FEED THE GIVING TREE LOCAL GROUPS NEED HELP FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

PALMDALE - It's that time of year when people feel an urge to help the less fortunate have a joyous holiday season.

In the Antelope Valley, dozens of charities, churches and other organizations donate food, clothing and shelter year-round to people without food or a home or those who must flee abuse, though most make special efforts in November and December.

``We're always looking for the hotel soaps, shampoos for hygiene packs, in need of Barbie clothes, shoes, game pieces. If somebody has a dice laying around the house, bring it in, because you never know, it might go to one of our games,'' said Zella Stone, director of the volunteer group known as Santa's Workers.

The Santa's Workers begin preparing for Christmas in January. Some of the volunteers work in their homes making afghans, doll blankets and doll clothes.

Once the toys are ready, they are packaged into boxes by age and gender and stored in eight storage units used by the organization. They will be given out Dec. 15 in packages that each include toys, a game, puzzle, a hygiene kit, craft items, school supplies, new clothing and electronic items.

``Wal-Mart is very generous to us. Thanks to Wal-Mart there may be a (toy) Humvee in there, and we take donated money and buy the battery and make sure the vehicle works before we send it out,'' Stone said.

Bags4Kids distributes bags of comfort items to children and teenagers in the foster care system. The organization is accepting donations of items including toys, diaper bags, medium-size diapers, sipper cups, baby bottles, pacifiers, baby socks and T-shirts, formula, baby brushes and combs, small toys, stuffed animals, photo albums, fabric tote bags, backpacks, duffle bags and small tubes of toothpaste and toothbrushes, plus sample-size lotions, deodorant, perfume, shampoo and conditioner.

Items may dropped off at The Children's Bureau in Lancaster, 921 W. Ave. J, Suite C; or Palmdale, 1529 E. Palmdale Blvd. Suite 210. For more information visit www.bags4kids.net or call [phone]. The Salvation Army hopes to serve 2,000 families, including 3,500 children, this year with Christmas baskets. Sign-ups for baskets will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday and Friday at their office, 45001 Beech Ave.

Applicants must bring identification for each household member, a current utility bill with applicant's name and address, a rental agreement with name and address and proof of type and amount of income for each resident. The baskets will be distributed Dec. 19 and 20 in the Sage building at the former Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, 155 E. Ave. I.

``We are in desperate need of donations. We don't have near enough what we need,'' said Grace Wallis, office manager.

Salvation Army will accept new, unwrapped toys, clothing for youngsters and canned holiday food 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Donors need to specify that the clothing and toys are for the Christmas giveaway or it will go to the rehabilitation centers. Monetary donations will also be accepted. The Salvation Army has the ability to buy both food and toys below cost.

``Things are incredibly tight at the Salvation Army this year,'' said Darvin Jordan, who heads the local office. ``As far as food is concerned, we are serving four times more than we were last year.''

``We're hoping that by giving gifts for ages up to 12 years old, it will free up funds for the parents to buy gifts for teens,'' said Jordan.

The Salvation Army is also seeking hundreds of volunteers to help sort the food and prepare toys for Christmas.

``Some people can give 3-4 hours - and we love those folks, too - (and) some can give days of service. Of course, those are very, very valuable for us,'' explained Jordan. ``If we could find some volunteer kettlers, that would be a real blessing.''

For Thanksgiving, Grace Resource Center in Lancaster gave out 2,000 food baskets and hosted hundreds of people for a Thanksgiving Day feast. For Christmas, they are assisting the Salvation Army with Christmas baskets. ``What we need especially are hygiene items, toothbrushes, shaving cream, deodorant, combs, brushes, Pampers, all that stuff,'' said John Cooper, assistant director at Grace. The center will work with the Salvation Army to deliver Christmas baskets.

``Our mission statement is to eliminate hunger from the Antelope Valley,'' said Cooper. ``When you have no other resources to fill your stomach, that's the void we want to fill. We encourage people to not feel guilty about receiving.''

Nonperishable food items, toys and money can be dropped off at the center located at 45134 Sierra Highway, Lancaster, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call [phone].

In Palmdale, the city's South Antelope Valley Emergency Services gave out food baskets to more than 200 families for Thanksgiving, and its operators hope to do the same for Christmas. The Christmas baskets will include toys for families with children.

``My purpose is to help people who have fallen on hard times,'' said Barbara Shaw, SAVES director. ``To be able to provide something for them that they normally couldn't provide for themselves or at least just get them going so that somewhere down the line it helps them.''

Last year, the organization supplied 28,000 people with approximately 500,000 meals, giving to each enough food for a week's worth of meals at three meals a day. It also provides toys for children's birthdays.

The SAVES office is at 37925 Sierra Highway, Suite H., Palmdale. It is open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

In Lancaster, more than 100 people a night get a shower, a meal and a cot at the Lancaster Community Shelter during its cold-weather program, which runs through mid-March.

Another 45 or 50 people are staying at the shelter in a seven-month program designed to get them back on their feet.

The shelter needs laundry soap, clean used towels, hygiene items, blanket, mittens, knit hats, adult socks, food certificates for businesses like McDonald's, and food that doesn't need to be cooked for families staying in motels. They are also requesting Christmas toys for the kids in the program whose families have been helped at the shelter.

The shelter is at 44611 Yucca Ave. It is open 24 hours and can be reached at [phone].

WHERE TO DO YOUR PART

The following are locations where the kindhearted can drop off donations for organizations that help the needy in the Antelope Valley. Some of the organizations operate year-round. Others are accepting toys, food or other donations in special holiday campaigns.

--The Palmdale Chamber of Commerce is collecting new, unwrapped toys for Fill the Ambulance, in conjunction with American Medical Response. All toys will go to local charities and organizations. Toys may be dropped off at the Palmdale Chamber office. For more information call [phone].

--The Antelope Valley Transit Authority's Stuff a Bus campaign will collect toys, nonperishable food and clothing at Lancaster and Palmdale shopping centers.

Donations go to Children's Center of the Antelope Valley, the Valley Oasis Domestic Violence Shelter, Grace Resource Center, Healthy Homes, Penny Lane, Salvation Army, South Antelope Valley Emergency Services and the United Community Action Network for distribution to poor families.

Organizers asked that donations be new and unwrapped.

Donations can be made at a collection booth that will be in the Center Court at the Antelope Valley Mall through Sunday.

A decorated AVTA bus also makes stops at shopping centers.

From noon to 6 p.m. Thursday, Sunday and Dec. 11, the bus will be at the Kmart on 20th Street West south of Avenue J in Lancaster.

From noon to 6 p.m. Friday and Dec. 12 and 14, the bus will be at Toys `R' Us, 1335 W. Ave. K in Lancaster.

From 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Dec. 13, the bus will be at KB Toys, 44840 Valley Central Way in Lancaster.

--Santa's Workers accepts donations of toys, games, puzzles, soap, shampoo, toothpaste and toothbrushes at its workshop in the former Palmdale Hospital, 1212 E. Ave. S. The volunteers spend most of the year collecting and refurbishing presents for Christmas, and last year delivered presents to about 2,600 needy Antelope Valley children. ``We're always looking for donations we can use,'' said Zella Stone, director of Santa's Workers. About the only thing not accepted is used clothing, Stone said. Donations are accepted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but donors should call [phone] first to make sure someone is there.

--The Palmdale Playhouse, 38334 10th St. E., will collect nonperishable food donations and toys at every performance through Dec. 21. The donations go to the South Antelope Valley Emergency Services, the city's charity food bank. Call [phone].

--South Antelope Valley Emergency Services accepts donations of food and toys at its office at 37925 Sierra Highway, Suite H, Palmdale. SAVES is open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call [phone].

--The Lancaster Community Shelter needs laundry soap, clean used towels, hygiene items, blanket, mittens, knit hats, adult socks and food that doesn't need to be cooked for families living in motels, as well as toys for the kids. The shelter is at 44611 Yucca Ave. in Lancaster and can be reached at [phone].

--Valley Oasis domestic violence shelter will accept donations of furniture, except used mattresses; appliances; food; money; or even cars. It especially needs gifts for older children or teenagers such as drawing items, music CDs, headphones, cassette players, CD players, books, models, jewelry, notebooks, diaries, video games or movie tapes, plus Christmas trees, wrapping paper, decorative lights and nonglass tree ornaments. Donations can be made at the Valley Oasis thrift store at 3030 E. Palmdale Blvd. or by calling [phone].

--Grace Resource Center accepts donations of nonperishable food items, toys and monetary donations at its facility at 45134 Sierra Highway, Lancaster, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call [phone].

--California Highway Patrol officers and volunteers will be at the Antelope Valley Mall Dec. 8-20 accepting toy donations in the 2003 Chips for Kids toy drive. Look for the patrol car in center court to make a donation of a new unwrapped toy. Other collection points will be Denny's on the ring road on the south side of the mall; Denny's at 47th Street East and Avenue S, Marie Callender's, 1649 W. Ave. K, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Lancaster CHP station, 2041 W. Ave. I.

Last year, Chips for Kids collected 3200 toys for Antelope Valley children. This year, toys will be donated to the A.V. Domestic Violence Shelter, Lancaster Baptist Church Bus Ministries, Tarzana Treatment Center, Boys and Girls Club of the A.V., and the Amity Foundation. Call Rusty Moore at [phone].

Peggy Hager, [phone]

peggy.grimm-hager(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

(color) Darvin Jordan of the Salvation Army hands food to volunteer Norm Casson in Lancaster on Monday. Volunteers and donations are still needed.

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer

Box:

WHERE TO DO YOUR PART (see text)