Charities Los Angeles County

A handful of local companies have joined a volunteer center to form the Corporate Volunteer Council of the San Fernando Valley to help one another and local charities. "We are trying to find corporations interested in bettering the community," said Joan Kagan, administrator of agency relations for the Volunteer Center of the San Fernando Valley, which started the council based on a model created by the Points of Light Foundation.

In body and spirit, Cage Garrett Jr. had withered like an old, crooked elm in the dead of winter. He could barely lift his head or speak, and his T-cell count was dangerously low. He didn't know the day of the week, but that didn't matter, because each seemed molded by the same gray agony. It was almost Thanksgiving, 1998. Homeless and HIV positive, Garrett sought shelter at the Salvation Army Bethesda House in downtown Los Angeles.

There's Florence, Lila, Dottie, Doris and Eva, for instance. And Irene, who is coordinator of FISH of West Valley, the 27-year-old food pantry and emergency aid agency that relies on church volunteers. Those women and others responded in a hectic December to 1,600 telephone calls to FISH, a reference to the ancient Christian symbol for Christ. At Christmastime, they distributed gifts for nearly 500 children and bulging baskets of food for 165 families.

The economy may be flush, but a far smaller percentage of Los Angeles County residents donated to charity this year than last, falling below the state and national rates, a recent survey found. Those who did give tended to be older, leaving charities worried that the percentage could decline further in the future. Most of the people mailing donations to the Salvation Army in Southern California, for example, are over 70, said Lt. Col. Alfred Van Cleef, the divisional commander.

With tens of thousands of legal immigrants losing food stamp benefits as of today, private aid agencies and local officials are gearing up for what will be the most dramatic manifestation to date of last year's sweeping overhaul of federal welfare law. The burden will largely fall to the county's extensive network of private food pantries, churches, soup kitchens and other emergency providers.

Sunkist Growers Inc., which is facing a lawsuit by the Justice Department for allegedly violating federal marketing quotas, has joined forces with its German marketing partner to donate more than $150,000 to two dozen charities as part of its celebration of 100 years in business. Representatives of groups ranging from San Fernando Valley Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts to AIDS Project L.A.

Twelve San Fernando Valley residents will be honored for their community contributions during a ceremony Wednesday night at Northridge Fashion Center. The hourlong event, scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. in Center Court, will feature appearances by City Councilman Hal Bernson, KNBC-TV Channel 4 weatherman Christopher Nance and the San Fernando Valley Youth Community Choir.

The economy may be flush, but a far smaller percentage of Los Angeles County residents donated to charity this year than last, falling below the state and national rates, a recent survey found. Those who did give tended to be older, leaving charities worried that the percentage could decline further in the future. Most of the people mailing donations to the Salvation Army in Southern California, for example, are over 70, said Lt. Col. Alfred Van Cleef, the divisional commander.

They arrived in this Watts neighborhood, grown-up knees crammed into the vinyl seats of two Bluebird school buses. They grabbed some coffee, and with garden shears and paint rollers, set to fixing the ailing Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club on East 120th Street. Some came from Brentwood, others from Sherman Oaks. Miguel Michel, 31, didn't have as far to travel--he brought his family from Florence and Vermont avenues. He spends the week packing fish at Smoke and Fish Co.

The last in a series of blood testing drives to save a Burbank boy suffering from leukemia who needs a bone marrow transplant will be held Saturday at a local Catholic church. "The money has stopped coming in. After this Saturday's drive there probably won't be another," said Peg Setti, organizer of the effort to find a donor for 11-year-old Greg Smith, a fifth-grader at St. Francis Xavier Elementary School.

Los Angeles County has one of the nation's highest rates of high-income households, but donations to charities are much more modest, the United Way reported Tuesday. The Southland ranks fifth among major metropolitan areas in donations to charities in general, according to tax records analyzed by the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. The area ranks near the bottom when it comes to United Way donations alone.

Tonja Rogers, 25, has been an outcast for most of her life. At 3 weeks old, her tiny body was ravaged by a rare genetic disease, herpes encephalitis, which left her severely retarded, blind and prone to violent fits. Her parents, Larry and Sherry Rogers, didn't know it at the time, but Tonja's problems would alienate her not just from the outside world, but also from facilities that traditionally care for the developmentally disabled or the blind.

As streams of holiday shoppers pass her by, Marjorie Moorhous stands in the Santa Monica Promenade, ringing a bell and continuously smiling. Hers is the face most people envision when they think of the Salvation Army. When donors plop change into her kettle, she gives back a hug and a "God bless." And when they walk away, she remarks how good it feels to know the money is going "to help folks who need the Army's help."

Los Angeles County residents give generously to charities, but many believe that philanthropic groups spend too much of their budgets on administration, according to a survey released today. Nearly three-quarters of county residents--73%--gave money or property for charitable purposes during the past 12 months, according to a poll of 611 randomly selected adults commissioned by the California Community Foundation.

There's Florence, Lila, Dottie, Doris and Eva, for instance. And Irene, who is coordinator of FISH of West Valley, the 27-year-old food pantry and emergency aid agency that relies on church volunteers. Those women and others responded in a hectic December to 1,600 telephone calls to FISH, a reference to the ancient Christian symbol for Christ. At Christmastime, they distributed gifts for nearly 500 children and bulging baskets of food for 165 families.

The largest Christmas party in town had something in common with the smallest on Sunday as people around Los Angeles stopped what they were doing to help feed the poor and give toys to needy children. Hundreds of volunteers descended on downtown's skid row to distribute toys, groceries and Christmas trees to about 7,000 people who lined up for blocks outside the Fred Jordan Mission.

The clothing center run by the Pacoima community service group MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) is back in business after a monthlong hiatus. The center, at 13460 Van Nuys Blvd., reopened Monday after being closed due to staff turnover, said MEND Executive Director Marianne Haver Hill. "We thought it was a good time to close it and clean it out," Haver Hill said. "We've reorganized, expanded, added a children's play area, repainted . . .

Los Angeles County residents give generously to charities, but many believe that philanthropic groups spend too much of their budgets on administration, according to a survey released today. Nearly three-quarters of county residents--73%--gave money or property for charitable purposes during the past 12 months, according to a poll of 611 randomly selected adults commissioned by the California Community Foundation.

They arrived in this Watts neighborhood, grown-up knees crammed into the vinyl seats of two Bluebird school buses. They grabbed some coffee, and with garden shears and paint rollers, set to fixing the ailing Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club on East 120th Street. Some came from Brentwood, others from Sherman Oaks. Miguel Michel, 31, didn't have as far to travel--he brought his family from Florence and Vermont avenues. He spends the week packing fish at Smoke and Fish Co.

With tens of thousands of legal immigrants losing food stamp benefits as of today, private aid agencies and local officials are gearing up for what will be the most dramatic manifestation to date of last year's sweeping overhaul of federal welfare law. The burden will largely fall to the county's extensive network of private food pantries, churches, soup kitchens and other emergency providers.