Thanksgiving and Christmas are just around the corner, meaning outlets for goodwill and generosity are gearing to give, give and give some more.
With a rough population of 1,065 homeless individuals in South County, according to the 2013 Point-In-Time Homeless Census & Survey, any gesture of generosity – no matter how big or small – will help make a difference.
Here is a convenient list of local nonprofits and charitable organizations, with everything you need to know about how to donate or volunteer this holiday season.
OPERATION GOBBLE GOBBLE
Kulia Lemus grew up in a single mom household and remembers the days when holidays were a financial struggle, despite the fact her mother worked multiple jobs.
Since she started Operation Gobble Gobble in 2010, Lemus and other volunteers have provided 155 Gilroy and Hollister families with a complete holiday meal during Thanksgiving or Christmas. Operation Gobble Gobble provides families with everything from the turkey pan to the butter, milk, turkey, veggies and stuffing needed to make the feast a reality.
Families don’t need to fill out a form to apply, as Lemus selects her families simply by talking with them. Lemus started Operation Gobble Gobble when she bought ingredients for her family’s Thanksgiving feast while she was on maternity leave. The bill was less than $50.
“But that’s a lot for some families,” Lemus added. “I told my husband I wanted to buy ingredients for people to have complete meals.”
Operation Gobble Gobble has been growing steadily. The first year, they delivered holiday meal packages to four families. The following year, Lemus posted about Operation Gobble Gobble on Facebook and friends joined the cause. Together, they served 23 families.
How to help:
-This Thanksgiving, the goal is to provide meals to 100 families. To aid the effort, Lemus is spearheading a turkey drive from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Nov. 14 at two locations: Mars Hill Coffee House at 610 San Benito St. in Hollister and Station 55 at 55 Fifth St. in Gilroy.
– Lemus said the best way to help out is by donating a gift card volunteers can use to go grocery shopping. Turkeys 12 pounds or larger are also desirable. For more information, email Kulia Lemus at op*******************@ya***.com, or check out the organization’s Facebook page.
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ST. JOSEPH’S FAMILY CENTER
For this local social services bastion that doled out 2.5 million pounds of groceries to 47,962 individuals in fiscal year 2012-2013, stocking a giant walk-in freezer with approximately 750 turkeys (for Thanksgiving alone; they’ll need another 750 for Christmas) is just one significant to-do item on their ongoing punch list. Assistance is always welcome and needed.
“Turkeys are the main things that we need right now,” says Pantry Coordinator Vicky Martin. “Turkeys are the one thing that we’re not getting committed this year from the Food Bank. I’m hoping that the community will come through.”
How to help:
– St. Joseph’s also needs holiday baking items such as flour, sugar, oil, salt, cranberry sauce, yams, etc.
-Another critical need, according to Martin, is outdoor living supplies “because we’re having such a huge increase in homelessness in our area.” She says St. Joseph’s could really use men’s socks, blankets, backpacks and tents, which are “hugely appreciated because so many people are having to live outside.”
– St. Joseph’s is also in constant need of lunch items such as pop-top fruit cups, meats, small water bottles, granola bars and crackers for the estimated 100 average daily bagged lunches they distribute Monday through Friday (the organization doled out 22,108 last year, Martin notes). Fresh fruits and vegetables are also highly desirable.
– Volunteers are needed for holiday food box distributions. The work involves a lot of lifting, outdoor work and assisting families. Thanksgiving distributing will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25 and 26. Individuals and families are required to pre-register. Christmas distribution will take place on one day this year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21.
-Volunteers and food donations are needed for the Lord’s Table Thanksgiving meal, which takes place at noon Thursday, Nov. 28. Donations are also needed for the Christmas meal which takes place at noon, Dec. 25. Approximately 300 to 350 people are expected to show up for each meal.
-If you don’t have time to stop by St. Joseph’s, consider sending your student to school with a turkey for the third annual Turkey Challenge between Gilroy and Christopher High School. In the spirit of giving (and bragging rights) the two schools will race each other from Nov. 13-22 to see who can collect the most turkeys for St. Joseph’s. The local nonprofit Gilroy Foundation is also getting in on the challenge for a third time, matching the effort by up to $1,000 (or $5 for every turkey donated).
– Details: St. Joseph’s is located at 7950 Church St. For donation questions, call at (408) 842-6662, ext. 26 or visit www.stjosephsgilroy.org.
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THE SALVATION ARMY
Based in a renovated historic 1800s church located on the corner of Church and Fifth streets, the Salvation Army in Gilroy is revving up for the holiday season.
The organization is closed Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 28) but will be serving a Thanksgiving lunch for the homeless at noon, Nov. 27. Families who want to attend this meal must visit the Salvation Army and pick up a ticket for themselves and each member of their family. Tickets are now available and approximately 300 will be given out. Hot meals for the homeless are regularly served Tuesday through Friday at noon.
How to help:
– Desired donations include holiday-type food (stuffing mix, canned corn, mashed potatoes, canned gravy, cranberry sauce) and turkeys, chickens and hams. The desired window for dropping off perishable food items is a week before Thanksgiving and a week before Christmas. Non-perishable items are appreciated any time.
– Christmas distribution will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 23. The biggest need for this event is new, unwrapped toys, according to Ellen Torchio, office manager in Social Services for the Salvation Army Gilroy location.
“We really scramble every year to try and fill that need for the children,” she noted.
Extra pie is always at the top of the perishable food wish list, Torchio added.
– Details: The Salvation Army is located at 200 West Fifth St. in Gilroy. Call (408) 848-5373 or visit www.salvationarmygilroy.com.
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SCRA “CanTree” FOOD DRIVE
The South County Realtor Alliance will soon kick off its annual drive for canned food and donations. All donated items will remain in the area for local families in need. The CanTree Drive, which has been around since the 1980s, contributed nearly $100,000 for local charities over the last five or six years.
How to help:
– Details: Donations will be accepted until 5:30 p.m. Dec. 13. For questions, call Stephen Theard at (408) 472-0817.
– Donation barrels are stationed at the following locations.
GILROY: Coldwell Banker Real Estate; Intero Real Estate; South County Chrysler; South County Nissan; Kutz and Colors; Bruce’s Tires; Gilroy Dispatch; Heritage Bank; Gilroy Chamber of Commerce; Village Green.
MORGAN HILL: Coldwell Banker Real Estate; Intero Real Estate; Guild Mortgage; Realty World People to People; Exit Realty Keystone.
*For additional drop-off spots, visit www.scra1.com.
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GILROY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COMPASSION PROJECT
New this year, the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce is setting up a one-stop donation station where members of the community can pop in and donate to any number of local nonprofits.
How to help:
-For more information about what nonprofits will have a station at the Chamber and what kinds of donations to bring, visit the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce at www.gilroy.org.
-Details: Additional questions can be directed to Lisa Cassara (408) 710-6085 or via email: li**@li**********.com. The Chamber is located at 7471 Monterey St.
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GILROY COMPASSION CENTER
The Gilroy Compassion Center is a grassroots organization volunteers are working to grow into a year-round homeless shelter. It’s mission is to “provide access to the services homeless people need to survive, become stable and achieve self-sufficient lives.”
The Center regularly hosts outreach events throughout the year and offers numerous free social services including health exams, prescriptions, narcotics anonymous meetings, resource listings and other day services including a bathroom, jackets/clothing, telephone, Internet, laundry, mail and messages.
How to help:
– The Compassion Center does not have anything planned for Thanksgiving, but is in need of donations. The Center is open from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday and regularly offers breakfast. Food donations of cereal, juice, peanut butter, milk and other breakfast items are appreciated.
-The Center is also in need of coats, blankets, hygiene items and underwear/socks for men and women.
-Details: For more ways to volunteer or donate online, visit gccsoco.org; call (408) 763-7120; or email gi********************@ya***.com. The Compassion Center is also on Facebook.
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SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
Second Harvest Food Bank kicked off its holiday food drive, with the hope of raising $13.2 million and collecting two million pounds of donated food through January to meet the rising need during the holidays and the rest of the year.
While the economy might be improving in Silicon Valley, the need for food continues to rise, according to Second Harvest Staff. The number of people the organization serves has grown to more than 250,000.
“Now that the recession is in the rearview mirror, many people think the need for food has gone down, but that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Kathy Jackson, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. “The reality is more people continue to need help from the Food Bank. The numbers are going up, not down. The recession pushed many of our neighbors into poverty and we haven’t seen the kind of rebound in the job market that is needed to get people back on their feet. So it continues to be very hard times for the people we serve.”
Second Harvest Food Bank partners with more than 330 nonprofit agencies to provide food at more than 770 sites throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including St. Joseph’s in Gilroy and St. Catherine in Morgan Hill.
Second Harvest is one of only a few food banks in the nation that does not charge its partners for the food it provides. Last year, the Food Bank distributed nearly 52 million pounds of food to the community. More than 50 percent of the food Second Harvest provides is fresh produce.
The Holiday Food and Fund Drive is critical because Second Harvest raises nearly half its revenues during the holiday season, according to a press release.
How to help:
-Details: Individuals, corporations, and organizations can support the Second Harvest holiday campaign by visiting www.shfb.org or calling (866) 234-3663. Anyone who needs food should call Second Harvest’s Food Connection hotline at (800) 984-3663.
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TOYS FOR TOTS
The U.S. Marine Corps effort with South Valley branches has been famed for decades for collecting thousands of toys for children and families who would otherwise face a bleak holiday.
How to help:
-All toys collected in the Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill area will be distributed locally to a large number of organizations in South County. The window to donate for Christmas 2013 ends Dec. 18, except for Cochrane Road Self Storage at 411 Woodview Ave. in Morgan Hill, which accepts toys year-round. New, unwrapped toys for children through age 16 can be dropped off at Self Storage’s business office from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday or from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. There is also a 24-hour collection box.
-Donation cans will be set up at dozens of businesses throughout Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill the day after Thanksgiving, in addition to Gilroy’s three fire stations. Cans are left out until New Year’s Day and any leftover toys are saved for next year.
-Details: Contact Gina Six at (408) 782-8883. For a complete list of collection sites, visit www.cochranestorage.com.
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GILROY ARMORY
The National Guard’s homeless program at the Armory on 8490 Wren Avenue offers a hot meal, shower facilities and sleeping quarters for homeless individuals and families, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Dec. 2 through March 31. Clients must be onsite by 6 p.m. for intake, with space limited to 100. Meals are served daily. Occupants of the Armory are awakened at 5 a.m. to get ready to leave each day.
Emergency Housing Consortium LifeBuilders directs the Armory program and is a leading provider of shelter, housing opportunities, and supportive services to people in crisis and those experiencing homelessness in Silicon Valley.
How to help:
-The Armory’s current list of donation needs include socks, underwear, towels, blankets and especially hygiene kits.
-Details: For questions about how to donate or volunteer, contact in**@eh*************.org or Elizabeth Griswold at (408) 539-2143.
