NOVEMBER AT INSIGHT HOUSING

Happy Thanksgiving, Insight Housing community! We hope you are all enjoying a cozy start to the holiday season. We certainly did with our annual Holiday Community Meal at the Hope Center! In this newsletter, you’ll also hear about some of our dedicated volunteers, a Veterans Day Parade celebration with our Sacramento staff, and an update on how federal funding changes could impact housing and homelessness services.  

Like always, we love hearing from you. If there’s anything you want to see more of or something that you particularly liked, please reach out to us at philanthropy@insighthousing.org 

Holiday Community Meal at the Hope Center 

Last week, we kicked off the holiday season with our biggest Community Meal of the year. Chef Andre and his team of volunteers and staff laid out a veritable feast of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, roast vegetables, braised collard greens, candied yams, and mac-n-cheese. More than 250 individuals enjoyed all the holiday favorites in community on the sunny day. Joining other longtime volunteers to help serve the meal was Berkeley Mayor Adena Ishii and her team. "Food builds community, so it's really exciting to see everyone sit here and eat together... having a hot meal, especially when it's so cold outside is really important for people's spirits," said Ishii.
 
As a sweet finishing touch, the Insight Board and staff members donated 30 pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies that were quickly eaten by everyone in attendance. Thank you to the Hope Center staff and all of our volunteers for yet another year of bringing people together through delicious food and welcoming community! 

Calleene Egan, CEO, and Adena Ishii, Mayor of Berkeley, serving at the Holiday Community Meal

A Cozy Evening of Letter Signing and Soup at the Antin Home 

Tamar and Judd Antin, both board members of Insight Housing, recently hosted a letter signing event at their home to support our philanthropy team with end-of-year fundraising. Friends and volunteers gathered to help spread the word about Insight’s mission and were also treated to a delicious dinner of chicken tortilla soup made by Chef Judd himself. Calleene Egan, CEO, and Alex Vondeling, Board President, also pitched in. Keep a lookout for a green envelope in your mailbox!

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, all donations through the end of the year will be matched, up to $75,000. Click here to have your donation doubled and support your neighbors experiencing homelessness this winter!

Calleene Egan, CEO, speaking during the letter signing event

Honoring Our Veterans in Elk Grove 

This Veterans Day, our Supportive Services for Veteran Families team (SSVF) in Sacramento walked in the Elk Grove Veterans Day Parade. There were over 2,000 spectators during the mile-long parade route to honor our community’s Veterans. “It was a great experience seeing so many Veterans, and being able to thank them for their service,” says Jessica Huntbach, Lead Case Manager in Sacramento. “We also had so many thanking us for what we do too!” 

Our Sacramento team served over 400 Veterans last year, and they are looking forward to serving more this year. Thank you, Veterans, for your service, and thank you to everyone on our team who serves our Veterans! 

Staff from our Sacramento Team after the Elk Grove Veteran's Day Parade

Philanthropy's Role Amidst Federal Funding Cuts

As the political landscape shifts, Insight is committed to keeping our community informed about potential federal funding changes and their impact on local services. We will keep you all update with policy changes in the upcoming weeks and months as news continues to unfold. 

Recently, CEO Calleene Egan co-authored a thought-leadership piece with Mary Kate Johnson, Director of Bay Area Funders Together to End Homelessness (BAFTEH). The article focuses on federal funding cuts for housing and homelessness services and the crucial role philanthropy can play during these times. Click here to read the full article.