FAQs

1. How did this charity come about?
I am not a domestic battered survivor, but one day I was walking a client’s dog in downtown Los Angeles and I witnessed a group of women on the streets with children who had nowhere to go and nowhere to keep warm. My heart felt for these women, and I wanted to see if there was a way I could help. I ended up calling the Department of Public Social Services and learning about their Adopt-A-Family program. I immediately adopted a family, and started encouraging friends and family to do the same. The SAF project became a way for me to give friends and family and an organized opportunity to give back, to get their donations directly into the hands of needy people. Really I just want to change the world one unexpected kindness at a time. Sort of a pay it forward thing. I want to bring the true meaning of the Holidays back by GIVING.2. How do you pick the families?
We personally hand select each family from the DPSS Adopt A Family Program. We look specifically at the following criteria:

1) Women who live in in domestic battered shelters with their children as they have had to leave behind EVERYTHING they owned and knew. Cars, clothes jobs, schools, family, because if they went back to any of those places, their abuser could find them and kill them. I learned from these women that Los Angeles has great shelters, but they are CLOSED between 8am and 4pm (with the goal that the person is working during this time, however, if they have a child under the age of schooling, the mother and child are HOMELESS those hours and on the street every day).
2) A woman who earns less than $15,000 a year and has more than 1 child, no spouse who is trying to go to school to better themselves.
3) Sickly women who cannot work with children.
4) Elderly families living alone with health conditions.

3. What kind of “in kind” donations are you looking for?

Household items such a microwaves, hot plates, dishes, crockpots, space heaters, bedding and warm gently used coats. These items are all really useful for women and children living in shelters who are only given a room with a bed. We are open to other suggestions or anything someone thinks might help a woman in a shelter take care of herself and her children or families living in their cars.

4. Where can I drop off in-kind donations?
Please contact us for drop off locations: safprojectorg@gmail.com or via phone at (310) 435-9808.

5. Where can I donate online?
Please visit our fundraising page for online donations: https://secure.qgiv.com/for/sapi.

6. Are my gifts tax deductible?

Yes, we are 501c3 organizations and will send you a receipt for your taxes.

7. What makes SAF project different from other, larger charities?
Unfortunately with a lot of the larger charities out there, although the will to do good is present, 94¢ of every dollar are going towards the salaries of heavyweight board members. With The SAF project, you can be assured that every penny goes to the families we personally adopt based on their hardships, hand to hand. There is no middle man. We are a grassroots, immediate results organization.

8. How can I volunteer?
We have a number opportunities for volunteers, from assisting us with the organization and execution of our events, to helping us spread the word on social media, to reaching to families in need to join our program. We can match your skillset according to our needs. If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to us safprojectorg@gmail.com.

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