?Adopt-a-Family” meals and gifts
Delta Mu Pi helps local families at Christmas time through its “Adopt-a-Family program.” The group provides a complete holiday meal and gifts for each family member. Those who can help by donating a gift or making a monetary donation, please call 279-4297 or write to Adopt-a-Family, PO Box 132, Kelseyville, CA 95451.
American Red Cross card drive
The American Red Cross is accepting holiday cards for U.S. troops. The goal is 1 million cards. For more information, visit www.redcross.org/email/saf/.
Christmas 4 Kids
Clear Lake High School students and community members “adopt” needy classmates who have been discretely identified by their teachers. To support a student or contribute financially, please contact Bob Mayer or Chris Buehnerkemper at CLHS, 262-3010. Gifts are due before 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at CLHS.
Christmas Cheer Program
WestAmerica Bank in Upper Lake is a major sponsor of the Christmas Cheer Program for northshore seniors and families. The bank will have gift tags for those wishing to purchase gifts for children enrolled in the program. Upper Lake Elementary and Middle Schools will collect non-perishable food for gift baskets.
Christmas Wish Tree at Clearlake City Hall
The City of Clearlake will be sponsoring a Christmas wish tree for needy children. This tree will be in the front counter lobby of Clearlake City Hall at 14050 Olympic Drive and have 60 ornaments with an ID number, sex, age and gift idea for the child.
If you would like to help provide a child a Christmas wish, please take an ornament from the tree and give the ID number printed on the ornament to Melissa Swanson, city clerk. The wrapped gift with the tag on it will need to be brought to City Hall to Swanson by Friday, Dec. 12.
Christmas Wish Tree at Umpqua Bank
Umpqua Bank is once again promoting the Christmas Wish Tree for children under the care of Child Protective Services in Lake County. These children range in ages from 2 months to 17 years. There are approximately 150 names on the trees located at the Lakeport and Kelseyville branches of Umpqua Bank.
Return your gift by Wednesday, Dec. 10, wrapped and with the tag on it. If you don”t have the time to purchase a gift, you can make a monetary donation and bank employees will be happy to do the shopping for you.
Umpqua Bank is located in Lakeport at 805 11th St. in Lakeport and 4280 Main St. in Kelseyville. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call 262-3342.
Clearlake Kiwanis Club drives
Members of the Lower Lake High School Key Club, along with their sponsoring Kiwanis Club of Clearlake, are asking your participation in a combined toy and food drive to help provide for the Christmas holidays. Club members of both groups will be assisting at the Toys for Tots toy collection point at Wal-Mart in Clearlake for the next several weekends.
Additionally, Key Clubbers and Kiwanians will be at one of the local grocery stores on these weekends collecting non-perishable food items to assist organizations providing food for the holidays for those in need in our community. For more infomation, contact Gale Koliha, 998-3722.
Lake County Christmas Fund
A collaborative effort between Lake County Publishing, the Lakeport Rotary Club, Bruno”s Shop Smart, Umpqua banks, Westamerica banks, Lake Family Resource Center and Lake County Community Action Agency provides Christmas baskets to those in need during the holidays in Lake County.
Anyone wishing to contribute to the Christmas basket program may bring or mail contributions in to any branch of Umpqua banks. Checks should be written out to Lake County Christmas Fund. Your donation and holiday message will be noted in both the Lake County Record-Bee as well as the Clear Lake Observer*American. You may make a donation in honor of a loved one while bringing the holidays to someone who might not otherwise have one.
Holiday Wishes gift program
Redwood Children”s Services (RCS) is asking members of the community to open their hearts and give a holiday gift to a foster child who is living in a foster home or group home in our community.
Foster children ranging in age from infants to 18 years old have provided personal wish lists to RCS. Specific requests include make-up kits, fuzzy twin blankets, arts and crafts sets, hair products, current-release DVDs and gift cards to Wal-Mart, Ross or Kmart. Unwrapped gifts should be dropped off by Friday, Dec. 19, to RCS, 320 First St. in Lakeport. For more information, please contact Linda at 263-0372.
?Seniors Not Forgotten”
Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 951, is collecting donations for its “Seniors Not Forgotten” holiday drive.
Chapter members provide presents for all Lake County long-term care nursing facilities and residents. They also spend a little time with residents and sing Christmas carols with them at their holiday parties.
Donations for the drive will be very gratefully received. For information please call 262-5651, or visit www.vva951.org.
Spirit of the Season food baskets
Spirit of the Season provides holiday food baskets to needy families in the areas of Middletown, Cobb and Hidden Valley Lake. Food barrels are located at the post office in Middletown and on the porch of the St. Joseph”s Catholic Church rectory on State Route 175 and Bush Street.
All non-perishable items are welcome, but especially needed are canned yams, turkey gravy packets, dressing, soup and juice.
Wish Tree bells, for children in eighth grade or below are located at Tri-Counties Bank and Century 21 in Middletown. Wrapped gifts must be returned by Friday, Dec. 12.
Spirit of the Season”s biggest challenge is that it needs financial aid. Tax-deductible donations can be made payable to Spirit of the Season, PO Box 1468, Middletown, CA 95461.
?Tango Mike” accepting donations
“Operation Tango Mike” holds monthly packing parties for donated items to send to U.S. troops overseas. Food products, hygiene items, correspondence and entertainment items are always needed and always welcomed.
“Drop Zone” donation barrels can be found at the following locations:
? Clearlake ? Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2237, 3980 Veterans Lane; American Legion Post No. 437, 14770 Austin Road; Foods, Etc. at 15290 Lakeshore Drive.
? Clearlake Oaks ? Red and White Store, 12580 East Highway 20; Tower Mart, 12583 E. Highway 20.
? Kelseyville ? Riviera Foods, 9730 Soda Bay Road; Riviera Hills Golf and Recreation Club, 10200 Fairway Drive.
? Middletown ? Hardester”s Markets; Highway 29 in Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake at 29843 Hartmann Road and 16295 Highway 175, Cobb.
? Lucerne ? Lakeview Market, 6068 E. Highway 20.
? Nice ? Sentry Market, 2265 E. Highway 20; Boathouse Bar & BBQ, 2685 Lakeshore Blvd.
? Upper Lake ? Country Carpets, 9465 Main St.; Judy”s Junction, 375 East Highway 20.
? Lakeport ? Mackey Tires & Spas, 2102 S. Main St.; Loeb”s Ink Spot, 95 Third St.; Kerrie”s Quilting, 1853 N. High St.; The Iron Worker Gym, 325 20th St.; Safeway, 1071 11th St.; Bruno”s Shop Smart, 355 Lakeport Blvd. and Umpqua Bank, 805 11th St.
Monetary donations are a tremendous help in covering shipping costs, which reach nearly $1,000 each month. Donations are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to Operation Tango Mike and send to 5216 Piner Court, Kelseyville, CA 95451. For more information, contact Ginny Craven at 349-2838 or operationtangomike@mchsi.com.
13th annual Toys for Kids drive
U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-St. Helena) has launched the 13th annual Toys for Kids Christmas Drive in Lake County and is requesting that families give what they can to help children in need.
Donations of toys may be dropped off at the Lake County Office of Education, 1152 S. Main St. in Lakeport; Best Western El Grande Inn, 15135 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake; Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District office, 19400 Hartmann Road in HVL; and the South Lake County Fire Protection District fire station, 21095 State Route 175 in Middletown.
Monetary donations should be made out and mailed to Toys for Kids, PO Box 6742, Napa, CA 94581, care of Brad Onorato. Non-profit tax identification numbers are: Federal ID No. 30-0142588 and State of California ID No. 2456994. For more information, call 695-4670.
Toys for Kids is partnering with a number of local businesses and public agencies including Lake Transit Authority, Para Transit Services, Inc., Lake Family Resource center, Lake County Office of Education”s Healthy Family and Healthy Start programs, Hidden Valley Lake Community Services District, Wal-Mart in Clearlake and Pacific Gas & Electric.
Toys for Tots with LCCAA
Local volunteer Vicki Ellsworth is spearheading a Toys for Tots collection drive, sponsored by Lake County Community Action Agency.
Toys for Tots collection boxes have been placed at Perfect Printers, Lake County Fire Protection District office, Clearlake Auto Care Center, From Me 2 U, Yuba Community College Clearlake Campus computer lab, Bank of the West, Four Corners True Value Hardware, Wachovia Bank, West America Bank, Main Street Bar & Grill, Evangel Christian Center, Clear Lake Observer*American/Penny Slaver office, Lake County Community Action Agency, Mendo Mill, Java Express, One Stop Automotive, Lakehouse Inn & Bistro and Pampered Pooch in Clearlake; Tower Mart, Clearlake Oaks Fire Department and Mediacom in Clearlake Oaks; and Burton and Jernigan Insurance and Jonas Oil in Lower Lake. For more information call the LCCAA at 995-0495.
Don”t forget to write!
The Clear Lake Observer*American welcomes letters responding to articles and opinions that have appeared in this newspaper, as well as on topics of general interest. Letters can be sent to ObserverAmerican@gmail.com or mailed to PO Box 6200, Clearlake, CA 95422. Please include complete name, address and telephone number. Anonymous submissions will be discarded.
