CHARITY GROUPS POOL EFFORTS FOR CHRISTMAS.

Byline: KAREN THACKER Community Columnist

If strength comes in numbers, this year's toy collection for needy children should be outstanding.

The Salvation Army, Grace Resource Center, South Antelope Valley Emergency Services, other nonprofit agencies and area churches are uniting their efforts to provide a unified Christmas gift-giving program for Antelope Valley residents requesting a helping hand.

Officials estimate 8,000 people will receive assistance in the Need Knows No Season Christmas campaign.

``It's a real blessing as far as we're concerned,'' Salvation Army Capt. Dan Luschenat said of the organized effort.

In the past, each of the organizations involved in the Need Knows No Season campaign ran its own Christmas assistance program. This year, the applications, whether turned in at a church, Grace Resource Center, SAVES or the Salvation Army, will end up in the same place for review.

``We're combining our resources for all the groups involved so we can all use our donations wisely,'' Luschenat said. ``In the future we hope this will be an ongoing thing in working together especially when resources become smaller.''

Individuals and families can fill out applications by Dec. 4 for a food-filled Christmas sack and a gift for each child. Recipients will be contacted by mail when to pick up their gifts in either Palmdale or Lancaster, about two weeks after the deadline.

The requests will be filled through food drives at local schools and through toy drives, including the Toys for Tots program and the Grace Resource Center ``giving trees'' program.

Organizers say unwrapped gifts are best. Parents are given the presents and wrapping paper to do the wrapping themselves.

One thing that won't change in this year's Christmas campaign is the involvement of volunteers from the Palmdale Kiwanis Club, who help organize and prepare the massive effort.

``They are the biggest help,'' Luschenat said.

Food or toys can be dropped off at the Salvation Army facility, 45001 Beech Ave., Lancaster.

TOY DRIVES TO COLLECT

Various toy drives offer opportunities to help others in the community. Here are a few:

PALMDALE - The Children's Bureau of Southern California is running its 13th annual toy drive for clients.

The bureau gets toys through several local organizations, then sets up a toy shop where parents can pick out presents for their children.

``We don't just give these toys to kids, we have the parents shop,'' said Elizabeth Stapleton, community services director. ``The point is to empower the parents to shop for their children.''

The gifts are still free, but can be geared to the children's ages.

Those wishing to donate a new, unwrapped toy may drop it off weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the bureau office, 1529 E. Palmdale Blvd., Suite 210, or call [phone].

LANCASTER - The Holiday Toy Express Train will stop Dec. 6 at the Vincent Grade/Acton and Lancaster Metrolink station.

Metrolink officials and local firefighters have teamed up for this second annual event.

The decorated train with some 30,000 lights will make stops at 7:30 p.m. at the Acton station, off Sierra Highway south of Angeles Forest Highway, and at 8:25 p.m. at the Lancaster station.

Santa Claus and his helpers will do a short show at each station. Visitors are asked to bring a new unwrapped toy.

LANCASTER - The familiar Toys for Tots program is gearing up for another strong year of gathering new toys to help make Christmas brighter for underprivileged youngsters.

The U.S. Marine Corps is making two changes to its program this year. First, toys collected locally will go only to local organizations.

``Last year we had a problem with people collecting from (several) organizations,'' said Gunnery Sgt. Steven Fraijo, who heads up the local toy drive.

Some 40 bins are set up around the Antelope Valley for toy collection. Sites include the Desert Inn, Sierra Highway; Antelope Valley Boys & Girls Club in the Hammack Activity Center, 816 E. Ave. Q-6; and Army recruiting stations, 44929 10th St. W. in Lancaster and at 2270 E. Palmdale Blvd., Suite A.

Marines are stationed part time starting Dec. 1 at the Antelope Valley Mall main entrance, Best Buy, Palmdale Kmart and the Lancaster Wal-Mart.

Other toy-giving opportunities:

A car show Dec. 6 at Desert Inn. Admission is a new, unwrapped toy.

A 12-hour marathon with television station KPAL Dec. 12 at Desert Inn. People can stop by to donate toys.

From Dec. 18-23, admission to some events at the L.A. County Raceway will be a toy. Call Tim Shpall at [phone] for more information.

- Karen Thacker

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BOX: Toy drives to collect (see text)