Community

Where were you the evening of Thursday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m.? If you stopped by the Operation Interdependence open house, you experienced the heartwarming, Christmas spirit of generosity and gratitude for those that sacrifice to preserve our freedom and provide safety for us here at home.

Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky for Vera Eloise Johnston, who spent the afternoon celebrating her 100th birthday in jovial company.

St. Joseph’s Family Center is in need of about 300 more turkeys in order to provide Christmas dinner for local families, according to the nonprofit center’s staff. Turkey donations can be dropped off at St. Joseph’s Family Center in Gilroy, at 7950 Church Street, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Donations of money are also accepted. Center staff are scrambling to acquire enough turkeys to provide its food pantry clients with the supplies for a traditional holiday dinner, according to St. Joseph’s food pantry coordinator Vicki Smith. The center plans to distribute the turkeys with the food pantry clients’ December food baskets by Saturday, Dec. 20, Smith said. Some of the turkeys will also be cooked and served for the center’s Lord’s Table Christmas dinner which takes place 12 to 3 p.m. Dec. 25 at St. Joseph’s Family Center. If they get enough donations by Dec. 20, the center plans to provide about 700 families with turkeys this month, Smith said. Specifically, the center is asking for turkeys about 10 to 13 pounds in size, Smith said. For more information about making donations to the St. Joseph’s Family Center food pantry, call (408) 842-6662, extension 26. 

Lana’s Dance Studio, ranked as one of the top 50 dance studios in the nation, still has tickets available for its holiday production of “The Nutcracker,” with shows at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 20, and 1 and 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21 at the Gavilan College Theater in Gilroy.

The Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Center in Morgan Hill introduces the newest member of its educational team: A female saw-whet owl rescued in July in Aptos after suffering a fractured left wing and nerve damage that makes her permanently unable to fly.

When Carl Salinas was growing up as one of seven siblings in San Jose, he was on the receiving end of many charitable efforts and his family often had to purchase clothing from second-hand stores.

The Community Agency for Resources Advocacy and Services (CARAS), a South Santa Clara County nonprofit group, held its first ever Community Champions Awards Ceremony Dec. 7 at the Gilroy Veterans Hall.

Despite the cold snap, a rock ‘n’ roll Queen tribute band is thinking of sun, garlic and summer as they aspire to perform at the 2014 Gilroy Garlic Festival.

A line of more than 20 homeless individuals braved the elements outside the Gilroy’s National Guard Armory Dec. 6, waiting in line for the cold weather shelter's doors to open promptly at 6 p.m.

A week of temperatures that dip into the low 20s throughout South County is an annoyance to most. It means ice on the windshield and broken pipes, but it would be hard to compare that to spending a night outside.