PATH will hold its next general meeting November 24 at the Grants Pass City Council Chambers, bringing participants together for an afternoon of discussion and networking as the organization also promotes holiday giving opportunities for children and youth.
The Tuesday gathering is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. The formal meeting will conclude at 4:30 p.m., followed by a half-hour reserved for networking. Speakers have not yet been finalized, and PATH plans to announce the lineup when arrangements are complete.
The meeting follows an October discussion about homelessness and housing insecurity among children and youth in the valley. During that conversation, several organizations identified holiday programs intended to provide gifts or support for young people in need. PATH is encouraging community members to consider contributing to those efforts as Christmas approaches.
Among the programs highlighted is Project Angel Tree through the Salvation Army, which has a November 19 deadline. People interested in supporting the program can contact grantspass@usw.salvationarmy.org for information.
The Maslow Holiday Program also offers an opportunity to assist. Although its listed deadline was November 6, PATH indicated that offers of support are still welcome. Prospective contributors can contact the Maslow Project about remaining opportunities to participate in its holiday sponsorship program.
Youth 71Five is collecting donations for youth at the Rogue Valley Youth Correctional Facility. The organization has a gift registry available through its website, allowing contributors to consult the requested items when deciding what to give.
Joe’s Place is operating a Christmas tree lot to help fund its youth programs and is also offering a Giving Tree. Those efforts provide additional ways for residents to support the organization during the holiday season.
The programs are separate efforts run by the participating organizations. Residents interested in contributing can contact the individual organizations for details about requested gifts, donation arrangements and any remaining deadlines.
PATH is also preparing a different format for its December gathering, replacing its regular meeting with a donation effort benefiting partner organizations.
The December 22 date falls during Christmas week. Instead of holding a formal meeting, PATH plans to invite the public to drop off items that participating organizations need for the coming year. The effort is intended to connect community donations with needs identified directly by those organizations.
To prepare, PATH is asking each participating partner to submit a list of items the public can donate. Organizers had requested those lists by November 1, but the request remains open as planning continues. Partner organizations can send their needs to pathofjoco@gmail.com.
Each participating organization is also being asked to designate someone to collect its donated items on December 22. Although the regular meeting will not take place, representatives will need to attend the collection event to receive the contributions intended for their organizations.
This will be PATH’s first attempt at organizing the December donation effort. Public participation will help determine how much support the event can provide, while the requested lists will give residents specific guidance on what participating organizations can use.
A drop-off time and location for December 22 were not included in the announcement. Those details, along with the organizations’ requested items, remain to be announced as preparations move forward.