The Community Services and Workforce Development department, which oversees a family winter shelter at the migrant camp on Southside Road, is seeking donations to provide a holiday luncheon for the 20 families staying at the shelter this year.
Andi Anderson, of CSWD, said she has managed to find community members to adopt each families to provide gifts to the children. She put together a wish list for each child that also included their shoe and clothing sizes, with a number for each family so they will be able to collect their presents at the luncheon scheduled for Dec. 19.
But when a past sponsor was unable to contribute to the lunch, the agency put out the word that they need monetary donations, donations of food or even the offer of a local business to cater the event.
“We usually try to keep it pretty simple,” said Anderson, “with hot dogs and pizza. We try to have some fresh fruit and juice.”
The shelter serves as a temporary place for families that are without a home, with them paying a small amount of rent that is returned to them at the end of the season to help them get a permanent place of their own. The families generally move in the first week of December and stay until the end of March. There is a waiting list.
Anderson said there are 29 adults and 51 children staying at the shelter this year, with children ranging in age from 1-month-old to 18 years.
“The community really came together and I just adopted out my last child,” Anderson said. “But we need someone to provide the meal.”
The festivities will include a visit with Santa Claus, who speaks English and Spanish. A professional photographer will be on hand to take photos of the families with St. Nick. The families will also receive a bag of food from Fishes and Loaves, along with a gift card from Safeway to cook a Christmas meal.
Donations of money or food for the meal are needed by Dec. 17, to prepare for the Wednesday meal.
To donate, call Andi Anderson at 637-9293 or email [email protected].
