Now in its 37th year, the Share Our Selves program has helped more than 1,350 families find people to adopt them. The families will receive at least two gifts per child and a food basket with all the necessary ingredients to prepare a holiday dinner.
The nonprofit aims to help the working poor, typically families sharing small living spaces with other families.
"We do this work because there are a lot of people in need, especially this time of year, especially children," said Vanessa Ontiveros, special projects coordinator at Share Our Selves.
The Salvation Army's adopt-a-family program is providing for 200 Orange County families this holiday season with help from local residents, civic groups and businesses that are donating food, clothing, toys and other needed items for specific family members.
Community involvement makes the Salvation Army's programs possible, Salvation Army spokesman Barry Frost said. Another such program, Angel Tree, collects unwrapped clothing and toys for about 4,000 local, underprivileged children.
"We believe in giving back to the community as much as we can," Frost said. "We know there are families in Orange County that are struggling and need our help at Christmas time."
Other Orange County organizations seek to make the holidays unforgettable for the less fortunate by providing a chance to celebrate and socialize in ways that would otherwise be impossible.
The Crossing Church is reaching out to homeless families in Newport-Mesa this Christmas, and will host a holiday party on Friday that offers food, entertainment, social services and chiropractic consultations to more than 500 homeless people.
