 



Today is the perfect day for a new beginning.  Together, we will give more women and children the opportunity to start a new life - a life filled with hope, joy and endless opportunities. With your  gift  today, you will provide a family at Saint John's not only a safe home, but also a hand up through an educational program that empowers mothers to provide for themselves and their families.

For more information, please contact info@saintjohnsprogram.org





Saint John's Program for Real Change
Nonprofit, 501(c)(3)
Tax ID: 68-0132934