The holiday season is in full swing at Solutions for Change!

Keep your eyes open around town for Giving Trees and Toy Drive Boxes…

Thank you to the following locations for collecting toys for the Solutions kids this season:

Dear Santa

Solutions for Change Christmas Toy Drive

The time has come again to celebrate the season.
We thank all of our supporters who are able to brighten the holidays for our Solutions children. Any gift helps. Please see our suggestions below taken from actual “Dear Santa” letters this year.

-         Target and Wal-Mart Gift Cards

-         Anything princess or Tinkerbell

-         Action figures

-         Balls

-         Electric Tooth Brushes

-         Art and Educational

-         Skinny Jeans

• All sizes and genders from ages 9 up, including XL sizes.

-         Hoodies all sizes, T-Shirts for teens- all sizes

-         Anything Justin Beiber

-         Furry Boots like Uggs

-         Friendship Bracelets and Bead Kits

-         Art Supplies for older kids

-         Body Sprays for Boys and Girls

-         Axe Body Wash and Body Spray for boys

-         Costume Jewelry

-         Perfume

-         DVD’s

-         Monster Silly Bands

-         Bey Blades

-         Play Station Network Cards

-         Remote Control Cars or helicopters

-         Hoodie Sweat shirts

-         Mp3 Players and earphones (Skull Candy Brand)

-         Manicure Sets

-         Hair accessories

-         Socks

-         Pajamas

-         Leggings

-         Lego Sets

-         Games for teens

-         Transformers

-         iTunes Gift Cards

-         Kids Cameras

-         Books-Percy Jackson, etc.

-         Hair Straightener

-         Hair Crimper

-         Dan Brown Books

-         Taylor Swift CD’s

-         Nail Polish

-         Nerf Guns

One of the core concepts at Solutions is that the families we are helping are part of not only the Solutions community, but also the larger community and that they have an obligation to be active participants in that larger community.

On October 15^th, Solutions residents got up at 4:30 a.m. to provide support services for the Welk Resorts Run4Safety 5k run and 1 mile walk. Held from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Escondido, the event attracted more than 800 people who came to run, walk, stroll, and check out safety exhibits and farmers market vendors.

Solutions residents assisted with event setup, food preparation, and worked refreshment stations passing out water and fruit to the runners. They also served as guides, helping runners negotiate the race course and deal with traffic control.

Proceeds from the event went to the Deer Springs Fire Department.

“We embrace the opportunity to give back to our community,” said Solutions volunteer coordinator, Kelly Gutierrez.

On October 13th, Solutions held a graduation ceremony celebrating both 500 day commencements and 1000 day graduations from Solutions University.

The commencement designation recognizes those who’ve completed the on-campus first 500 days of the Solutions University program. Those honored at the ceremony were Robert, Jennifer, Phillip, Crystal, Maria, and Katie.

After 500 days, residents enter the New Solutions phase and continue their quest for success through another 500 days. We were proud to recognize the successful completion of the 1000 day program by Natalie, Skye, Teena, Gris, and Johony.

The annual Solutions for Change fundraising event on October 8, An Evening to Remember… with Condoleeza Rice, was memorable in many ways.

It was memorable to see more than 600 members of the community come together in a commitment to solving family homelessness. It was memorable to have raised $1.3 million in a single evening to support the vision, model and plan of Solutions University. And it was memorable to feel from the response of those assembled that a threshold had been crossed.

“It was awe-inspiring.” said Solutions founder and president Chris Megison, “The evening was a compelling validation that this is now an important and successful movement. You—the members of the community—are changing attitudes and rebuilding lives. You are standing up against the impacts of homelessness on our children and our community. And you are succeeding.”

The evening’s keynote speaker was Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. She spoke about the United States as being a nation of ambitious goals, and willing to be audacious in pursuit of those goals. She was certainly describing Solutions for Change as well as the country at large.

The evening’s events included a VIP reception with Dr. Rice, a silent auction, a live auction, and entertainment by Canadian singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. The event was emceed by Mark King, CEO of presenting sponsor TaylorMade. Other major sponsors and contributors of the event included the ONEkind Foundation, Datron World Communication, DEI Holdings Charitable Foundation, and Bumble Bee Foods. Click here to see a list of our sponsors.

“If others did one-tenth of what these sponsors are doing, we could solve family homelessness in every community in America,” said Megison.