Fishing for volunteers to help bring season cheer

JIM DE BOOM

Friends in Service to Humanity needs volunteers for its 2004

Christmas event on Dec. 19 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., that will bring

Christmas to more than 250 local families that would otherwise go

without.

Through the help of our supporters, the group is providing all the

trimmings for a meal to feed a family of six, and gifts for the

children.

Be a part of bringing Christmas to working poor families in Orange

County.

The organization is looking for volunteers to provide

transportation, coordinate registration and crowd control, according

to executive director Dana Timmermans.

“Over the next two weeks, FISH and volunteers will also be

delivering Christmas to an additional 300 families in need,”

Timmermans said.

“Most of the gifts and food have already been donated. Now you can

join us in the fun part of getting Christmas to the families.”

Volunteer families, individuals and groups are welcome to join in

the fun. Please call (949) 515-3815, Ext. *222, or e-mail

fish-ha@pacbell.net to sign up.

COMPUTER CLASS A LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEA

The next session of eight-week-long computer classes sponsored by

SeniorNet will begin on Jan. 10 at the Costa Mesa Senior Center.

Designed for those 50 and older, these classes feature a

student-to-instructor ratio of two-to-one. State-of-the-art computers

are used in the two-hour-long classes each of which is held once a

week.

The fees include access to a supervised computer lab where one can

practice or receive individual instruction.

There is special four-week class is suitable for those who can

barely spell “computer,” called Computing Made Easy and at $20, it is

a steal.

Introduction to computers, using Windows XP, is a basic course,

but it assumes that the student is relatively familiar with the

keyboard and the use of the mouse.

Eight other classes are available to those seniors who have some

familiarity with simple computer commands, including digital photo

editing, digital cameras, scanners, e-mail, Quicken and Print Shop.

The fee for each eight-week class is $65 for members of the Costa

Mesa Senior Center and $75 for nonmembers. Membership in SeniorNet is

also required at $40 a year.

Signups are now being accepted at the Costa Mesa Senior Center

(19th Street and Pomona Avenue). Call (949) 645-2354 for more

information.

READING BY NINE TIME

During the past four years, Daily Pilot readers and the Rotary

Clubs of Newport-Balboa, Newport Irvine and Newport Beach Sunrise

efforts have delivered more than 20,000 books in support of the Los

Angeles Times Reading by 9 program.

The books have gone to kindergarten through third grade students

at Pomona, Whittier and Wilson elementary schools, the ones with the

highest percentage of limited English speaking students in the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

“Each year, the API scores at the three schools continues to

climb, thanks in part to the availability of Reading by 9 books,

dedicated teachers and an increasing number of volunteers in the

classroom,” said Roger McGonegal, the chairman of Rotary Reading by 9

chairman and a member of Newport-Balboa’s Rotary.

This year, the three Rotary Clubs challenge Daily Pilot readers to

match the $2,750 they are putting up to buy books for the three

schools.

Your $10 donation will be matched by the Rotary Clubs and

Scholastic Books to buy 11 reading books.

A $25 donation will be matched to buy 30 books; a $50 donation

will be matched to buy 58 books and so on.

Your tax-deductible donation to buy Reading by 9 books can be made

payable and mailed to Rotary District 5320 Foundation, c/o Daily

Pilot, 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

Book orders are due in January, so pull out your checkbook and

help provide additional resources to Pomona, Whittier and Wilson

elementary schools.

Make your investment and then watch the dividends grow.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for Today, provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport

Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “The art of leadership is saying no,

not saying yes. It is very easy to say yes.”

-- TONY BLAIR

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 48-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns Restaurant for a program by Frank Van Nostrand of

the Social Security Public Affairs Office. (www.newportbeach

sunriserotary.org)

WEDNESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the

University Athletic Club.

Noon: The Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at the Bahia

Corinthian Yacht Club to hear Paul Russell on terrorism.

6 p.m.: The 50-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club for a Christmas Boat Parade Party and

dinner. (www.newportbalboa.org)

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s Cafe. (www.cmoclions.org)

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn. (www.kiwanis.org/club/

costamesa); The 100-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at

the Radisson Hotel for a Christmas program. (www.nirotary.org)

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655

or jdeboom@aol.com.