FOR A GOOD CAUSE:When need grows, charities boost efforts

While hunting for the perfect holiday gifts, some Newport-Mesa residents and local groups have added a few extra names to their shopping lists this year, and in some cases, an entire family.

Several local organizations have been busy putting together special events and programs for the holiday season, a time of year when meeting the needs of the indigent is especially crucial.

Both the Salvation Army in Orange County and Share Our Selves, a nonprofit volunteer-based organization serving the impoverished and working poor in Orange County, are running adopt-a-family programs this year. Needy families provide a list of necessities, or toys for the children, and the people who “adopt” the families buy the goods for them.

Now in its 37th year, the Share Our Selves program has helped more than 1,350 families find people to adopt them. The families will receive at least two gifts per child and a food basket with all the necessary ingredients to prepare a holiday dinner.

The nonprofit aims to help the working poor, typically families sharing small living spaces with other families.

“We do this work because there are a lot of people in need, especially this time of year, especially children,” said Vanessa Ontiveros, special projects coordinator at Share Our Selves.

The Salvation Army’s adopt-a-family program is providing for 200 Orange County families this holiday season with help from local residents, civic groups and businesses that are donating food, clothing, toys and other needed items for specific family members.

Community involvement makes the Salvation Army’s programs possible, Salvation Army spokesman Barry Frost said. Another such program, Angel Tree, collects unwrapped clothing and toys for about 4,000 local, underprivileged children.

“We believe in giving back to the community as much as we can,” Frost said. “We know there are families in Orange County that are struggling and need our help at Christmas time.”

Other Orange County organizations seek to make the holidays unforgettable for the less fortunate by providing a chance to celebrate and socialize in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

The Crossing Church is reaching out to homeless families in Newport-Mesa this Christmas, and will host a holiday party on Friday that offers food, entertainment, social services and chiropractic consultations to more than 500 homeless people.

Another Orange County-based organization, Snowball Express, has organized a four-day holiday excursion (Dec. 15 through 18) for children and spouses of U.S. military personnel killed while serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. Participants will be flown in from all over the country, and in some cases internationally, to enjoy several Orange County attractions, including a shopping expedition at the Irvine Spectrum and a trip to Disneyland.

With the help of volunteers and corporate donations, Michael Kerr, the organization’s founder, is excited to be able to help about 1,000 military family members.

“We do it because these families pay the ultimate price,” Kerr said. “As Americans we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.”

With a growing need each year, these and many other local organizations are still seeking donations and volunteers.