Joy Is More Than a Feeling—It’s a Foundation.
By: Mikey J Smith
For many women in the Bay Area, especially those leading households and navigating rising costs, joy isn’t just a feeling.
It’s something much more essential.
When Joy Becomes Essential
For many women, joy can look like stability. Knowing your child has what they need to succeed in school. Not having to make impossible choices between essentials...
But, across the Bay Area, financial insecurity is far more common than it appears. According to the United Way Bay Area, 27% of households in the region fall into the ALICE category (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) meaning they earn above the federal poverty line but still struggle to afford basic needs.
Within this population, women, especially single mothers, are disproportionately affected. In fact, nationally, over 80% of single-parent households are led by women, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. And even in one of the wealthiest regions in the country, many families are navigating a constant balancing act.
in that context, joy becomes something different.
It becomes relief. It becomes confidence. It becomes possibility.
The Women Behind the Work
At Family Giving Tree, we see how women shape both sides of this story.
Women are leading households, advocating for their families, and doing everything they can to create opportunity for the next generation. And women are also at the center of the response.
They are the volunteers sorting donations, partners organizing drives, donors choosing to give.
Astonishingly, across the nonprofit sector, women make up roughly 75% of the workforce, as reported by the American Association-University Women. And when it comes to charitable giving, women are often leading the way, being statistically more likely to give and give in higher amounts, across nearly every income level.
They are building the very systems that help families, and communities thrive.
Joy Doesn’t Happen by Accident
Every backpack, every holiday wish, every moment of joy we help create is thoughtfully organized, tracked, and delivered through a system designed to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
With the average cost of school supplies per student continuing to rise each year, increasing financial pressure for families already navigating tight budgets, that kind of coordination matters now more than ever.
And locally, housing remains one of the biggest drivers of financial strain. The California Budget & Policy Center reports that over half of renter households in California are rent-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing.
In situations like this, joy seems rarely a matter of happenstance. Instead, it must be built.
As such, behind every moment of impact is infrastructure. Technology, logistics, coordination, and people — all working together to make sure support reaches the families who need it most.
Day of Joy
On March 25th, we celebrate all of our collective work through the Day of Joy. It’s a moment to come together, reflect on what we’ve built as a community (and the community we've built), and invest in what comes next. Because sustaining this work takes more than intention.
It takes resources.
When we talk about joy, we’re often talking about something women are leading the fight for, and making possible.
Help us continue to create joy—one family, one moment, one community at a time.
