February Recap

Because of you, February was filled with hope.

Thank you for continuing to show up for our neighbors in need. Because of your generosity, February was another meaningful month of impact for Womenade SLO. As a 100% volunteer organization, every dollar donated goes directly to meet an urgent, essential need for residents in the city of SLO.

In February:

• 12 referring agents reached out to us on behalf of their clients.

• 29 households donated so we met every need.

• $5,172.08 was given to help SLO residents in need.

• As always, 100% of your donations helped someone in crisis in the city of SLO.

We are also thrilled to share that Womenade SLO was awarded $5,000 from First 5 SLO County's Early Childhood Systems Stabilization Fund Grant. Thank you to Kathryn Dickinson for applying for the grant, and to Jason and Elizabeth of First 5 for their time and care in supporting Womenade SLO. These funds will provide emergency assistance for families with young children who are facing housing, food, utility, and transportation crises. This grant allows us to continue responding quickly when families need help most.

A special thank you to Jenni Lanier for creating a new Monday.com board and streamlining our needs process. Her work is lifting a huge load and paving the way for more volunteers to be involved in meeting needs.

We hope to see you at our potluck on March 10th. Thank you for all you do to make this work possible.

First 5 Intern Elizabeth Goebel, First 5 Associate Director Jason Wells, Elaine Stewart, and Womenade SLO volunteer Calista Stewart. 

RSVP and join us for our March potluck. We’d love to see you there!

We're always looking for hosts! Introducing our group to your friends helps gets the word out about the work we do. If you’re interested in hosting a private event or one of our monthly potlucks, please reply to this email and we'll put you on the schedule.

Save the date! Womenade SLO will be hosting fundraising potlucks on the second Tuesday of each month. RSVP each month at womenadeslo.org or at the link in our bio on Facebook or Instagram. 

A special thanks to Christian at Auto Zone for supporting Womenade SLO this month with a discount for a need presented to us this month.

Your donations lift burdens for referring agents as well as their clients.

NEEDS MET IN February 2026 

Four 60-day student bus passes for reliable transportation to school for a family. Referral from Katherine Gomez Caravarin, CAPSLO ($260). 

Partial rent for February for a parent graduating from a residential treatment facility and returning to her apartment. This support will prevent eviction from her apartment. Referral from Ashley Tokes, CAPSLO ($574).

Partial rent to help a family avoid eviction. Referral from Ashley Tokes, CAPSLO ($600).

Gas for a patient to make two trips to Stanford this month for follow up appointments for his cancer treatment. Referral from Ashley Hahn, Hearst Cancer Resource Center ($250).

Partial rent for a client who recently received her Social Security but is still waiting for her EDD finances to arrive. Referral from Jamie Moothart, Access Central Coast ($500).

Partial rent and moving costs for a 66 year woman who is living on a fixed income from disability benefits. She is housed with a housing voucher but it is expiring. She will be moving to a new HASLO property but needs help with the deposit and moving expenses. Referral from Rita Holland, SLO County Mental Health ($592).

Phone bills for a single mom of a 10-year-old who recently left an abusive relationship and has worked hard to secure a small studio in San Luis Obispo. The cost of starting over has stretched her thin, and she fell behind on her bills. This one-time boost helped her avoid further financial setbacks so she can continue moving forward independently. Referral from Anel Calderon, Dignity Health ($524.24).

Utility bills for a single father. He had been using his rent money for his utilities and got very behind. This allowed him to get back on his feet. Referral from Nancy Martinez, The Link Center for Family Strengthening ($611.70).

Queen storage bed with trundle, mattress, sheet sets, and bedding for a survivor of domestic abuse and her toddler. This will allow them to each have their own bed while optimizing their small space. Referrer name withheld ($645.14).

Rent for a student who is in limbo as they haven't received their financial aid and qualifications for on-campus resources such as food pantry and basic needs and grants. They are a student employee but can't work until they pay for classes and can't pay for classes without the aid and support. This rent support allows them to transition back to an enrolled student elligible for resources. Referral from Claire Lopez Tassinari, Cal Poly Safer Campus Health & Wellbeing ($615).

Thank you to this month's donors and volunteers!

Donors:

Linda and Tom Murray, Kathryn Dickinson, Anonymous, Naomi Blakely, Colleen Spafford, Frank and Sandy Richardson, Jayne Devencenzi, Wendy Daly, Linda Braddy-Argano, Gennis Emerson, Julie Jones, Sharynn Chirpich, Ashley Hahn, Anonymous, Nancy Hurd, Judy Fitzgerald, Julie Meyer, County Of San Luis Obispo Womenade First 5 Stabilization Grant 2026, Kimberly Barrett, Aline Cullen, Marcie Hawthorne, Juliette O’Brien, Cheryl Quilici, Lori Gager, Wendy Daly, Marylou Gooden, Sally Hopkins, Kathy Greer, and Roz Phillips.

Volunteers:

Marylou Gooden, Cheryl Quilici, Priscilla Pesqueira, Calista Stewart, Sandy Richardson, and Jenni Lanier.

Your steady generosity is changing lives in our city. Thank you for being part of this work.

Sincerely,

Elaine Stewart

Executive Director

Womenade SLO

elaine@womenadeslo.org