top of page

Help Make A Holiday Wish Come True!


Our Embrace-A-Family holiday gift program is running now through December 13th and it’s about making wishes come true for people like “Ahmad, Sofia, Zahra and Sarah”, a family forced to flee the brutality of the Taliban. Ahmad and Sofia lived a wonderful life in Afghanistan. Ahmad’s construction company was responsible for building housing and other buildings for the US military. As a result of his success, they lived in a beautiful home and Ahmad could provide everything for his wife and their daughters. And then, the Taliban came back into power, and life as they knew it ended. Fleeing for their lives to the U.S., Ahmad, Sofia and the girls left everything behind – their big house, possessions, and everything that makes a house a home. With the help of JFS Silicon Valley, the family resettled in Silicon Valley and began to rebuild. The girls were learning all about Christmas at school, on TV and from their new American friends. Living in a small two-bedroom apartment, and working for little more than minimum wage, Ahmad wanted to provide gifts for his girls’ first “American” Christmas holiday, but the family’s limited funds didn’t allow for extra non-essential items. Michelle Lee, Director of Refugee Resettlement encouraged Ahmad to submit wishes to the JFS Silicon Valley Embrace-A-Family holiday wish program.


Due to the generosity of the community, the family received two pink bikes for the girls Zhara (age 7) and Sarah (age 5), age-appropriate toys and games including Candyland and Twister, teddy bears and warm winter clothes.





Without a family car, the bikes made it easier for Sofia to take the girls to their school, which was three miles from home. The “American” games and toys helped them acculturate and connect with their school friends, and the new clothes kept them warm in the chilly winter months.

When Ahmad saw all the gifts that Michelle delivered to him from the community, he began to cry and said, “thank you to JFS for helping me give holiday gifts to my children and make their dreams come true!”

You can help fulfill dreidel wishes for people like Ahmad, Sofia, Zahra and Sarah as well as individuals, older adults and Holocaust survivors in the community who would otherwise go without gifts and essential items this holiday season.

Wishes come in various price ranges for all ages and include toys, personal items, housewares and gift cards. Find the wish that speaks to you and fulfill it today!


All Saints Episcopal Church

Congregation Beth David

Congregation Beth Jacob (including Hazak and Ladies Who Lunch)

Congregation Emeth

Congregation Shir Hadash

Congregation Sinai

Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP

Jewish Silicon Valley (APJCC and APJCC Preschool)

Temple Beth Torah

Temple Emanu-El

The Villages Jewish Group

Yavneh Day School

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

-Danville

-Menlo Park

-Monterey

-San Jose

-South San Jose

-Santa Cruz

-Saratoga

40 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page