Fly raises funds for christmas meal boxes to support immigrant day labor families

By Kathleen Xie

Whether it’s building snowmen or drinking hot chocolate, the holiday season often marks the time of the year for cozy family gatherings and festive decorations, but it is also a time to extend kindness and support towards those in our communities who may be facing difficulties.

This winter, FLYtotheWorld set out to spread joy to people in need — specifically, immigrant day laborer families who are part of the Multicultural Institute, a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that strives to create a reality in which immigrants, regardless of their immigration status, are embraced and valued. During the holiday season, opportunities for work are often scarce, and many day laborers find that they can’t afford to step away from the street corner as they’re continuously looking for work.

To help, we decided to raise funds by creating a GoFundMe page to provide these families with Christmas meal boxes containing a warm, nutritious meal and a gift. Raising a total of $4,800, we were able to supply 240 meal boxes in Richmond, Berkeley and Redwood City.

To make the meal box, we worked with two minority-owned San Francisco restaurants — Teranga Foods, a Senegalese cuisine, and Peach Patties, a Jamaican kitchen — to craft a diverse holiday meal filled with an array of vegetables, rice, meat, and spices. Through this partnership, the funds also provided economic empowerment for these minority-owned small business.

Although the holiday season and the "Day Laborer Christmas Event" has wrapped up, it’s always important for us to continue the spirit of giving and supporting our communities as we head into the new year. To 2024!