(This email was scheduled to be sent yesterday, and is being sent late due to a technical error)
2.14.24

Dear Friends,

In celebration of Valentine’s Day, I’d love to tell you about some of my favorite people on earth.They are the students at Southside Occupational Academy and they are a beacon of love and light to me.

My first encounter with SOA was about 10 years ago when I made the decision to invite them into our Letters to Santa program. Some people said it wouldn’t work because the students were too old and no one wanted a letter to Santa written by the 20-year-old. I vowed to change that and bring light to the very special needs of the disabled students in our community. 

They have touched my life in countless ways and no matter what challenges they face, they do so with grace and acceptance of themselves and each other. They don’t know anger and frustration and their joy of life is palpable. When you leave them, their spirit stays with you and they bring you hope with any challenges you may face. They taught me how to live in a wheelchair and gave me the wisdom not to feel sorry for myself. We all have our challenges and I believe we were put on this earth to help each other. Nowhere is it illustrated better than at this school. 

Many of you have been answering their letters to Santa exclusively for years. I am so grateful for your service to them. Please consider helping us to make their lives a little brighter when days get tough and help us with our collection of personal items. The school will distribute them as needed. 

The ages of the students are between 15 and 22 years old so any and all adult sizes will work. See below for items requested, and where to mail or deliver. The collection runs through May, so you have plenty of time to start a drive. Please let us know if you have a large donation and we can arrange a pick up! 

As always, we are grateful for your support of our kids and we could not do this without you. If you would like to make a donation directly to the charity to help support our programs, you can do so, via Zelle using our phone number, 312-296-5311. We would be grateful for any amount at all.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

With love and gratitude,

Michelle DiGiacomo
Founder
The following items are needed for the students at Southside;

Sweatpants - various sizes
Large bottles of body wash
Shampoo/conditioner 
Sponges for body wash
Deodorant for men and women
Lotion for dry skin 
Regular size toothpaste
Dental floss
Q-tips travel pack
Travel size mouthwash
Books

Items can be mailed to the school at;

Southside Occupational Academy
7342 S Hoyne Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60636

Please also consider purchasing items through Amazon, or other retailers, and having them directly delivered!
Direct Effect Charities | 4044 N. Lincoln Ave, #400 | Chicago, Il 60618 | www.directeffectcharities.org
Manage your preferences | Opt out using TrueRemove®
Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.
View this email online.

4044 N Lincoln Ave #400
Chicago, IL | 60618 US
This email was sent to michellecomo@gmail.com.
To continue receiving our emails, add us to your address book.
powered by emma