TOYS, FOOD NEEDED FOR HOLIDAY HELP.Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The brightly decorated boxes are sitting at the entrances of supermarkets across the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. , ready to be filled with holiday goodies, but donations to the Santa's Magic Food and Toy Drive have fallen woefully woe·ful also wo·ful adj. 1. Affected by or full of woe; mournful. 2. Causing or involving woe. 3. Deplorably bad or wretched: short this year. Whether due to the massive donations already made to Sept. 11 relief funds or the recent economic downturn, the response to the annual project, sponsored by the Santa Clarita Valley-Newhall Optimist Club, has not been as abundant as in years past. Donations are down about 75 percent, Optimist Club President Dee Gadbury said. ``We expected donations to be down this year, but not this much,'' Gadbury said. ``I guess people are just donated out.'' Another problem may be that some people are confused about the use of the boxes, and are placing trash instead of gifts in the receptacles. ``The boxes are clearly marked, but I think some people are just not taking the time to see what they are for,'' Gadbury said. The dearth of donations has left the Optimist Club scrambling to provide food and toys for the 20 families it hopes to assist during the holidays. The families, which are chosen by the Santa Clarita Valley Service Center, are provided with a Christmas dinner Christmas dinner is the primary meal traditionally eaten on Christmas Day. It is often seen as the main event of the day for which the family all gathers and eats together. , enough food to last about a month and gifts for each family member. But to meet the needs of these families, the club needs at least 10 more turkeys and all the fixings, plus gifts for older children ages 10 to 16. Since teens and preteens are difficult to buy for, Gadbury suggests donating gift certificates for movies or record stores. ``We are in dire straits Noun 1. dire straits - a state of extreme distress desperate straits straits, strait, pass - a bad or difficult situation or state of affairs right now, but we're still hopeful that our community is going to come through because Santa Clarita has never let us down,'' Gadbury said. ``We can't give up hope - too many people are counting on us.'' Those who would like to contribute can place nonperishable food items or toys in the receptacles located around the valley. Perishable per·ish·a·ble adj. Subject to decay, spoilage, or destruction. n. Something, especially foodstuff, subject to decay or spoilage. Often used in the plural. foods, including turkeys, can be donated by calling Gadbury at (661) 252-7313 and arranging for pickup. Monetary donations can also be sent to SCV-Newhall Optimist Club, PO Box 1446, Canyon Country, CA 91351. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Ralphs Manager Kelvin kelvin, abbr. K, official name in the International System of Units (SI) for the degree of temperature as measured on the Kelvin temperature scale. A unit of measurement of temperature. West is helping Dee Gadbury collect toys and food for the SCV-Newhall Optimist Club. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
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