Donations and volunteers help back-to-school party

BARBARA DIAMOND

Low-income families had their pick of clothes and supplies donated

for Thursday’s Back to School Party at the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club.

“When you see how hard some of the parents work to provide for

their children, you know how much is needed,” Sande St. John said.

St. John is director of the club’s Women’s Resource Center, which

partnered with St. Vincent De Paul to sponsor the party. The event is

a first for the club.

“It started with a drive for used clothing and supplies, but

thanks to the generosity of people in town, we have the cash and

enough stuff for a silent auction to provide some new items for each

kid,” St. John said.

The club will distribute gift certificates to each child and

oversee the purchases, St. John said.

Cash donors included June Neptune, the Beach House, No Square

Theatre and Maureen Tallman, owner of Brown Bag gourmet lunches.

“St. Vincent will make up any shortfalls with a cash donation,”

St. John said.

Richard Blanton donated to the silent auction a box of the ceramic

mushrooms he creates for the Sawdust Festival. He also presented St.

John with 20 ceramic banks shaped like cars with surfboards on the

roofs.

Aliso Creek Inn sent golf reservations for four, without even

being asked, which left St. John more time to knock on doors.

Saffron came through with three boxes of clothes and two boxes of

shoes and a gift certificate. Tung & Groov also donated clothes and a

gift certificate. Billabong gave boxes and boxes of boys’ and girls’

clothing.

“Gayle Waite collected supplies,” St. John said. “And Nick

Hernandez was unbelievably helpful. He was everywhere.”

All the money and the supplies went directly to benefit the

children.

The doors opened at 5 p.m. Donations couldn’t be accepted until

the morning of the event because the club has no place to store them,

St. John said.

The club is part of an international women’s organization

dedicated to enhancing the lives of others through volunteer service.

Sounds like a definition of St. John’s life.

Civic-minded Laguna Beach women organized the local club in 1922.

They met in a building on Forest Avenue where City Hall is now. Asked

by the city to exchange the property for another site in town, club

members extracted a promise that the pepper tree in front of City

Hall would never be removed.

Membership spans the spectrum of political, religious and ethnic

groups.

New members and volunteers for all events are welcomed. For more

information, call (949) 497-1200.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call (949) 494-4321 or fax (949) 494-8979.