Published December 17th, 2014
Tis the Season of Giving
Roughing It Camp Joins Spirit of Giving
Join Roughing It in the spirit of giving this holiday season. We are collecting donations of coats, non-perishable food, and unwrapped toys until Dec. 18 for these wonderful causes: Coats for One Warm Coat, the Contra Costa Food Bank, and Toys for Tots. Drop off your items between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Roughing It Camp Office, 1010 Oak Hill Road in Lafayette.

Support the Spirit Van Through Donations, Volunteering
The Lamorinda Spirit Van is a transportation program that offers affordable rides to local shopping centers and medical appointments for Lamorinda's most vulnerable older adults. Its clients are overwhelmingly widows in the later years of their lives who have not only outlived their husbands, but also their ability to drive. In most cases it offers some sort of independence, and avoids the need for these folks to rely on the generosity of friends and family or to move into institutions. Almost all the drivers are volunteers who donate the equivalent of about $75,000 per year of their time to support the program. The program needs your help. A small donation from Lamorinda families could provide additional funds for the support of these vulnerable folks and improve individual lives "one trip at a time." Your tax-deductible check may be made payable to the City of Lafayette and mailed to: Lamorinda Spirit Van, c/o Lafayette Community Center, 500 St. Mary's Road, Lafayette, CA 94549. For anyone interested in becoming a volunteer driver, please call (925) 283-3534.

Orinda's 'Cans for a Cause' Food Drive
Benefits Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano
Show how much you care, Orinda, by helping to collect 10,000 pounds of food this holiday season. Drop off your donations at specially marked collection bins at: Orinda City Hall, Orinda Community Center, the Orinda Union School District's administration building, or any of Orinda's elementary schools through Dec. 19. (Contact sites for specific collection dates and times.) Items needed: peanut butter, hearty soups, dried or canned beans, canned tuna and chicken, canned tomato products, 100 percent fruit juice (48 ounces or less plastic bottles), canned vegetables and fruits, enriched rice or pasta, iron rich and whole grain cereals, powdered milk. For more information, call: (925) 570-5654.

Lafayette Rotary Club Coat Drive
Every year the Lafayette Rotary Club is collecting gently used coats to donate to Shelter Inc. of Contra Costa. At a recent Rotary meeting Executive Director Timothy O'Keefe pointed out how important the Rotary coat drive is every year at the start of the cold season to serve many homeless community members with warm clothing. This year the club is inviting the community to bring gently used coats (adult or kids sizes) to the following locations in Lafayette: Blodgett's Abbey Carpet & Flooring, 3291 Mt Diablo Ct., Lafayette, and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, 100 Lafayette Circle, Ste. 103, Lafayette.

Toy Drive for Needy or Homeless Children
Every year since Leslie DeWolf's daughter started Brownies/Girl Scouts, they have taken a barrel from the Bay Area Rescue Mission and asked a business to host it. "We have seen amazing generosity and felt the true joy of the season," she says. If you feel blessed and would like to bring happiness to a needy or homeless child this season, bring an unwrapped gift for a boy or girl of any age to Smile Tu, Inc., 2933 Ygnacio Valley Road in Walnut Creek.

Reach the reporter at:

back
Copyright Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA