Young Men's Service League Helps Families With Special Needs

LIVERMORE, CA — The Pleasanton chapter of the Young Men’s Service League hosted a free holiday event for about 20 families of children with special needs at Cornerstone Church in Livermore. The annual event, referred to as the “Ultimate Gift,” was made possible through CityServe of the Tri-Valley, which promoted and attended the event.

The Pleasanton chapter of the Young Men’s Service League, a nonprofit national volunteer organization for men in grades 9-12 and their mothers, is composed of 88 moms and high school-aged sons spent a total of 255 hours helping children with special needs “Shop, Play and Wrap.” This included selecting gifts for family members, doing arts and crafts, decorating holiday cookies, and wrapping presents donated by the community. While the children and their siblings were kept occupied, the parents were able to take some much-needed time off.

“Wrap for Respite was a wonderful event that provided support and fun for kids with special needs and their families. I love that through this event, families in our community were able to know and experience in tangible ways that they are seen, loved, and thought of. Thank you YMSL for an incredible experience,” said Becky Fitch, lead pastor at Cornerstone.

YMSL represents nearly 11,500 moms and over 12,500 young men in 130 chapters in 18 states. The group provides opportunities for mothers and sons to volunteer together to help the community. For more information, visit ymsl.org.