Don't Be a Scrooge DECEMBER IS THE TIME TO GIVE TO OTHERS LESS FORTUNATE
BY GLORIA GLYER DOING GOOD
D
ecember: 31 days designed for family fun and good cheer. It’s also the month for everyone to dig deep and give, give, give. You don’t have to give a lot. How about a plate of cookies for a shut-in, neighbor, relative you rarely see or even the person sitting right next to you at work? Or consider replicating Operation Christmas Child, an international project that sends gifts to needy children overseas. It’s too late to participate in the project this year, but you could create a gift box for a needy organization here in Sacramento. Find a local nonprofit that helps kids or seniors. The prospects are endless.
BIRTHDAY GIRL Grace Mahan is a kindergartner at Madrone Montessori School in El Dorado Hills. Just before her fifth birthday party, her mother asked Grace if she wanted to keep her birthday presents or donate them to children at Sacramento Crisis Nursery. At first, Grace said she wanted gifts “just like everyone else.” Her mom reminded her daughter
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that she did not have to be like everyone else. Grace thought about it for a few days and decided to give her presents to the crisis nursery. At her party, more than 40 classmates, friends and cousins showered her with usable gifts such as diapers, pasta, cereal, crackers, juice, clothing and gift cards. The greatest gift for Grace? Delivering the products to the nursery. For thinking of others, Grace will be honored at the Teddy Bear Tea presented by Friends of the Crisis Nursery on Saturday, Dec. 7, at Del Paso Country Club. For tickets, call 290-8203 or go to kidshome.org.
BIKE TREK Breathe California’s 27th annual Emigrant Trails Bike Trek, held in September, raised more than $160,000 for the organization. More than 250 cyclists and 80 volunteers participated in the trek. The top fundraising individuals were Bob Roehrs, Sue Schooley and Barney Gerber. Top fundraising teams were Kaiser Permanente, Regional Transit and Bodacious Biking Babes. The Electric Bike Shop Superdogs fielded a small team with the highest fundraising average, and Team Pedal Club was the largest new team. Breathe California is a nonprofit organization devoted to preventing lung and other air-pollution-related diseases. For more information, go to sacbreathe.org.
CASA GETS A MAKEOVER Casa Garden Restaurant, which raises funds for Sacramento
Children’s Home, won uLink Network’s $50,000 marketing makeover contest. The makeover will include the services of a team of marketing professionals for a year. Casa Garden rallied its customers to garner 46 percent of the 11,275 votes cast. For more information about Casa Garden Restaurant, call 4522809 or go to casagardenrestaurant. org.
PLANT IT Sunburst Projects provides support services for families affected by HIV/ AIDS. Local plant expert Robert Hamm holds plant sales throughout the year to raise money for the group. This year, he has raised more than $8,000. For more information about Sunburst Projects, call 440-8889 or go to sunburstprojects.org.
SHELTER EXPANSION
FEST TIME DesCor Builders recently hosted its third annual Oktoberfest to benefit Sierra Forever Families, which helps place foster children into permanent homes. The average cost to place a child into a permanent home is $5,000. Each year for the past three years, DesCor has helped place two children into permanent homes. For more information about Sierra Forever Families, go to sierraff.org.
HomeAid Sacramento has taken on a new project: helping St. John’s Shelter expand from 14 to 31 bedrooms. The expansion will also allow the shelter to triple its childcare and classroom space and will create separate infant and toddler areas and an expansive fenced-in outdoor play area. Construction-industry participants in the project include Eskaton, K. Hovnanian, Capital City Drywall, Timberworks Construction, Heckman Construction, Citadel Premium Design and JMS Site Services. For more information, call 751-2746 or go to homeaidsac.org.
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