Giving back with some packs

The line of parents with grade-school-age children and teenagers in tow in front of the Westside Costa Mesa nonprofit Share Our Selves stretched for blocks down Superior Avenue on Saturday morning, slowly lurching forward as families left the center with new backpacks stuffed full of school supplies, gift cards for shoes, socks and belts.

Share Our Selves gave away anywhere from 1,500 to 1,700 new backpacks Saturday to low-income families who are struggling to pay for basic items like folders and new shoes for the coming school year.

“The need is greater this year than ever before,” said Vanessa Ontiveros, operations manager of social services at Share Our Selves.

Ontiveros estimates the nonprofit, which provides medical, financial and social services to local low-income families, has seen a 40% jump in demand for its financial and social services this year.

About 300 people were already lined up in front of the nonprofit center waiting for backpacks when Ontiveros arrived at 6 a.m. on Saturday, she said.

Lake Forest resident Joseph Aviles stood in line in front of Share Our Selves on Saturday in hopes of bringing home backpacks for seven of his eight children, who range in age from 7 months to 18 years.

In better times, Aviles was a loan officer, he said, but now he works construction and whatever odd jobs he can get to support his family.

Buying new backpacks and school supplies for seven children was just too expensive for him and his wife to do on their own this year, he said.

“When I am back on my feet, I want to give back and give this place money,” Aviles said. “It’s a miracle; they help you when you need it.”

Orange resident Nadia Mateo waited in line for more than an hour Saturday to get backpacks for her two children, ages 7 and 9.

Mateo’s hours at her job, in sales for a water filtration company, have been cut this year because of the sluggish economy, she said.

“I’m also not making many sales, so things are hard right now,” Mateo said. “It’s good that this place is helping families.”

Santa Ana resident Juana Ortega waited in line for two hours for backpacks for her two children, ages 15 and 11.

A single mother, Ortega is currently unemployed, she said, and could not afford to buy school supplies for her children this year.

“It’s a great thing that they are helping low-income families,” she said.

A team of about 40 volunteers put together the backpacks, stuffed full of donations from local churches and corporations. This year, Share Our Selves collected donations from businesses like Hyundai, Hot Topic, Experian and United Healthcare.

“We couldn’t do this without their help and generosity,” Ontiveros said.

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How To Help

Share Our Selves currently needs donations of pet food, diapers, bottles and baby food. For more information on how to donate, visit www.shareourselves.org or call (949) 515-5400.