Needs of area’s vulnerable struggling populations more obvious
during holiday season
Editor’s Note: The following is the first installment in a series of articles connecting our readers to the area’s most needy residents during the holiday season. The Morgan Hill Times will present the articles Nov. 28 through Dec. 22. Information in the articles will connect you to those who are struggling and give you the opportunity to be of service.
Needs of area’s vulnerable struggling populations more obvious during holiday season
Morgan Hill – Throughout the South County, social service agencies are gearing up for the holiday season, and like retailers preparing for the heavy shopping days, this is their busiest time of the year for donations.
Agencies such as Community Solutions, Salvation Army, MACSA Youth Services, church organizations including St. Catherine parish and many others welcome the increase in attention during this time.
Though agencies like these provide services for South County residents all year long, the holiday season seems to bring out the giving spirit in the community.
“People are not more needy at the holiday time, but those needs do get more amplified because what people are lacking becomes more apparent during the holiday time,” according to Lisa DeSilva, development director for Community Solutions. “Their needs become more obvious amid the plenty, the abundance of the season. And we do start thinking of others more, not to say people aren’t generous all year round, but we do start thinking about what others need more at this time.”
There is a trend some agencies are seeing, DeSilva said, with families reaching out to others instead of buying gifts for each other.
“Each year, we’re hearing from more and more family members who say they want to donate in the name of another family member,” she said. “They say they want to use that money that they might otherwise have used to buy a gift for someone who has everything they need to buy something for someone who has so little. Many times, it is a family decision, the entire family has come to the decision that this is what they want to do for the holidays.”
Community Solutions takes donations year-round, and they always need donations of diapers, baby wipes and gift cards for groceries and local stores such as Target, DeSilva said.
“We also have close to 180 families that have been adopted out for the holidays by very generous donors,” she added.
Of course, local service agencies also stress that the donations are usually tax deductible.
Besides year-round donations, several local agencies are also focusing on helping some community members have a happier holiday season. The Dream Power Foundation, for example, is creating Christmas bags for its clients. The foundation needs donations of new gloves and socks, hot chocolate, tea (decaffeinated) and cider packets, cases of water, boxes of tissues, art supplies and any horse-related items, as the foundation uses “horse therapy” in helping clients. The deadline for donating items for their bags is Dec. 5.
The Salvation Army also has season-specific needs, as does the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center; the two organizations are putting together food boxes and baskets for families for the holidays and need donations of food items.
For a complete list of organizations, see the “reach out” chart. The Times will profile community members who will benefit from donations during holiday season in the next eight editions of the paper.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
