WHERE THERE IS NEED SOCIAL SERVICES AGENCIES STEP IN FOR SANTA.Byline: Helen Gao Staff Writer SUN VALLEY - This Christmas is a tough one for Alexandrina Talincon, who is raising three small children on her own after her daughter died of cancer two years ago. The 51-year-old Sun Valley grandmother, who suffers from severe diabetes, lost the welfare check she was counting on to help her family make it through December. But thanks to area social services social services Noun, pl welfare services provided by local authorities or a state agency for people with particular social needs social services npl → servicios mpl sociales agencies, Talincon and thousands of poor families like hers received a boost Tuesday in the form of food and gift donations from kind strangers. L.A. Family Housing, which operates the affordable housing apartment complex Talincon lives in, gave her family a new bicycle, department store gift cards and a bag of goodies. ``I feel so happy,'' a grateful Talincon said in Spanish through a translator. ``I feel it's a gift from God because I can't afford to buy anything for them.'' Talincon's family was among the more than 500 families that received Christmas gifts from L.A. Family Housing, a nonprofit agency based in North Hollywood. At West Valley Christian Church in Chatsworth, the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Rescue Mission handed out more than 100 gifts Tuesday to needy children and served tortillas, beans and rice. Earlier in the week, the nondenominational non·de·nom·i·na·tion·al adj. Not restricted to or associated with a religious denomination. Adj. 1. nondenominational - not restricted to a particular religious denomination; "a nondenominational church" charity also distributed more than 800 gifts to children in Pacoima, Sun Valley and North Hollywood, said Ken Craft, the mission's director. Volunteers transported residents from low-income apartments in the West Valley to the church and showered them with basketballs, board games This is a list of board games. This page classifies board games according to the concerns which might be uppermost for someone organizing a gaming event or party. See the article on game classification for other alternatives, or see for a list of board game articles. , dolls and other gifts. Afterward, with hundreds of gifts remaining, the volunteers drove to other apartment complexes to give out more presents and food. Jeri Dueringer, a mother of seven who lives in Van Nuys, picked up five gifts for her youngest children. She said her husband works in the construction industry, and his income dries up in the winter when rain and cold stop many projects. ``Basically, my Christmas came from people helping like these,'' she said, gesturing toward the volunteers. ``I think it's great how they're helping people provide.'' Theresa Williams Theresa Williams, born 1956, is a contemporary fiction writer whose works include The Secret of Hurricanes: A Novel (MacAdam/Cage 2002) and short stories in such magazines and journals as The Sun, The Chattahoochee Review, and Hunger Mountain. , a mother of six, said the donated gifts will help her children enjoy a normal Christmas. ``Without this, we wouldn't have enough for Christmas,'' she said. The San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission received 1,100 gifts from a collection drive sponsored by Peter Foy Peter Foy (11 June 1925-17 February 2005) was the stage flight effects specialist who founded "Flying by Foy", most widely known for its work flying actors in the play Peter Pan. Insurance Co. in Woodland Hills and from other donors, Craft said. Thanks to an unprecedented number of donations, the rescue mission expanded toy giveaways from one to four locations this year, the fourth year of the toy drive. On Skid Row skid row a run-down area frequented by alcoholics. [Am. Culture: Misc.] See : Alcoholism Skid Row district of down-and-outs and bums. [Am. Usage: Brewer Dictionary, 1008] See : Failure in downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or , volunteers and Hollywood actors Tuesday helped serve Christmas ham A Christmas Ham is a traditional ingredient in the Finnish and Swedish Christmas celebrations. Before the arrival of Christianity to Scandinavia, a boar, the wild ancestor of the pig, was sacrificed to the god Freyr at the Yule celebrations and eaten (see Blót). dinner to nearly 4,000 homeless men, women and children at the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. Mission. The mission is the reason Kristopher Greening will get to spend his first real Christmas with his wife, Michelle, and his daughter, Madelynn. Greening, 25, of Rancho Cucamonga Rancho Cucamonga (răn`chō k  'kəmäng`gə), city (1990 pop. 101,409), San Bernardino co., S Calif. , was homeless and addicted
to heroin until he came to the mission for help.
``She's waiting for me to get back on my feet and get back home and do it right this time,'' Greening said of his wife. ``This season is a celebration of new beginnings, and this place has given me a new beginning in life.'' Servers at the Christmas meal included Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph Howard, Jr. (born March 28, 1944) is a Tony Award- and Daytime Emmy Award-winning American actor known for his role in the television show The White Shadow from the NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. series ``Crossing Jordan'' and Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966[1][2]) is a Canadian actor. Biography Early life Logue was born in Ottawa, Ontario. His father was once a Catholic missionary in Africa where he met Donal's mother, Elizabeth, where they from Fox's comedy ``Grounded for Life.'' ``It just seemed the best thing to do on Christmas Eve,'' said Logue. The holiday meal was a bright spot in a season that's been anything but festive for the mission. Donations are down by 30 percent, but demand for services is up by 25 percent, said Marshall McNott, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . Outside Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Holy Rosary may be:
Several hundred families left with big bags of wrapped gifts, pastries, potatoes, onions, chickens, beans and rice. Dianne Thomas, who had lost her job, came with her daughter, Marina, to pick up a chicken and some groceries. Marina, who loves to draw, received a box of crayons for Christmas. ``It's really nice, especially if you are not doing so well during the holiday,'' said Thomas. With the economy in a down cycle and the weather turning cold and rainy, social services agencies around the San Fernando Valley are scrambling to keep up with the surge in demand for food and other donations. ``A lot of people are out of work here. If they are working, they are working at McDonald's,'' said the Rev. Richard Zanotti of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary parish. Grislareli Esparza and her three siblings count on the church every year for Christmas gifts. This year they received a doll set, a truck, a fleece jacket with matching pants and a Barbie. ``It's great. Some families don't have enough presents to give out,'' said Esparza. ``They really help families.'' - James Nash and Lisa Sodders contributed to this story. WANT TO HELP? --The Los Angeles Mission is in need of donations and volunteers to continue its mission of helping the homeless. For more information, call 213-629-1227 or visit www.losangelesmission.org. --Donations may also be sent to L.A. Family Housing, 7843 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91605, and San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, 13422 Saticoy St., North Hollywood, CA 91605. CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1) People in need enjoy a warm, satisfying holiday dinner at the Los Angeles Mission on Christmas Eve. David Sprague/Staff Photographer (2) Cameron Shepard, 5, holds on tight to his new Tonka toy Tuesday morning at the West Valley Christian Church in Chatsworth, as the San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission provided a meal and toys for needy families. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer (3) Maria Peraza of the Transitional Family Center hands out gifts to Jose and Nidia Bautista on Tuesday. Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News Box: WANT TO HELP? (see text) |
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