CHARITABLE GROUP'S SERVICES ARE MORE NEEDED THAN EVER.

Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Staff Writer

VAN NUYS - Fifty years after its founding, the Volunteer League of the San Fernando Valley is seeing increased demand for its charitable services, members said.

On Saturday, the league celebrated its 50th anniversary with an open house at the League Center in Van Nuys.

Demand for services - particularly for its Centre Clothes Corner that outfits needy children for free - has climbed dramatically as the economy has continued to falter.

``I've been with the group for more than 10 years, and last year was the worst in terms of need,'' said Betty St. Marie, 47, of Sherman Oaks, administrative coordinator.

``We had families living in garages; one family lived in their ice cream truck, and the mom just drove them around,'' St. Marie said, adding that some families are so poor the children alternate days at school, because there's only one good set of clothing.

With only a $50,000 budget for the Clothes Corner, the league provides two sets of clothing, including shoes and underwear, for up to 1,400 children annually, plus a small bag of toiletries and a brand-new book. The clothes include school uniforms as well as gently used regular clothing.

One Valley elementary school had 200 children who needed clothes, St. Marie said.

``I can't tell you what it's like to have a child who's never had anything new, only hand-me-downs, to get a brand-new outfit,'' said Barbara Lockwood, 45, of Calabasas. ``When a child hugs you, it's just so moving. They're so happy; it just fills your world up.''

``The volunteers treat the children as if they were shopping - they might as well be at Macy's,'' said Deanne Hayes, 65, of Toluca Lake, a sustaining member. ``They're in a private dressing room so they don't have to be embarrassed. They're given a choice of two or three items, so they feel they have ownership (of the process.)''

The Centre Clothes Corner is just one of the league's projects. The Choral Music group consists of 25 women who visit more than 40 nursing homes and assisted-living facilities in December and January to sing for the residents. Members said their audiences ooh and ahh over their long dresses and pearls and sing along with the songs.

Another program of the league's is Kids on the Block, an educational puppet show to teach children about people with disabilities. The Moveable Museum travels to third- and fourth-grade classrooms to give children a hands-on exploration of Chumash Indian artifacts and other topics.

The league has seen an increased interest in volunteerism since 9-11, but unlike the group's early days, most of its 300 active and sustaining members work outside the home and squeeze in their volunteerism for the league around jobs and family obligations, said Lockwood, who also is the director of the Calabasas city library.

``They want to give something back to the community; they want to help people,'' Lockwood said.

The league is looking for more volunteers. For more information, call St. Marie at [phone] or come to the center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Thursday, at 14603 Hamlin St.