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Click the "register now" button above to make your online donation. 👆🏻🙂

12/6/16 update:

We received a note from Bill Newberry, on the Board of Education for the Corona-Norco Unified School District and President of the Riverside County School Boards Association. These schools would benefit from donations through the Angel Tree program:

Adams Elementary, Coronity Elementary, Garretson Elementary, Jefferson Elementary, Parkridge Elementary, Stallings Elementary, Vicentia Elementary, Washington Elementary, Home Gardens Elementary, Raney Intermediate, and Orange Grove High. 

The 50 kids at Orange Grove are at their last stop before expulsion from the district. Some are homeless, some live in horrific conditions, some are the only caretaker for their younger siblings because the parents are absent...some are only able to eat at school because there is no food at home. The small investment of time and dollars today to help these kids will absolutely pay dividends for years to come, not only in their lives, but in helping them become productive and active contributors to society. 



12/5/16 update: 

For those of you who have already read, shared and donated: THANK YOU! We have surpassed our original goal and ALL 70 kids / 24 families from Corona High School who needed some extra help this holiday season will be taken care of! Your generosity is nothing short of incredible. 

The response has been so overwhelming and positive from residents and the business community, and it will now open the opportunity to help other kids in need in our school district. You can indicate when donating (if you'd like) which school you would like to help bless. 
 
The original information is below. Thank you all again. We can't express enough how wonderful you all are.





12/1/16:
Are YOU up for the Challenge?
 
As with all holidays, there seems to be those stories and situations that must be told, shared and addressed.  This year, the need is greater than prior. In short, we need to outreach and collect $10,000.  Below is an email from a teacher at Corona High School, who like most other educators, does an outstanding job…and when tasked with a challenge – they rise to occasion.
 
The Corona Chamber is turning this lemon situation into lemonade…of course with help and treasures from our members…Fortunately, we have a member, Adam Owens of SLAC Inc. (Student Loan Assistance Center) who has stepped up to assist.  Adam and his companies will match any dollar amount donated, up to $5,000. The catch is we have until Dec 9 to accomplish this.  After hearing what was happening, Larry H. Miller Toyota also stepped up to match each dollar up to $5k! Every dollar donated turns into two!!! If you are interested in learning more or discussing this, please call me….there are 70 students and 24 families that the business community can positively impact for this year!!
 
Bobby Spiegel
CEO | President
CORONA Chamber
904 E Sixth Street | CORONA, CA 92879
951.737.3350 Office | 951.733.1836 Cell 
 

Synopsis for Angel Tree donations
 
My name is Nielle Reinhart. I am a Special Education teacher and the PTSA advocate for Outreach. Over the last few years we have seen a significant change in the economy and with that came a significant change in needs of our students. Last year our ASB director, Julie Stivers, started the “Angel Tree” at Corona High School. Students would make their Christmas wishes known, and we would try our best to fulfill those wishes. We decided to continue that tradition this year. We were shocked by what our students wished for. They no longer wished for movie tickets and cell phones. Our students are no longer asking for video games or skateboards. This year we have 70 students asking for things such as food, underwear, shoes, backpacks, school supplies, warm blankets and clothing. There was not a single student asking for a toy, a Prom ticket or a yearbook. Our students were asking for the basic necessities needed to survive. I would like to tell you the stories of a couple of our students.
 
Right before Thanksgiving break we had a student wish for a blanket and a pillow so that they could stay warm, while their family of 5 slept on the floor in the family room of a relatives home, under only one blanket. We were able to show up at their house over break with 5 blankets, 5 pillows, 10 pillow cases, 5 foam pads, a Stater Brothers gift card and a large box of food. The saddest/best part of that trip was hearing the 5 year old little brother of our student come out and excitedly   exclaim, “Do I really get my very own pillow?”

Last week, Mr. Danesh and I called in a student who had not been dressing out for P.E. While speaking with him we learned that he was not dressing out because his family could not afford to buy him underwear and therefore he was afraid to change into his uniform. He also mentioned that he was afraid to run in his current pair of shoes. When I looked down to glance at his current pair of shoes, I realized that his ENTIRE foot was hanging out and that the toe portion of the shoe was literally STAPLED together and the heel portion had been glued.
 
Instead of worrying about what movie to watch on Netflix, or what game to play with their friends, our students are worrying about where their next meal will be coming from, how they are going to stay warm at night and how to keep their shoes glued together another day. In order to help relieve some of their life stresses and bring some Christmas joy their way – we are hoping to help provide each of their families with means to purchase food and clothing. We currently have identified 70 individual students and 24 families in need our help and we know that there will be more to come. We would like to be able to provide each of these 70 students with an $100 gift card to Walmart (where they can purchase clothing, school supplies, underwear, shoes and blankets) and each of the 24 families a $100 gift card to Stater Brothers for food. I am hoping and praying that we can come together as a community and help truly make this a Merry Christmas for these families. 

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