Document text
All together now Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Donna Derby, left, and Mick Johnson load up bags of food to hand out at the Salvation Army. A new effort this year will coordinate agencies' holiday food and gift operations. Agencies coordinate their food and gift efforts to make the holidays easier on donors and recipients By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune The rush is on. By 8:30 Monday morning, 40 people seeking holiday food boxes crowded the Salvation Army's Medford office, the first in an expected wave of 500 Thanksgiving recipients. That's 100 more food baskets than the agency filled last year, and 200 more than the year before that. But despite the increased need, Capt. Lisa VanCleef expects this year's distribution to be smoother than ever. That's because the Salvation Army has joined with ACCESS Inc., Community Works and other social service agencies in a new collaboration aimed at streamlining holiday giving. "People who signed up for Thanksgiving are good to go for Christmas, too," said VanCleef, an organizer of the cooperative. For the first time, people needing holiday help - food, toys, clothing - and people offering holiday help - money, donations, time - will be routed through a single, coordinated process. "Our goal is to serve every needy family in Jackson County with accountability to donors," said Ellen Gray, manager of family and senior services for ACCESS Inc. In the past, local holiday giving has been "a maze for the donors, a maze for the recipients," said Gray. Agencies have conducted independent charity drives, including efforts that last year provided food and toys for more than 1,000 families, including nearly 4,000 kids. But a lack of coordination sometimes led to too many services for some and not enough for others. Some troubled families never knew whether they'd get what they asked for. Some would "agency-hop," registering with many sources to make sure they were taken care of, VanCleef said. And a few would take more than they needed, a practice agency organizers refer to as "double dipping." "Donors have told us they have delivered toys to a recipient and there have already been gifts there," said Gray. Now, however, the three social service agencies, plus St. Vincent dePaul and a gift group called Dale's Christmas Helping Hands will coordinate requests and donations. Dale Kenyon, organizer of the Helping Hands group, will coordinate rosters of needy families, checking names, addresses and phone numbers. "I'll be doing the search to make sure there won't be any more double dipping," she said. "I'm really strict with that." Families will be referred to the Salvation Army for holiday food baskets and toys. VanCleef volunteered to be the clearinghouse for the massive distribution project, which will include a "toy store" where parents can pick last-minute gifts. Her agency will also coordinate volunteers who want to help. ACCESS Inc. will donate holiday food for the boxes and will continue to coordinate the Holiday Shoebox Project that provides gifts and necessities to seniors and disabled shut-ins. ACCESS will also oversee the "adopt a senior" program that matches elderly people with needs and community volunteers. Community Works will coordinate annual giving for 100 families within the agency's own client ranks, and organizers will refer others to the Salvation Army. "It's a way of ensuring that families don't have to go agency-hopping," said Jennifer Durst, a Community Works marketing manager. Other agencies and community groups are encouraged to participate in the collaboration, organizers said. Generosity hits a peak at the holidays, prompting many good efforts and a few mistakes. For instance, said VanCleef, school personnel sometimes organize benefits for low-income families without realizing what other resources are available. "They're acting as social service agencies and they don't know about criteria," she said. "They see Johnny with holes in his jeans and they don't realize that mom and dad make plenty of money; they just don't give it to Johnny." Holiday collaboration has been a goal for years, but the hectic nature of the season and agency turf battles have gotten in the way. This year may not go entirely smoothly - VanCleef encountered computer troubles Monday - but organizers hope it will be the beginning of a partnership that benefits everyone. "This year, we just decided to take a big step forward," Gray said. "We said, 'Let's do this.' " Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.