'Tis the Season for Holiday Giving

By Ioana Patringenaru I December 12, 2005

A 15-year-old girl who is in foster care would like a big Winnie-the-Pooh bear. An elderly couple needs a blanket for the winter. A grandmother wants educational books for her grandson. And many homeless veterans need warm clothes.

UCSD employees will get a chance to help them all during Wednesday's holiday fair at the Price Center. Several employee associations will collect donations during the event.

"There's so much need in the community," said Lourdes Felix, of the Chicano/Latino Staff Association.

Felix's feet already hurt after she spent a few hours Sunday last week shopping for the five teenage foster children and three families the association adopted this year. But she was ready to go back and buy some more. Big 5 was having a good sale, she heard. Felix's extensive shopping list included truck and airplane toys for an 18-month old baby boy, shoes for all the foster children, grocery store gift cards, and sweats for several teenage boys. She had enough funds for the foster children.

"They have to live with strangers and then the holiday comes and for them not to get anything, it's just not right," she said.

But she was short on funds for gifts for the three families, which the association adopted jointly with the School of Medicine. Felix said she hoped the holiday fair would change that. The association will accept both money and gifts, she said.

Meanwhile, the Veterans Association at UCSD is looking for gently used men's clothing, especially warm jackets, sweaters and shoes. The organization also seeks clean, folded towels in good condition. All will go to the Veterans Village of San Diego, a nonprofit organization. And all are needed, said Doug Frost, the nonprofit's director of development. The organization runs an 87-bed drug and rehabilitation facility and a 150-bed winter shelter.

"We're trying to help men and women who've served their country honorably," Frost said.

Frost pointed out the organization has a high success rate. More than 70 percent of those graduating from its rehab program are clean, sober and living independently a year after graduation.

"If the public can support us, it will help with the problem of homelessness right here in San Diego every day," he said.

Also Wednesday, the UCSD Staff Association will collect used eyeglasses and sunglasses for MEDICO, a nonprofit company that provides free medical, dental, and optometric care in developing countries. The Visual Arts Group (VAG) will sell artwork by UCSD staff and faculty members who are established or emerging artists. The 2006 VAG calendar also will be on sale with a gift envelope for $8.95. A portion of the proceeds will go to staff scholarships.