Just in Time for Foster Youth
The Scripps family, together with Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, Just in Time for Foster Youth, and Humble Design, have created a unique collaboration to address the growing issue of homelessness in San Diego County. Over 500 items of household furniture and accessories donated by the Scripps family were sold at an estate warehouse sale in January in Escondido to benefit foster youth and homeless families.
The idea came about when Bill and Kathy Scripps sat down at their kitchen table with real estate agents, Scott Robeson and Cathy Gilchrist-Colmar of Pacific Sotheby’s International Realty, to discuss what to do with all the furnishings they no longer needed. They came up with the perfect solution – donating the bulk of it to Just in Time for Foster Youth, an organization that mobilizes the community to collect gently used furniture and set up first homes for young people leaving the foster care system. For years, the San Diego real estate community has helped Just in Time provide this critical, stabilizing support.
The generosity and magnitude of the gift inspired another collaboration. Just in Time Executive Director Don Wells contacted Treger Strasberg, CEO and Founder of Humble Design, to discuss a partnership with her nonprofit that assists families coming out of homeless and abuse shelters with the process of rebuilding their lives. Why not work together to leverage the donation and generate funds together to serve their overlapping missions? Treger loved the idea and a unique alliance was created!
The shared goal was to sell the larger and high-value items to fund their life changing work, as well as to use some of the furnishings to turn four bare walls into a clean, dignified and welcoming home for those in need. Then the word went out and the call was answered! Jordan Homan with Across Town Movers provided moving services and warehouse space at a discount. Humble Design’s major sponsor, U-Haul, provided trucks. Estate Appraiser Jan Jacoy helped to determine the value of items and offered expert counsel. And over 50 volunteers came together to pack the valuables, stage the warehouse, and conduct the sale.
As Kathy Scripps shared with Giving Back Magazine, “Our family loved the idea of giving other families a warm and comfortable home after facing homelessness. Having a safe, stable place to live is a critical need for every family and for young people entering adulthood.” Pacific Sotheby’s President Nyda Jones-Church added, “Our first priority is always to help people achieve their dreams. That includes families who are making their next move or foster youth and others aspiring to create a new life for themselves.”
Just in Time (www.jitfosteryouth.org) engages a caring community of volunteers to help young people achieve self-sufficiency and well-being when they leave the foster care system without family support, while Humble Design (www.humbledesign.org) assists families coming out of homeless and abuse shelters with the process of rebuilding their lives.
