SPIRIT OF ST. NICK; FOOD DONATED TO AREA'S NEEDY.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

Like Santa Claus himself, the Annino family spends the month before Christmas gathering the names of people who will receive special gifts.

The family uses a vast network of churches, synagogues, schools and human service organizations to keep abreast of who the less fortunate are in the Agoura area and who might appreciate 10 to 12 bags of free groceries to ensure they will not go without a holiday feast.

Roughly 24,000 pounds of groceries donated from businesses and the public were collected, sorted and distributed to more than 100 homes Saturday as part of the 20th annual ``Santa Claus Comes to Agoura'' celebration.

``The reward you get from helping somebody else - there's no words to describe it,'' said George Annino, event chairman.

The bags also contain $10 to $20 worth of coupons redeemable at area food stores.

Some 500 volunteers showed up at the Do It Yourself Center on Roadside Drive to help out and witness the event's highlight - Santa Claus flying in on a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department helicopter.

To spare recipients from embarrassment, volunteer deliverers were given street addresses, not names, and asked to simply hand the groceries to whoever opened the door.

``Most of them don't know we are coming,'' said Annino's son, Frank, the event coordinator. ``We'll knock on their door and they'll have a big surprise.''

Each year the number of volunteers and recipients increases as community awareness grows, according to Patti Mannarino, an Agoura resident and event volunteer for eight years.

``It's got an awareness in the community and got a lot of people involved,'' she said. ``Everybody wants to help out in one way or another. They just need to know how, where and when.''

Other volunteers believe more awareness is needed, however.

``Unfortunately, a lot of people think only rich people live here,'' said Mary Soelberg, an Agoura Hills resident and volunteer. ``But there are needy people as well. I have seen the number of donations dwindle (some years) because of the feeling that nobody here needs it.''

Added Soelberg's husband, Steve: ``It's always been my feeling that everyone should give something back to the community. We all take from the community.''

While Santa Claus posed for pictures with tots, Ryan Brambles, a 12-year-old Agoura Hills resident, lifted bags of groceries into vans.

A member of the Westlake Village-based Boy Scouts Troop 745, he said felt part of the spirit of Christmas.

``It makes you feel better when you're giving food to the poor,'' Ryan said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) Santa Claus greets volunteers preparing to distribute 24,000 pounds of donated groceries to needy neighbors in Agoura on Saturday.

(2) Jonathan Klein, 2, helps sort cans of food at the ``Santa Claus Comes to Agoura'' event.

Charlotte Schmid-Maybach/Special to the Daily News