Celebrating The Season With My First Home For The Holidays
Confident, Capable and Connected for the holidays
Deck the halls and hang the holly – This holiday season, we are incredibly grateful for every single member of our Just in Time community! And what better way to express our gratitude than with a party?
On Saturday, December 3rd, Just in Time brought together more than 150 participants, alumni, volunteers, staff and supporters for our annual My First Home For The Holidays celebration at Junior Achievement of San Diego’s headquarters in Mission Valley. Those in attendance enjoyed a traditional holiday feast with towering plates of smoked ham, mashed potatoes and green beans. And as everyone settled down to eat, Just in Time youth took the stage to share inspiring stories of resilience and personal growth.
Lealiki Sykes, Nyla Vivas, and Azucena Wells each received awards: Leiliki for “Confident,” Nyla for “Capable,” and Azucena for “Connected.” JIT participant Nancy Rodallegas took home the “Triple Threat” award for demonstrating enormous growth in all three categories. JIT participant Olan Cazad received an honorary award for “Community.”
Each youth in attendance was gifted with a Santa Bag stuffed with goodies provided by Jennifer Moores’ Family and Friends and colorful hand-knit scarves donated by Louarn Sorkin’s Creative Yarn Group.
“The relationships I’ve made at JIT have lifted my potential and confidence so much. To go from having no family to being welcomed with open arms by a whole community has been heartwarming, not just in my heart, but in my mind and soul as well.”
Azucena Wells, MFHFH “Connected” Award recipient.
This year, Just in Time celebrates our 20th anniversary. Over the years, many youth have told us that My First Home For The Holidays has served as their first authentic holiday experience – one that empowers them to build new traditions and embrace all the joy, connection and gratitude that this time of year embodies. We are inspired by and grateful for everyone that has helped us build this Reliable, Responsive and Real Community. Thank you for helping us empower life changing choices for the youth we serve.
