A season when local giving really counts A season when local giving really counts (December 23, 2005)

With the Pleasanton Weekly's 2005 Holiday Fund campaign coming to a close, we urge those who have not yet given to consider a charitable donation that can help local nonprofits and also be claimed as an income tax deduction on 2005 tax returns. An additional benefit of giving to this fund is that the Tri-Valley Community Foundation is providing a 50-percent match for all contributions, which means adding 50 cents to every dollar you contribute.

We can be proud of Pleasanton's generosity over the past year. The Asian tsunami of December 2004 and the devastating hurricanes in New Orleans and the Gulf States brought donations to the Red Cross and other relief agencies totaling several million dollars from individuals, students, businesses and organizations in Pleasanton, alone. According to GuideStar, an organization that tracks charitable giving, this trend to contribute quickly and often to U.S. charities is a continuation of how Pleasanton and other communities have reacted since 9/11 to extraordinary events that require extraordinary responses.

Meanwhile, local charities that have always counted on continuing donations during the year saw their donations drop. Yet demands on the six charities the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund is supporting in this year's campaign have increased: *Axis Community Health, the Tri-Valley's sole provider of medical care for the area's working families who do not have health insurance, has seen a 20-percent increase in the number of children under the age of 12 that it treats. For every $500 Axis receives from the Holiday Fund, it can provide another four hours of pediatric service. *Kaleidoscope Activity Center is an after-school program that serves developmentally disabled children and young adults ages 5 to 22. Although the program is funded by the Easter Seals organization, it faced serious cutbacks three years ago due to an economic downturn, and needs the help of the Holiday Fund more than ever to continue and expand its services. *Open Heart Kitchen, the Tri-Valley's only "soup kitchen," has served more than 130,000 meals to the hungry and those in need so far this year, up from 27,000 meals just two years ago. A generous donation of $100 would feed over 65 guests. *Ryan Comer Cancer Resource Center of ValleyCare focuses on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Money from the Holiday Fund will go to support its personalized references assistance and access to medical databases, plus for updated articles, books, videos and models to aid those with cancer. *Tri-Valley Haven offers services and protection for battered woman and their children and victims of sexual assault. So far this year, it has housed 224 women and children, along with 86 homeless people. Holiday Fund contributions are especially needed to support its 24-hour crisis line and other emergency communication services, which now run over $2,000 a month. *Valley Humane Society is a Pleasanton animal shelter that provides temporary housing to our abandoned furry friends until they can be placed in suitable homes. A shelter of last resort, the contributions it will receive from the Holiday Fund will help complete work on a new facility and expand its services.

This marks the third year of the Pleasanton Weekly Holiday Fund. It also may be your last opportunity of the year to contribute to these needy nonprofits while also taking advantage of a 2005 tax deduction and having your contribution matched by another 50 percent thanks to our unique partnership with the Tri-Valley Community Foundation. We hope you'll join in this truly local charitable campaign.

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