Saratoga News

Groups plan good deeds for the holidays

By Shari Kaplan

In the spirit of the upcoming fall and winter holidays, many local nonprofit organizations are planning special events to benefit good causes. Recreational groups also have a variety of entertaining and educational activities planned.

The Saratoga Ministerial Association sponsors its 25th annual Thanksgiving Day Service for local Christian and Jewish congregations at 10 a.m. Nov. 27 at Saint Andrew's Episcopal Church, located at 13601 Saratoga Ave.

A procession of choirs, representatives, clergy and banner-carriers begins promptly at 10 a.m. Songs and readings from traditional hymns and scriptures, as well as readings from American history, celebrate the harvest season. A massed choir will also sing the national anthem. The Rev. Alexander Larkin of Sacred Heart Catholic Church will officiate the occasion.

Refreshments will be served in the parish hall following the service. People of all faiths are invited to attend. For more information, call 867-3493.

The Salvation Army is again organizing its Adopt-a-Family Program, which matches needy families with individuals, families, work groups or organizations. The adopters provide food, toys, clothing and other necessities and comforts to their adopted families, as well as a sense of hope and compassion during the holiday season. For more information on how to participate, call Irma Perez at 247-4588.

For those looking for a little diversion during the holiday season, the Saratoga Recreation Department now has its Winter/Spring 1998 Activity Guide available. Among the new classes offered are indoor fountain-building, rubber stamp activities, a workshop on cooking with curry and American Sign Language lessons. Among the field trips is a hike along Waddell Creek, which is located along the coastline north of Santa Cruz.

Activity Guides are available at a variety of downtown Saratoga locations, the Saratoga Library and the Saratoga Community Center. For more information, call the Recreation Department at 868-1248 or 868-1249.

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