Shelley Bartley - Abode Services Volunteer 2023

If you’ve never heard the saying, “It takes a village,” – that’s OK, Shelley Bartley can tell you exactly how it works.

That’s because she has built her own village of volunteers who help those in need. And for many years, Abode Services’ clients have benefited from Bartley’s organization, Gifts to Give, which is fueled by her tireless work.

Bartley, a Fremont grandmother, credits her parents for teaching her the importance of giving.

“I’ve been fortunate and I want to share my joy and happiness with others,” she said. “I’m hoping that by being a role model for our younger generation, they’ll get inspired to help others.”

Bartley indeed has inspired dozens of family and friends to join her in distributing thousands of gifts over the past 40 years. Each year, a number of clients in Abode Services programs receive gifts prepared by her group, making Bartley one of our most frequent and committed volunteers.

She started her “village” of generosity in Fremont, now counting around 45 group members hailing from the Bay Area with others living as far away as Arizona.

“People want to help, but they often don’t know how or where to,” she said.

Bartley, a retired teacher, has been glad to show people how they can work together to improve their community.

In doing so, she has built an army of helpers. 

Some friends crochet blankets or donate wash cloths, while another throws parties where neighbors use fleece material to create scarves. Another contributor who lives in a retirement home knits hats and caps, while others make blankets. Bartley has even enlisted her dentist’s assistant to contribute by also making scarves.

Others give in myriad ways: One friend raises funds on social media to buy nylon backpacks and toiletry items for those who live in homeless camps. The nylon backpacks and toiletry items are then given to another friend who has a sorting-and-packing party. The backpacks are filled with toiletry items, as well as with socks, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, washcloths, hats, and scarves.

Another helper makes "activity bags" out of fabric. The bags are then given to a friend whose committee stuffs the bags for elementary students with activity books, coloring books, crayons, pencils, and hats. Yet another friend organizes a group to pack and wrap gifts for high school students, providing them with school supplies, books, hats, scarves, and other items. 

“Everyone has a talent and we can rely on our friends’ talents to make a contribution,” she said. “That helps us expand on our work.”

Bartley now has so many volunteers, she has had to create subgroups – or “sections” – to divvy up the group’s responsibilities.

In the early days, Bartley would spend up to six months wrapping gifts. Now, her roster of friends and neighbors help do the job by collecting gifts and holding wrapping parties. It took six vehicles last year to distribute more than 700 gifts to those in need, with around 125 delivered to people living in encampments, Bartley said.

“That’s the culmination of the project and it’s very rewarding,” she said. “You see how the gifts help people realize that, even if they’re having a terrible time, someone is thinking about them and helping them carry on to do the very best they can with what they have.”

She added: “Giving gifts can really bring joy to people. I want to share my joy and happiness with others.”