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Published on 12/22/1999 All articles from this issue

Connecting with needy fills holiday need

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Editorial

There are plenty of reasons to feel good about the holidays. We feel the best reason is knowing you have done your part helping someone less fortunate. Thousands of you have donated through the many toy and food drives, or have volunteered at a charitable agency.

We at the Town Crier have publicized groups whose holiday efforts we feel are worthy of coverage. The staff also has taken turns volunteering at the Community Services Agency in Mountain View, a reputable organization that serves needy individuals and families year-round.

Residents who have donated to organizations such as CSA are to be commended. However, it is another experience altogether to actually work at a place like CSA and see the people affected by these contributions. Only by dealing with these people directly does the importance of helping others really hit home.

We're used to walking into Draeger's and buying whatever we need, anytime. So how do you tell these residents at CSA that they can only take pasta goods on Mondays and canned goods only on Tuesdays? Or remind them they can only take one item per type of food?

It's gratifying to help, but at the same time, there's a quiet sadness about the whole scene. The residents of our community who need CSA are the poorest of the poor, either walking in with their children or driving up in old cars ready for the junkyard. These are people who have had to swallow pride in order to have something to swallow for dinner.

The division between the haves and have-nots is painfully apparent, especially in our communities, as we head back to our comfortable homes in Los Altos and Los Altos Hills.

So what are we getting at? Perhaps a call for a little compassion as we get ready to celebrate Christmas in all its materialistic glory? Perhaps a suggestion to take in a service at church, even if you rarely, if ever, go?

There's a lot of talk about the loss of the religious connection of Christmas. Part of that is losing touch with our humanity as well as our God.

Put yourself in the shoes of the needy. We all make choices, but there are circumstances that seal our fates as well. Some of us could be one job loss away from landing at the door of CSA. Or the good health we take advantage of could leave us - and then where would we be?

To us, Christmas should be something more than joyfully awaiting expensive jewelry and toys wrapped in pretty packages. It's about looking inward - and reaching out. Merry Christmas.