How you can help children, needy families
Area food banks and social service agencies are collecting donations to help the needy through the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Here’s how you can help:
Unity Care’s Santa’s Helpers Donation Drive:
Santa Clara County Teen Challenge Holiday Gift Drive: is seeking new clothing, new toys, hygiene products, cleaning products and food for the men, women, teens and children in our program. Donations will be accepted at the Teen Challenge office, 390 Matthew St., Santa Clara. 408-703-2001.
uplifts 800 lonely, anxious and heartbroken foster children in our care. To ensure every youth has a gift to open, individuals and corporations can help by hosting a toy drive or holiday party. Donate unwrapped gifts for children ages 0-24 or $25 gift cards to Target or Walmart. Consider adopting and decorating one of 12 teen homes in San Jose, Los Gatos, Daly City, South San Francisco or Foster City. 408-971-9822. Donations also can be offered online at www.unitycare.org. West Valley Community
Services: its mission is to unite the community to fight hunger and homelessness. This holiday season, we need your help. We need donations of nonperishable foods including meals-in-acan (stew, chili, soup), tuna, canned meat, peanut butter, canned foods with pop-top lids, low-sugar cereals, 100 percent fruit juices in single-serving boxes, canned fruit, canned vegetables, diapers (3T, 4T and pull-ups), feminine hygiene products and gift cards. Donations may be dropped off at 10104 Vista Drive in Cupertino. Holiday volunteer and donation opportunities are also available. 408956-6115, www.wvcommunityservices.org.
Yu-Ai Kai: a multi-service nonprofit senior community center located in San Jose’s Japantown, is seeking gift cards, packaged batteries, individually wrapped toilet
paper, individually wrapped paper towel rolls, dish soap, Kleenex, toothpaste, toothbrushes, T-shirts, 40- or 60-watt lightbulbs (energy-efficient preferred), and Brita water filters to be given out to our seniors. Donations can be dropped off at 588 N. Fourth St., San Jose, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. MondayFriday. For more information, please contact Julie Hubbard at staff@yuaikai.org and 408-294-2505; website: yuaikai.org.
THE PENINSULA Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto: is a nondenominational and nonprofit organization. It helps bring the joys of the season by providing monetary assistance to over 3,400 individuals comprised of low-income families, seniors and adults. The checks are used by recipients to meet their own needs. Please help us continue the joy of giving to those who need assistance. Send your tax-deductible check to: Christmas Bureau of Palo Alto, P.O. Box 51874, Palo Alto, CA 94303, or donate through Pay Pal. www.christmasbureauofpaloalto.org. Community Services Agency of Mountain View and Los Altos: needs gifts and/or gift cards for teens, food donations, and volunteers to help provide holiday spirit to hundreds of families in the local community. Donations can be delivered 9 a.m.-noon and 1:30-4 p.m. weekdays at 204 Stierlin Road, Mountain View. 650968-0836, www.csacares.org. Ecumenical Hunger
Program: 2411 Pulgas Ave., East Palo Alto, is in need of help for the holidays. We can use donations of cash, gift cards from local department and grocery stores and teen gifts for underprivileged families in East Palo Alto, Palo Alto and Menlo Park. The agency also needs volunteers. Donations can be made not just for the holidays but also throughout the year as the number of people in need increases. Food items such as turkeys, ham and chicken are welcome. Please mail or
drop off donations 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays through Dec. 22. Contact LaKesha at 650-323-7781, or go to www.ehpcares.org. Peninsula Healthcare Connection: is a state licensed medical clinic holistically serving homeless and low-income individuals in North Santa Clara County. PHC provides integrated primary, preventative, and mental health care free of charge to community members who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Financial donations are appreciated this holiday season. Your gift ensures PHC can continue to provide these services year-round. For more information, please contact Eileen Richardson at Eileen@peninsulahcc.org; website peninsulahcc.org. Rebuilding Together
Peninsula: transforms lives by providing critical repairs, accessibility modifications, and energy-efficient upgrades to low-income homes and community centers at no cost to service recipients in San Mateo County and northern Santa Clara County. Over the next year, we will be serving 130 homeowners through the year-round Safe at Home minor home repair program, 40-50 homeowners and 20-30 community facilities through the National Rebuilding Day program in the spring, and another 8-10 homeowners and community facilities through the summer/fall Team Build program. We are at 841 Kaynyne St., Redwood City. To donate or volunteer, contact 650-366-6597, website www.rebuildingtogetherpeninsula.org.
Alameda County Viola Blythe Community Service Center of Newark: 37365 Ash St., which serves children and families, needs fresh holiday food such as turkey, chicken, eggs, milk, as well as new, unwrapped toys and gift cards for food. Drop-off hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday through Dec. 22 at 7730 Enterprise Drive, Newark. 510-794-3437, www.violablythe.org.