SANDY BANKS - No doubt it's cliche, but it's also heartfelt

Behind a fence in the schoolyard, the "event producers" were onstage, lauding the spunk of residents in South Los Angeles as tow-headed tykes in "Kids for Peace" T-shirts mugged for the cameras and volunteers from Pacific Palisades and Studio City applauded.

"Remember to say 'Happy Holidays' when you give them their box of food," one charity honcho in a Santa Claus hat reminded her corps of young volunteers.

I was tempted to write off the event as a holiday cliche -- a bunch of suburban do-gooders playing Santa to the ghetto down-and-out.

But when I looked away from the stage and toward the alley -- where boxes of food, cleaning supplies, juice and toys were being handed out -- I couldn't distinguish the helpers from the needy.

Roman and Gilberta Santiago could easily have been in line this time. He's a cook and she's a waitress, but work has been spotty and they've struggled this year.

Still, when their sons -- both Celerity Nascent students -- brought notices home asking for help passing out food to needy families, they didn't hesitate to volunteer.

Gilberta grew up poor in Mexico, one of seven children. "We were happy to have something for dinner on Christmas," she said. "A roasted chicken, some sandwiches, maybe some sodas. . . . For us, Santa is very nice to make sure we have some food to eat."

Now, she worries that her sons are disappointed, "because they don't get those beautiful and expensive Nintendos" -- toys their parents can't afford.

"I want for them to understand that sometimes you have to give instead of just asking for things. That some kids, in 10 or 11 years, have never had even one toy."

So her husband helped old ladies and single mothers carry food boxes to their cars. Gilberta helped keep the line moving. Her sons handed out the donated toys.

"Sometimes we get so buried in our own problems," Gilberta said later, "we forget how good we have it."

The Santiago family was among dozens from the 2-year-old charter school helping the charities pass out provisions. Most of Celerity Nascent's students are poor; more than 90% live below the poverty line.