Gift by gift, Foothill Elementary is attempting to help out the working poor in San Jose during the holiday season through their Adopt-A-Family program.

The program, which is supported by the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), connects Foothill with social agencies in East San Jose to find families in need. Social workers provide the names of family members to the PTA, which then organizes a gift-giving drive to meet the needs of those included.

In addition to money raised for gift certificates to Safeway and Target, gifts of clothing, diapers, laundry detergent and toys are donated. And while parents do most of the buying, the children are equally involved through their excitement and help in selecting gifts. "The kids are really involved in this," said Foothill Principal Helen Sullivan. "It's an all-school event."

Seven Christmas trees were set up throughout the school in high-traffic areas, where students, parents and faculty could easily see them. The tree ornaments were not the traditional kind, however, but laminated pieces of paper with the name, age, sex and needs of members of a San Jose family in need. It was then up to school members and staff to select the ornaments they desired, purchase what was listed (or more) and put the gifts under the tree for pickup by a PTA volunteer.

"After all the work we put in with setting up the trees and organizing this, to see the gifts coming in is just terrific," said Carol Schulz, who is co-chairwoman of the project this year. "I've been amazed at the volume of effort."

Roughly a dozen parent volunteers continually picked up the gifts, which were to be sorted by Schulz and co-chairwoman Lydia Tan. Four drivers are now planning to drive the wrapped gifts to the families in person, or drop them off with the social worker for each family. "Sometimes the families don't want delivery at the house because they are embarrassed," Schulz said.

Charlotte Sparacino, who several years ago helped take the program from a teacher-sponsored event to a school tradition, believes the program is very helpful for families in need, as well as for the Saratoga students involved.

"It is really touching to deliver the gifts to the families. We have always received the nicest thank you notes from them afterwards," Sparacino said. "I think that being in an affluent community, it would just be a shame not to share and help other children."

Schulz agrees that the experience is beneficial for children who are accustomed to having holiday celebrations with plenty of gifts.

"I think it's good for our kids to see others in need," she said. One of her children who attends Foothill got "really into it," Shulz said, helping her pick out gifts and drumming up enthusiasm for the program.

With this year being Schulz' first year in heading up the Adopt-A-Family project, she is very satisfied with the results, despite the massive amount of planning and organization needed.

"I am so grateful and appreciative of the whole Foothill community for supporting this program and giving so much," she said. "There really has been an overwhelming response; it's just great."