Now in its sixth year, this family-friendly holiday drive helps clothe the women and children residents of Alameda’s Midway Shelter, their safe house, and the San Leandro Shelter with new, cozy jammies, socks, and underthings to open on Christmas Day. Bay Farm residents, Merideth and Kevin Mehlberg, host the drive on behalf of their executive career coaching company, MMI.

This year’s party culminating the drive will be held on Monday, December 10, 2018 and is a fun opportunity for donors to come together to celebrate the true spirit of the holidays. This year’s event will include Bollywood dancing, kid’s art activities, bluegrass music by local family band the Barefoot Quayles as well as delicious food provided by Alameda caterer Gather and Grub.

For the fifth year in a row, the Harbor Bay Community Center has generously offered the space to host this event. Not only has the Jammie Drive become a local family holiday tradition, it has grown to be the most successful holiday drive for the Building Futures for Women and Children organization. Each year our local community “adopts” as many as 200 shelter residents, as well as raises additional funds for use by the Building Futures for Women and Children team to support shelter residents.

The Jammie Drive gifts are provided to the residents of three local facilities that support victims of domestic violence. Some residents are single women, others are single moms with one to several children each, ranging in age from six months to the teenage years.

Founders Merideth and Kevin Mehlberg, and their team of volunteers, set up a website to sign up to purchase gifts from a list that include special requests and size information. Gifts include pajamas, socks, underwear and small soft toys for the families.

Anyone wishing to participate in the 2018 Jammie Drive, please visit meridethmehlberg.com/holiday-jammie-drive/ for more information. You can sign up to be notified when the adoption list is published and adoptions are underway on the FAQ page.

Here’s to a fun and festive holiday season and another successful Jammie Drive at Harbor Bay Community Center.