People Helping People has just completed our Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday programs. Through our Food Program, we furnished over 25,000 pounds of food to 225 families in the Santa Ynez Valley and Los Alamos. In addition to our normal biweekly grocery distribution, we presented each family with a turkey for each holiday.
Via our Christmas Fulfill-A-Wish program, we delivered clothing, gifts and toys to more than 300 individuals.
Dean Palius, our Chief Executive, acknowledges that it was difficult to handle the volume of food required and number of clients even with the help of numerous volunteers, canned goods from the Chumash Casino food drive, donated produce and turkeys from the County Food Bank, and numerous turkeys and “fixings” donated locally.
Dean added that, “(W)e were able to furnish more than 350 turkeys but we had to dip into our food program reserves to purchase the last forty turkeys to be used for the Christmas food program. So, we are still hoping that the community will step forward at the end of the year to help us replenish our food fund.”
PHP opened the doors of its Christmas “Fulfill-A-Wish” program boutique for the 17th consecutive year on December 19th. From this boutique, we furnished gifts to more than 75 of the neediest families, including 250 children, in the Santa Ynez and Los Alamos valleys. The boutique was located in space generously donated by Virgil Elings at Solvang Village Square on Alisal Road in Solvang.
Lois Craig, our Associate Executive Director, shared the fact that the Fulfill-A-Wish Program was created to permit families to obtain assistance in the most dignified manner possible. “We try to be as sensitive as possible to the plight of the families we serve,” said Lois. “We have established the ‘boutique’ concept so that income-qualified parents can select a specified number of gift items, based upon their family’s size, in a festively decorated store-like atmosphere. In this way, we believe that we are empowering parents as much as possible.”
In order to serve 75-85 families each year, PHP raises approximately $20,000 in donated items and cash. Cash is utilized to offset the approximate $5,000 PHP must spend during the summer to purchase low cost clothing and basic household gift items at specials sales. PHP secures toy and gift donations through its partnership with “Toys for Tots.” Each year PHP places 60 or so gift collection boxes in businesses, schools, and government agencies throughout the valley. These gift wrapped boxes display colorful “Christmas Fulfill-A-Wish” and “Toys for Tots” posters and are donation points for the community to assist in the program.
PHP partners with the Marine Corps. Reserve’s “Toys for Tots” toy campaigns each year. All of the items donated to these drives in the valley will are used here. This year donations were excellent and all of the children enrolled in Fulfill-A-Wish received 2 to 3 toy items.
You can still help PHP pay for holiday program by making a tax deductible contribution at PHP’s Solvang Service Center at 545 N. Alisal Road, Monday –Friday, 8:30 AM-5 PM. Mailing a contribution to P.O. Box 1478 Solvang, CA 93464 or by visiting PHP’s website at www.syvphp.org. For more information call PHP at 686-0295.
Our thanks and appreciation to those who have contributed this Holiday Season.
We wish you all the best in the coming year.
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