Sep 20, 2021
Adopt-a-Family 2021
Frequently Asked Questions Learn More about Lifeline's Annual Holiday Giving Tradition What is Adopt-A-Family? Adopt-A-Family is a holiday giving program designed to help low-income families who are Lifeline clients celebrate the holiday season by connecting them with local businesses, organizations, and individuals who “adopt” them. How does it work? Complete the Adopt-A-Family interest form to get started. Lifeline will match you with a Lifeline family and provide you with a personalized list of the things they need most, as well as wish items for the holidays. Then, you deliver the gifts no later than December 10th, 2021to Lifeline’s Vista Campus. Please make sure to meet this deadline. Lifeline staff arranges the delivery of gifts, and can include a personal message from you and your own household or group if you wish. Donors typically receive a thank you note from their recipient family. This year, because of COVID-19 and in an effort to maintain as little physical contact as possible, we are encouraging donors to use our online donation option, if they wish, so that families can purchase their own gifts. We will also be taking extra precautions for those who wish to continue to purchase gifts and deliver them to Lifeline. How are families selected for Adopt-A-Family? All families who are adopted are Lifeline clients and are nominated by Lifeline staff for their hard work and dedication to becoming self-sufficient. This includes families who have experienced homelessness, youth who have aged out of foster care, youth participating in juvenile diversion programs, survivors of human trafficking, and others. These families are low income or face economic challenges on a daily basis. Will I get a chance to meet thefamily I adopt? Due to the nature of services Lifeline provides and in order to best respect their confidentiality, we do not allow donors to meet the family(ies) and will not provide donors with more than first names of family members. Lifeline strives to give our clients the dignity and confidentiality they deserve. Thank you for your support and respecting the privacy of our clients. How much does it cost to adopt a family? We encourage donors to provide at least two gifts per family member. Over the years, we have estimatedthat donors on average spend between $75-100 per individual. If you want to make your gift go as far as possible, please contact us. We can match you with a larger or smaller family to meet your budget. You can also adopt a family as a group of two or more donors who give together to sponsor a family. Or, you can donate gift cards which are helpful in providing basic needs for families. Can I donate used items? We do not accept donations of used goods for the holiday season. All gifts and donations must be new. Why is the family asking for electronics or other "luxury" items if they are low-income? While we encourage families to focus on basic needs, we also ask them to think of a 'special wish.' Many of our families have never had the opportunity to wish for something some might consider a 'luxury' (for example, aniPhone, a tablet,or mani/pedis). Please don't be offended. Please let us know if you would like us to match you with a different family whose wants and needs seem to be most in line with your budget and expectations. Remember, you are not obligated to purchase everything on the wish list. We hope to provide at least two gifts for each person. You are welcome to provide more if you wish. Can I adopt multiple families? Yes, you can adopt as many families as you wish as long as you can provide the same level of commitment to each family. We also encourage donors with larger budgets to adopt larger famlies (6+) as those are typically the hardest/last to be adopted. Can my group adopt a family? Yes! The Adopt-A-Family program is a great opportunity for schools, faith groups, businesses, and other organizations. Groups are often able to adopt multiple families or larger families, which are typically more difficult to match. When and where should I deliver gifts? We will be accepting gifts November 29 - December 10during designated drop off times at our Vista Campus. We also hope to bring back our annual "Donation Drop-off Party" this year but will decide as we get closer to December. More information and details to come. How should the items be delivered? Should we wrap the gifts? Some families love the surprise of wrapped presents for all, while some would prefer to wrap the gifts themselves. We typically see this with parents who would like to feel part of the holiday tradition of wrapping gifts for their kids. There is a section in the wishlist that lets donors know what the families prefer. We ask that you deliver your gifts in large bins, boxes, or bags so we can ensure your items stay together. It is helpful, but not required, to separate gifts for each family member into their own box/bin/ bag. Most importantly: make sure the recipient’s name and family code are clearly labeled on all gifts. Once all of your gifts are labeled and placed in boxes/bins/ bags, please label the container with the family code and list of how many boxes you have for the family. For example if there are 3 total boxes: Box 1 of 3, Box 2 of 3, Box 3 of 3, etc. If you have more than one family, please use separate boxes for each family. *if you include Gift Cards, please make sure they are activated at time of drop off. To ensure they do not get lost, please put them in one envelope, clearly labeled with the intended recipient, and write the family code on the envelope.* What if I can’t follow through with my adoption? If you are unable to follow through with your adoption, please contact us immediately, do not wait. We will need to make other arrangements for the family. I can’t adopt a family, but I still want to donate and/or volunteer my time. How can I help? We always appreciate any donation to Lifeline! Please visit this page to learn about the various ways you can help. Gift cards of any denomination and stores are used to support a family who either hasn’t been adopted, or who needs a little extra support. We also have an Amazon wish list with items needed specifically for Adopt-A-Family such as wrapping paper and supplies, gift bags, Christmas trees and decorations, etc. Throughout the first 2 weeks of December, we need dozens of volunteers! Contact us if you would like to volunteer—bring family, friends, co-workers, the more the merrier! We will of course be following safety recommendations and protocols to prevent the spread COVID-19. Is my donation tax deductible? Adopt-A-Family gifts and donations can be tax-deductible. You will receive a thank you letter in January describing your participation in the program; only gift cards or cash donations will be given their corresponding dollar value in the letter. Keep your receipts as backup for in-kind donations so you can attach those to the letter for tax purposes. Our tax ID Number is 95-2794253. Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Email give@nclifeline.org or contact 760-842-6254.
Oct 31, 2024
Adopt-A-Family 2024
Frequently Asked Questions Learn More about Lifeline's Annual Holiday Giving Tradition 1. What is Adopt-A-Family? Adopt-A-Family is a holiday giving program in North County San Diego designed to help low-income families who are Lifeline clients celebrate the holiday season by connecting them with local businesses, organizations, and individuals who “adopt” them. 2. How does it work? Complete the Adopt-A-Family interest form to get started. Lifeline will match you with a Lifeline family and provide you with a personalized list of the things they need most, as well as wish items for the holidays. Then, you deliver the gifts no later than December 7th, 2024to Lifeline’s Vista Campus. Please make sure to meet this deadline. Lifeline staff arranges the delivery of gifts. 3. How are families selected for Adopt-A-Family? All families who are adopted are Lifeline clients and are nominated by Lifeline staff for their hard work and dedication to becoming self-sufficient. This includes families who have experienced homelessness, youth who have aged out of foster care, youth participating in juvenile diversion programs, survivors of human trafficking, and others. These families are low income or face economic challenges on a daily basis. 4. How much does it cost to adopt a family? We encourage donors to provide at least two gifts per family member. Over the years, we have estimatedthat donors on average spend between $75-100 per individual. If you want to make your gift go as far as possible, please contact us. 5. Can I donate used items? No, all gifts and donations must be new. 6. Why is the family asking for electronics or other "luxury" itemsand not just basic needs? While we encourage families to focus on basic needs, we also ask them to think of a "special wish".Many of our families have never had the opportunity to wish for something some might consider a 'luxury' (for example, aniPhone, a tablet,or spa days, etc). Please don't be offended. Please let us know if you would like us to match you with a different family whose wants and needs seem to be most in line with your budget and expectations. Remember, you are not obligated to purchase everything on the wish list. We hope to provide at least two gifts for each person. You are welcome to provide more if you wish. 7. When and where should I deliver gifts? We will be accepting gifts December 2- December 7during pre-designated drop off times at our Vista Campus. We will also be hosting our annual "Donation Drop-off Party" this year.More information and details to come. 8. How should the items be delivered? Should we wrap the gifts? Some families love the surprise of wrapped presents for all, while some would prefer to wrap the gifts themselves. We typically see this with parents who would like to feel part of the holiday tradition of wrapping gifts for their kids. There is a section in the wishlist that lets donors know what the families prefer. We ask that you deliver your gifts in large bins, boxes, or bags so we can ensure your items stay together. Most importantly: make sure the recipient’s name and family code are clearly labeled on ALL gifts. Once all of your gifts are labeled and placed in boxes/bins/bags, please label the container with the family code and number of how many boxes you have for the family. For example if there are 3 total boxes: Box 1 of 3, Box 2 of 3, Box 3 of 3, etc. *see samples below. If you have more than one family, please use separate boxes for each family. *if you include Gift Cards, please make sure they are activated at time of drop off. To ensure they do not get lost, please put them in one envelope, clearly labeled with the intended recipient, and write the family code on the envelope.* 9. Will I get a chance to meet thefamily I adopt? Due to the nature of services Lifeline provides and in order to best respect their confidentiality, we do not allow donors to meet the family(ies) and will not provide donors with more than first names of family members. 10. Can I adopt multiple families? Yes, you can adopt as many families as you wish as long as you can provide the same level of commitment to each family. We also encourage donors with larger budgets to adopt larger famlies (6+) as those are typically the hardest/last to be adopted. 11. What if I can’t follow through with my adoption? If you are unable to follow through with your adoption, please contact us immediately, do not wait. We will need to make other arrangements for the family. 12. I can’t adopt a family, but I still want to donate and/or volunteer my time. How can I help? Gift cards of any denomination and stores are used to support a family who either hasn’t been adopted, or who needs a little extra support. The most requested stores include: Food4Less, Stater Bros, Albertsons, and any gas station. Throughout the first 2 weeks of December, we need dozens of volunteers! Contact us if you would like to volunteer—bring family, friends, co-workers, the more the merrier! Email us at volunteer@nclifeline.org 13. Is my donation tax deductible? Adopt-A-Family gifts and donations can be tax-deductible. You will receive a thank you letter in January describing your participation in the program; only gift cards or cash donations will be given their corresponding dollar value in the letter. Keep your receipts as backup for in-kind donations so you can attach those to the letter for tax purposes. Our tax ID Number is 95-2794253. Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Email give@nclifeline.org or contact 760-842-6254.
Apr 16, 2024
Lisa's Story
Lisa's Story Lisa was an 18-year-old single mother with a 3-year-old when she came to Lifeline’sdrop-in center “The House.” At that time, Lisa and her child were living out of her car.During her first meeting, LifeSpring staff discovered that she was previously in the fostercare system, meaning she could quality for Lifeline’s supportive housing program! Threedays later, with an approved referral from the County, Lisa began the enrollmentprocess. While a unit was being readied for move-in, Lifeline arranged for Lisa and herchild to stay in temporary housing. Shortly thereafter Lisa was able to move into one of Lifeline’s 1-bedroom apartments. Lifeline’s help did not stop there. As a part of the independent living skills Lifelineteaches, Lisa was provided with a budget to select atoddler bed and dresser for her child and her first set of furniture including a bed, sofa, table, and chairs. Lifeline furtherassisted Lisa in purchasing other household necessities such as plates, glasses, silverware, pots, pans, microwave, bedding, and cleaning supplies. Today, Lisa is more hopeful than ever. She has a place to call home, she attends weeklytherapy, has a case manager who supports her, and has established a housing plandetailing steps to work, care for her child, saving money, and finding housing once shehas completed our program. Since starting LifeSpring, Lisa has found a full time job andenrolled her child in preschool.
Apr 13, 2024
California Extended its Tax Deadline, Still Need Help? Find a FREE VITA Tax Site Near You!
California Extended its Tax Deadline, Still Need Help? Find a FREE VITA Tax Site Near You! As tax season unfolds, Lifeline has been a trusted ally for many, offering free tax preparation services through its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to low and moderate- income households. However, with Lifeline's tax services closing as of April 13th, there's still a beacon of hope for those in need of assistance. Even though the tax deadline in California was extended, there's no need to fret. We're here to guide you through accessing alternative VITA tax sites, ensuring you can still benefit from expert assistance up until the new extended deadline. Extended Deadline in California: For those residing in San Diego County, the recent severe storms and flooding prompted the IRS to extend the tax filing deadline until June 17, 2024. This extension offers a lifeline to individuals and businesses affected by the natural disasters, providing extra time to navigate through their tax obligations. It's a welcome relief during challenging times, allowing affected individuals the opportunity to file their returns without added pressure. Help is Available: If you made less than $64,000 in 2023 and require assistance with your tax filings, our IRS- Certified volunteers are here to assist you, completely free of charge for those who qualify. We understand the importance of accurate tax preparation and aim to alleviate any concerns or confusion you may have regarding your tax obligations. Whether it's preparing your returns or addressing tax-related queries, our dedicated volunteers are ready to support you every step of the way. What to Bring: To streamline the process and ensure efficient tax preparation, it's essential to come prepared. Here's a checklist of documents you'll need to bring along: 1. Proof of identification (photo ID) 2. Social Security cards for you, your spouse, and dependents 3. Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter (if applicable) 4. Proof of foreign status (if applying for an ITIN) 5. Birth dates for you, your spouse, and dependents on the tax return 6. Proof of income, including W-2’s, 1099 forms, and other relevant documents for 2023 7. Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099) 8. Health coverage information for each person on the return (if applicable) 9. Copy of last year’s federal and state returns (if available) 10. Routing and account numbers for direct deposit 11. Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number 12. Forms 1095-A, B, and C (Health Coverage Statements) 13. Copies of income transcripts from the IRS and state (if applicable) Accessing Extended VITA Services: To find a VITA site near you and schedule an appointment, simply call 211 or visit the following link: IRS VITA Site Locator. These sites will be open from January 22nd through June 17th, 2024, ensuring ample time for individuals to receive the assistance they need. While Lifeline's tax services have concluded, our commitment to providing accessible tax assistance remains unwavering. With the extension of the tax deadline in California and the availability of VITA sites until June 17th, 2024, there's still ample opportunity to access free tax preparation services. Don't hesitate to reach out and take advantage of this valuable resource. We're here to help you navigate through your tax obligations with confidence and ease.