Residents take on extended families

Marisa O’Neil

When a plan to help out needy families at Sonora Elementary School

started to fall apart, Planning Commissioner Katrina Foley knew

exactly where to go.

She went to her contact list and sent out about 150 pleas for

help. Now, parents, lawyers and clowns are signed on to adopt 20

local families for the holidays.

“I’m doing it because I want to give to those less fortunate than

I am,” Foley said. “It’s a good way to give during the holiday

season.”

Marcy Shands-Brown, the community facilitator for Sonora and

Kaiser elementary schools, originally set up the idea of adopting

families with donations from Share Our Selves and local churches.

Demand soon outpaced the supply, so Shands-Brown turned to Foley for

help drumming up support.

“We are having more of a need this year,” Shands-Brown said.

“People are just having a hard time. Times are tough, and I always

worry about the children.”

Typically, the families coming to her for help are single mothers

or fathers who have recently lost their jobs. Paying rent and bills

often leaves them with no money for a Christmas dinner or gifts, she

said.

Some people have agreed to adopt entire families, getting a

shopping list of grocery, clothing, toys and other items appropriate

to their need. Others are donating gift cards to Stater Bros.

supermarket.

The Orange County Volunteer Clowns have donated boxes of coloring

books for children, Shands-Brown said. And members of the Orange

County Trial Lawyers Assn. are donating $100 grocery cards.

Students from Kaiser Elementary School have also contributed,

through their November Time of Giving campaign. Donations of small

change added up to $1,200 that will go to buy Target gift cards and

gift cards for groceries.

“I want to teach my [sons] that Christmas is not just about them

and what they get, but helping other people have a nice holiday,”

Foley said.

Foley’s neighbor, Jesie Pearce, is also adopting a family.

“I wanted [my twin sons] to be able to do something this year,”

Pearce said. “They’re 5, so it’s a good way to start having them

actually participate with me, to deliver it. It gives a better

meaning to Christmas.”