Spevak: In the spirit of Christmas, remember to give to those in need this year
Christmas is a time to remember people in our lives we’ll never forget, but it should also be a time to remember the forgotten.
In our zeal to buy gifts for family and friends who already have enough, we might forget the many children and adults who have little. That would be a shame.
Those who care about their community should kindly respond to local organizations that exhibit the core Christmas spirit by distributing clothes, toys and food to those in need.
In Los Banos there are many organizations that do this, including the Kiwanis Club, the Downtown Association, the Los Banos Police Department, Margaret Benton of Century 21, the Angel Tree and Salvation Army. And there’s still time to respond to local community Christmas projects with a donation.
A longstanding tradition in Los Banos is the annual Kiwanis Christmas dinner, offered free on December 24 to all who make it. This year, the Christmas Eve Day dinner will be a drive-through event at the Los Banos Veterans Hall, located at 615 E Street from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Kiwanis Club has been sponsoring this dinner for 40 years, often coordinated by Jim Valentine, now directed by club president Isabel Mendonca. The club is still accepting donations for the dinner until Dec. 22. Checks can be mailed to the Los Banos Kiwanis Club, P.O. Box 380, Los Banos, CA 93635.
Two Los Banos groups conduct Christmas food drives — the Los Banos Police Department and Margaret Benton of Century 21. In its eighth year, the officers who coordinate the police department food drive ask residents to drop off canned goods and other nonperishable foods at the police station, located at 945 5th St., by Dec. 17.
Local Realtor Marg Benton is also asking for canned goods and other nonperishable food to be dropped off by December 19 at Century 21, located at 1155 E. Pacheco Blvd. Donors will be entered in a drawing Dec. 20 for a $200 Visa gift card.
The Los Banos Downtown Association is collecting toys for local children who otherwise might not see much under their Christmas tree. Toys collected in this drive will be distributed in conjunction with the Los Banos Unified School District to kids in need.
There is still time to donate to the toy drive, if you do so by 4 p.m. Dec, 17. Simply bring a new unwrapped toy to the Los Banos Downtown Association office at 907 Sixth St. anytime Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on or before Dec. 17.
Another long-standing tradition in Los Banos is the Angel Tree. It was started in 1984 by Rhonda Lowe and Doris Wolf, continued for many years by Royal and Martie Lloyd and now directed by Toni Huarte. Throughout those 37 years the Los Banos Rotary Club has been one of its biggest sponsors.
It’s a simple concept. Staff members of the Los Banos Unified School District nominate children who they feel could use an extra gift at Christmas. The children submit a wish for a Christmas gift. Over the years they often asked for simple things like jackets, sweaters or socks.
The children’s gift wishes are then attached to cards hung on Christmas trees at various businesses in town. A person can go up to the tree, select a card, and then either buy the gift the child wants or donate money to the Angel Tree group for them to buy the present.
Angel Tree coordinator Toni Huarte and other volunteers, a few days before Christmas, then go to a store which volunteered to sell items at a discount to the group, buy the gifts the kids asked for, wrap them and then present them to the children’s families.
“It’s a good way to know that your donation is going to someone in your hometown who could use a little extra cheer by getting an extra gift,” Huarte said.
Perhaps the most recognizable group helping at Christmas is the Salvation Army, easily recognized by the red donation kettles set up at various stores in Los Banos. The volunteers in Los Banos who ring the bell reminding folks to give will continue to ring their bells until Christmas Eve.
The Salvation Army uses the kettle donations not only at Christmas but throughout the year to help people in need. A big thanks goes to the many volunteers who stood or sat near kettles since before Thanksgiving and rang the familiar bells. Donating to the Salvation Army is one of the easiest ways to help. Simply drop cash into the kettle on the way into or out of a store.
During the last days prior to Christmas, thanks to many community volunteers, there is still time to remember people in need by giving in the essential spirit of Christmas.
One more appreciation: Thanks to everyone in Los Banos who already brightened the holidays, including the Downtown Association and the Chamber of Commerce for a tree lighting ceremony and a Christmas parade and the Parks and Recreation Department (Joe Heim and his entire staff) for a very joyful Breakfast with Santa. All of these events help unite and bring joy to our community.
John Spevak is a guest columnist for the Los Banos Enterprise. His email is john.spevak@gmail.com.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 2:47 PM.