LAKE COUNTY – Santa Claus wears many faces – those of friends, neighbors, perfect strangers. And this year, of all years, he didn't let the economy get him down.
Toy drives and efforts to raise resources for needy families this holiday season were generous despite an economy that has been difficult across a broad spectrum.
On Wednesday, local law enforcement agencies – Lake County Sheriff's Office, California Highway Patrol, Lakeport and Clearlake Police departments and the District Attorney's Office – gathered at the District Attorney's Victim-Witness Division in Lakeport to begin distributing toys to child victims Victim-Witness worked with this year.
Debbie Wallace, Victim-Witness supervisor, said the annual toy drive has been taking place for more than a decade.
Every year, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Lakeport asks Victim-Witness for a list of children and their Christmas requests, said Wallace.
Wallace said Victim-Witness starts compiling the list, which it gives to St. Mary's in November. St. Mary's then places the children's names on tree at the church, where parishioners buy and wrap the presents and return them to Victim-Witness.
On Wednesday, the various agencies – along with McGruff the Crime Dog and Chipper the CHP mascot – gathered to collect the presents and distribute them around the county to the families.
Wallace said the Lake County Auditor's Office asks Victim-Witness each year for the most needy family, who they provide with baskets of gifts and supplies.
She said there has been no lag in gift-giving, with generosity very high this year.
A county toy collection drive for children at a local foster care agency also saw a generous outpouring once again this year, said Supervisor Rob Brown, who organizes the effort.
The agency sends Brown a list of the children's requests, which he then forwards to county employees, whose generosity he says never ceases to amaze him.
“They always come through and this year was no exception,” Brown said.
County employees donated 300 toys and $1,500, said Brown, with more still coming in. He believes more money was raised this year than last. “It's pretty amazing.”
The toys were distributed this last week, said Brown. When more came in, he took them to another local foster care agency.
“The kids never come up short on their gifts,” he said.
He added, “There's no shortage of people who are willing to give this time of year.”
'Amazing' outpouring of support
One local effort that grew by leaps and bounds this year was the Clearlake City Hall Christmas Wish Tree.
Clearlake City Council member Judy Thein and City Clerk Melissa Swanson championed the effort, which nearly quadrupled the number of children whose wishes it granted this year.
Thein said 2007 was the wish tree's first year, and it provided toys and gifts for 42 local children. This year, the city started out with 60, but thanks to the community's donations they were able to continue adding names to their list.
By the time the effort wrapped up – pardon the expression – this past weekend, they had gifts for approximately 156 children, said Thein. The effort raised a total of $1,400.
The children the tree granted wishes to this year ranged in age from 3 to 17, said Thein.
Several hundred gifts under tucked under the wish tree, including skateboards, dolls, remote control cars and trucks, a scooter, a rocking horse, action figures, musical toys and just about every other toy imaginable. Thein said the children's basic wishes included warm clothes, slippers, socks, pajamas, gloves and other basic necessities.
“Many of the simple, basic needs of some of these children pulled at the heart strings of many,” she said.
Thein said local businesses donated merchandise for the children. In addition, volunteers and city staff volunteered their time to make ornaments, shop and wrap the gifts, which took place last Saturday. They also donated wrapping paper and ribbons.
“Even though the economy is sagging, the hearts of the people within the community were enormous,” said Thein.
She said Child Protective Services and Lake Family Resource Center picked up the gifts on Monday and began distributing them to the children.
“For some of these kids, these will be the only gifts they receive,” she said.
Thein said the wish tree's success was due to the community coming together to help as they could. She said the tree will be an annual holiday tradition. “My heart is so touched by the support of our community.”
Across the lake in Lakeport, Paula Bryant, vice president of Umpqua Bank, called the support for the bank's wish tree – which gathered presents for Child Protective Services – “truly amazing.”
“We were a little worried in light of the state of the economy that we might not be able to get all of the tags off of the tree in time,” she said. “We had over 150 names between the Lakeport and Kelseyville branches, but they were gone in record time!"
Bryant said the bank has been doing this for almost 20 years and she's still overwhelmed by the response every year. This year the residents of Lake County really stepped up to the plate.
She said there are some parents and grandparents who bring their kids in every year to get a tag and shop with funds they have earned. Bryant said she even saw a couple of people who currently are unemployed take a tag.
“The Spirit of giving is in Lake County, that's for sure!” she said.
E-mail Elizabeth Larson at
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