This Christmas, give the gift of a lifetime: Education!
From the desk of Nelson Barry, Founder & President of UASF:
Thanks to the generosity of more than 50 compassionate supporters, Urban Angels SF reached its goal of providing holiday gifts to 1,000 children living in San Francisco shelters. Because of them, each child will feel the magic of the season.
As we enter the final weeks of the year, I’m asking you to help extend that magic even further—by giving a gift that truly lasts a lifetime: the gift of learning.
A crisis is unfolding inside SFUSD classrooms. Nearly half of third graders are not reading at grade level. For the children we serve—students from families who are unhoused or living in deep poverty—the situation is even more dire; up to 75% are one or more years behind in reading.
Did you know that in middle-class homes, children grow up with an average of 13 age-appropriate books each? For the low-income students we serve, it is one book for every 300 children. Without meaningful intervention by 5th grade, their chances of long-term success decline dramatically.
Urban Angels SF is working every day to change this. In 2025, 220 children were enrolled in our free one-on-one tutoring programs, 1,200 books were given away, and 1,000 backpacks filled with school supplies were distributed. In 2026, we will launch parent classes to help families support their children’s academic success at home.
This work is demanding—and essential. It requires dedicated staff, committed volunteers, and the financial support of generous donors who believe every child deserves the chance to thrive. Your year-end gift helps sustain these programs and ensures we can continue meeting children at their moment of greatest need.
Please consider making your tax-deductible year-end gift to Urban Angels SF to help sustain these vital programs.
You may send a check payable to UASF or contribute online here.
On behalf of all of us—and the thousands of children whose futures are brighter because of caring people like you—thank you. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and joyful holiday season.
Gratefully,
Nelson Barry
President, Urban Angels SF