Holiday party included a catered meal, gift cards, toys and backpacks and a special presentation.
SAN DIEGO, CA – December 19, 2024: The Lucky Duck Foundation and Alex Morgan Foundation hosted a holiday party today for young moms and their children at Home Start as well as formerly homeless youth who otherwise would not have any holiday celebrations. The event was held from 3:30pm-5:30pm at Home Start’s Thrift Boutique at 3611 Adams Avenue in Normal Heights, with a welcome toast from the Lucky Duck Foundation and Alex Morgan Foundation at 3:45pm.
Lucky Duck Foundation provided a $150 gift card for each mom along with a $75 Target gift card for every child. Alex Morgan Foundation distributed clothes, backpacks, books, and household items specifically requested by the moms at Home Start.
Luna Grill donated a catered dinner for all in attendance. Apart from the hours of the event, during which the store was closed to the public, members of the community are encouraged to patronize Home Start’s Thrift Boutique for its quality, affordable used items to help support the young mothers who are employed there, which is also an employment program supported by the Lucky Duck Foundation. Additionally, Alex Morgan, former Wave FC player, Olympic gold medalist and two-time FIFA World Cup Champion, was on-hand to celebrate with moms and their families.
“We want to be nothing but a bright and supportive light in these mothers and children’s lives around the holidays as they work to avoid the streets and achieve self sustainability,” said Drew Moser, CEO of the Lucky Duck Foundation. “We are thrilled to partner with the Alex Morgan Foundation to bring a little holiday cheer to these resilient moms and kids.”
“One of the core pillars of Alex’s foundation is to support moms, especially those going through challenging times or transitioning out of difficult situations. Home Start’s critical support of moms and families aligns with our mission and we hope providing some essentials and holiday gifts can help make the holidays brighter this year,” said Laura Wolf Stein, Executive Director, Alex Morgan Foundation.
“There are an estimated 1,500 unaccompanied homeless youth in San Diego County, more than nearly anywhere else in the country,” added Laura Tancredi-Baese, CEO of Home Start. “And if you look at our adult homeless population, at least 50% say their homelessness began when they were a young person. So we really need to provide better support for unaccompanied youth to help prevent them from falling into – or falling back into – homelessness. We are most grateful for this partnership.”
