As the holiday season quickly approaches, churches in Hollister
and the South Valley start to gear up to receive donated food and
new toys to be shared with local people in need.
This year the need is especially great.
As the holiday season quickly approaches, churches in Hollister and the South Valley start to gear up to receive donated food and new toys to be shared with local people in need.
This year the need is especially great.
In Hollister, St. Benedict’s Church and Sacred Heart Church already are preparing to receive and distribute food to local families in need. Food bins are set up to collect non-perishable items at both church sites, said Natalie Velazquez, administrator at St. Benedict Church.
In early December, locals can start donating new toy items for children. Each church will set up Christmas trees which have names attached to the branches of local children and their toy preference, she said. The two churches also have “Adopt a Family” programs to aid locals in need, she said.
“We have families that have children and don’t really have anything for Christmas,” Velazquez said. “So people can adopt a family and give them their dinner for Christmas and toys for the children.”
The church provides the name and size of the family and participants can then either bring the meal and gifts to the family or leave them at the church for the family to pick up. The St. Vincent De Paul’s charity organization helps the churches get the names of needy families, she said.
Similar efforts are underway in the South Valley, as well according to David Cox, director of the St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy which aids local families throughout the entire year.
“The holidays are coming sooner than we realize,” said
Many families in the South Valley region don’t have the financial resources to spend on extra holiday celebrations for their families, he said. They must focus on paying the rent and utilities.
