Celebrating the holidays also becomes nearly impossible when a mother is killed in a car accident and the grandmother takes over raising the family. And when parents get a divorce and there is no longer a joint income, the holiday season takes on a different feel.

This is reality for several families at Willow Glen's Schallenberger Elementary School. And because similar circumstances exist throughout the Bay Area, organizations such as InnVision and The Family Giving Tree are working hard to make wishes come true this holiday season.


School spirit

When second-grade teacher Kathy Argabright saw this great need among families at her school last year, she became involved with the Adopt-A-Family program. The Insurance Underwriters Association found people to buy gifts for 20 families on her list, and when teachers and staff agreed to participate and help the others on the list, 19 more families, with a total of 62 children, received gifts.

The list is compiled by teachers who "recommend families they notice need the most help," Argabright says. Categorical program assistant Sophia Manning, who is fluent in Spanish, calls families to see if they are interested in receiving gifts. She interviews a family member, taking notes about children's names, ages and clothing sizes. The largest number of requests are for warm clothing, blankets and shoes.

"Toys are always the last request, but we can't imagine kids without toys for Christmas," Argabright says.

On Dec. 2, bags were already prepared for delivery to four families. The 14 bags were filled with artificial Christmas trees, new blankets and wrapped toys and clothing. Among the toys requested this year were a remote control car, a kitchen play set, a skateboard, headphones, a chess set and a bicycle. Often gift certificates are enclosed for teenagers because they are "difficult to buy gifts for," Argabright says.

Turkeys and gift certificates for grocery stores also accompany some gift baskets, and everyone gets a large box of nonperishable food. The food for this program is collected through the school's canned food drive. This is only the second year of the Adopt-A-Family program, but the food drive has been going on for more than six years, says third-grade teacher and student council advisor Gail Hodgin.

The student council is in charge of the food drive, which is a weeklong event at the beginning of November. After donations are made to the Adopt-A-Family program, any food left over goes to Second Harvest Food Bank.

To make it exciting, there is a competition between classes. The winning class receives ice cream sundaes.

Student council members get the community involved by leaving flyers on neighborhood doors about the event and picking up food two days later, leaving a thank you card to acknowledge the neighbor's participation.

The student council officers and representatives from the third, fourth and fifth grades are also in charge of collecting cans from classrooms, counting them and placing them in boxes. Approximately 1,000 pounds were donated this year, Hodgin says.

"If people don't have a lot of stuff it's nice to give them something during the holidays," says student council president Sofia Ablobakar.

Last year every staff member participated in the Adopt-A-Family program by buying clothes, toys or food, shopping, gift-wrapping or donating toys. Alumni, staff, family and friends also helped raise cash and aquire grocery store gift certificates and toys, all of which was worth approximately $6,000, Argabright says.

This year 13 families are participating in the program. The money and gift certificates have almost reached last year's totals. But Manning is still interviewing family members in need, and the insurance company has agreed to seek out additional donors for several more families, she says.

"Last year one family's donor forgot, and it was really sad," Manning says. "But fortunately we had a couple scooters donated from a local company we could give to them."

But she adds that acknowledging the need for help isn't always easy on the part of the families.

"Some are not used to asking for things and there is pride involved," Manning says. "Sometimes people's situation changes. Last year we helped a family who was really struggling, but I called this year and she said, 'Even though we don't have lots of money I think we can afford to get presents. There are other children who need it.' It's good that they're honest."

Argabright raised $300 this year from saving recyclable products. She also adopted a family with her bridge group last year.

"We brought the gifts to show each other at a bridge party and also gave a turkey," she says. "It makes us feel like we're making someone else's Christmas brighter instead of buying something for ourselves."

The school also collects pennies year-round for various causes. Last year $3,000 went toward a Sept. 11 relief fund, and this year money will benefit InnVision's Georgia Travis Center—a day center for at-risk women and children—and the Yosemite Falls Restoration Fund.

Schallenberger Elementary School Principal Margie Payne-Graves says the teachers are "community leaders. They work with different programs to make the child well-rounded and to think about Willow Glen and the outside community."


Shopping in a makeshift mall

InnVision of Willow Glen, which provides services and housing to at-risk and homeless individuals, sponsors another program called Adopt-A-Family. This year more than 100 families have signed up through InnVision to be "adopted."

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Babes in Toyland: This year more families than ever are requesting help from organizations like InnVision. A box of donated toys will be sorted and donated to families in need.

Donors are also matched with families according to similar family situations and the amounts they are willing to spend, says InnVision volunteer Mary Dunn. For instance, one woman who is a twin wanted to adopt a family that had twins or triplets.

But before signing people up for this program, the InnVision staff fills the waiting list for "Santa's Cupboard," which will provide gifts for 1,500 children living at various InnVision shelters.

For this program, the Georgia Travis Center is transformed into a makeshift shopping mall Dec. 16 through 20. The deadline for donations is Dec. 13.

During those five days the staff fills the three rooms in the child development center with donated toys. The gifts are sorted and put into rooms according to age and gender. Some toys are recent donations; others are toys that were not taken during the previous year's event. Each child receives one large gift or two medium-sized gifts, two books, one stuffed animal, one family game and up to three stocking stuffers.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Helping Hands: InnVision child development coordinator Tammy Robertson (left) and volunteer Mary Dunn sort toys for Santa's Cupboard.

This year the center hopes to collect 5,000 toys to fill the wishes of the homeless women in its shelters.

"Santa's Cupboard is neat because it really fulfills a maternal impulse," says InnVision's community relations manager, Carol Shultz. "Unlike programs where the gift is wrapped, here the mom shops and wraps the gift herself."

And to help pick out or locate toys, volunteers are on hand. There are also volunteers to help the mother gift-wrap the present.

"If a woman says 'I have a 3-year-old who likes trucks,' the volunteer personal shopper can help her find something suitable," Shultz says.

Because the selection for teenagers is small, the staff recommends that if a family can only afford to buy one gift they buy the teen a present and pick out the free toys at the center for the younger children.

"It's truly a miracle, because we'll almost be out of toys and then a big truck will drive up filled with toys," Ehresman says. "We do our best to get as many toys as we can, but it is pretty unpredictable and stressful. It's amazing how generous people are during the holidays. But we try to remind them that we need year-round donations of blankets, shoes, clothing and other items."


'We are their family'

Live Oak Adult Day Services of Willow Glen and the Gardner Community Center are two service agencies collecting gifts from The Family Giving Tree, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fulfilling the holiday wishes of children or adults who would otherwise go without gifts.

In its 13th year of operation, The Family Giving Tree provides gifts to more than 150 nonprofit agencies that work with at-risk, low-income children or dependent adults. The gifts are accumulated from approximately 700 corporate sponsors, who place a Christmas tree with gift requests on tags at the business and encourage employees to participate. Trees are also located in various shopping malls and schools throughout the Bay Area.

The Family Giving Tree operation lasts eight months, with the other four months being devoted to a back-to-school drive. Last year the program provided gifts for 35,000 people of all ages.

When the Dec. 13 deadline approaches, a 100,000-square-foot warehouse is donated for the gift-giving event during the month of December. This year Cisco Systems offered its space in Milpitas. The warehouse is piled 12 feet high, 150 feet long and 50 feet wide with gifts. This volume of donations requires more than 2,500 volunteers to receive, sort, package and ship the gifts, says Family Giving Tree founder Jennifer Cullenbine.

"This is the worst year ever because there are almost 25 agencies on the waiting list," says Cullenbine, who started the program as a class project at San José State University and participated in giving to the needy as a child. "I am optimistic that all the wishes will be fulfilled. But it is a big challenge this year because so many of the donors who were providing for the kids were laid off their jobs, and some have even wound up on the list requesting for their kids."

This organization will provide the only gift for many visitors from Live Oak Adult Day Services, says program director Telma Cramer. This community service agency offers recreation and socialization for adults older than 60—many of whom are unable to live independently.

"Some live in nursing homes and do not have families," Cramer says. "We are their family because they come in every day."

This year 44 clients at the center enrolled for The Family Giving Tree program. They asked for things like a dark green polo shirt, a maroon sweat suit, a small blouse, a flannel shirt and a sweater with a butterfly on it.

"Lots of them wouldn't otherwise get a present because it's such a challenge caregiving that there's often no money left over," says Live Oak Adult Day Services Executive Director Colleen Hudgen. "Some clients have to pay for nursing homes and only have about $35 left over each month. This program enhances their quality of life."

Although some clients have Alzheimer's disease and don't know where the gifts come from, they are still thrilled, Cramer says. One woman brings the purse she received last year every day.

"They really were very thankful for the gifts they received last year," Cramer says. "Some of them are very needy."

The staff at Gardner Community Center identified 150 needy families who visit the center to participate in The Family Giving Tree. Both Live Oak Adult Day Services and the community center will have a holiday party on the day the gifts are distributed.

"We provide a breakfast, Santa Claus and Christmas music so they're not just waiting in a line to get gifts," says community center staff member Tony Torres. "There seems to be a decline in people giving this holiday season because of the economy. Years ago we could include ages 18 and under on the list, then 16 and under and now 13 and under. It's too bad because teenagers are the group that really needs the most attention."

For more information about donating to InnVision, call 408.292.4286 or visit www.innvision.org. For more information on donating to The Family Giving Tree, call 408.946.3111 or visit www.familygivingtree.org. To learn more about participating in Adopt-A-Family through Schallenberger Elementary School, call 408.535.6253.