Chasing Down The Muse: Help others in need
Holiday lights are sprouting like jewels in our retailers, on the city streets and in our neighborhoods. My mailboxes — both snail and e-mail — are filled with coupons and sales promotions, and the season of giving marches forward with increasing speed.
As in years past, my personal proclivity is not about “shop ‘til you drop” — although I recognize that means I’m not doing my part to jump-start an aching economy. It’s not that I’m against giving, I simply am aware that my personal (and oft times scarce) dollars are better spent on gifts that keep on giving — i.e., charitable donations in the name of family and friends — than on more stuff.
The season truly begins for me when I step into the alley behind Michael Kang’s Five Feet Restaurant and start carving turkeys, mashing potatoes, stirring gravy, mixing stuffing and boxing the lot for the Someone Cares Soup Kitchen.
Someone Cares Soup Kitchen was founded by Merle Harleberg and has served 250 to 300 meals per day for more 20 years. Not only does the soup kitchen feed bodies, but it initiated an after-school tutoring program in 2001. The program, designed for children from kindergarten to third grade, is committed to improving literacy and academic achievement for at-risk students.
Kang and his restaurant have been donating their services via his annual Turkey Cook-off for 17 years, and if you’ve never been involved, it’s one great community experience.
This year, the festivities — I call them that because everyone has such a great time — begin at 5 p.m. Nov. 24. As Kang says, you can come early to work, or come later to party. And if you’ve got the inclination, he has a wish list that includes donations for the cost of equipment rentals ($1,400), 15 large rolls of duct tape, 100 40-gallon trash bags, black Sharpies, 12 cheap potato peelers, and 250 large aluminum containers with lids.
There are the regular stalwarts who return year after year, and always a gathering of new faces. My experience has been that everyone leaves with their hearts fuller, their hands a bit greasy (OK, maybe their clothes), and their minds open to what the power of giving actually means. Thank you, Michael — again — and in advance.
After the turkeys have been reduced to carcasses on Thanksgiving Day, the real call to shoppers begins its broadcast.
So, if you’ve started making your lists, I’m going to toss out a few ideas that you might weave into your giving.
The following are Laguna Beach charities — always in need — organized by category (to fit your giving desires):
Education
Laguna College of Art and Design
www.lagunacollege.edu Laguna Beach Historical Society
www.lagunahistory.org MacGillivray Freeman Films Educational Foundation
www.mffeducation.org My Hero Project
www.myhero.com SchoolPower, Laguna Beach Education Foundation
Environment
Auto Free Orange County
www.auto-free.net Crystal Cove Alliance
www.crystalcovealliance.net Crystal Cove Interpretive Assn.
www.parks.ca.gov Friends of The Hortense Miller Garden
www.hortensemillergarden.org Laguna Canyon Foundation
www.lagunacanyon.org Laguna Greenbelt, Inc.
Performing Arts
Gallimaufry Performing Arts
www.gallimaufry.org Laguna Beach Chorale
www.lbchorale.org Laguna Beach Live!
www.lagunabeachlive.org The Laguna Playhouse
www.lagunaplayhouse.com No Square Theatre
Fine Arts
Art-A-Fair Foundation
www.artafairfoundation.org Community Art Project
www.caplaguna.org Festival of Arts
www.lagunafestivalofarts.org Festival of Arts Foundation
www.foapom.com Laguna Art Museum
www.lagunaartmuseum.org Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts
www.lagunabeacharts.org Laguna Outreach Community Arts
www.locaarts.org Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.
www.lpapa.org Sawdust Art Festival
www.sawdustartfestival.org Southern California Artists Assn.
Service
American Assn. of University Women Laguna Beach Foundation
www.aauw-lagunabeach.org Assistance League of Laguna Beach
www.lagunabeach.assistanceleague.org Community Courts Foundation
www.communitycourtsfoundation.org Ebell Club of Laguna Beach
www.ebelllagunabeach.com Friendship Shelter/Henderson House
www.friendshipshelter.org Helping Hand Worldwide
www.thehelpinghandworldwide.org Impact Giving Now
www.impactgivingnow.org Laguna Beach Seniors Inc.
www.thesusiq.org Laguna Relief and Resource Center
www.lagunareliefandresourcecenter.com Sally’s Fund
www.sallysfund.org Seed Business Network
www.disabilitybiz.org The R Star Foundation
www.rstar.org Woman’s Club of Laguna Beach
Health
A.C.T.I.O.N. - AIDS Care Teams in Our Neighborhood
www.actionoc.org Canyon Club
www.simeetings.com Heartfelt Cardiac Projects
www.heartfeltcardiacprojects.org Laguna Beach Community Clinic
Youth
Boys and Girls Club of Laguna Beach
www.bgclaguna.org CSP Youth Shelter
Animal Welfare
Blue Bell Foundation for Cats
www.dovecanyon.org/bluebell Friends of Laguna Beach Dog Park
www.lbdogpark.org Pacific Marine Mammal Center
www.pacificmmc.org PUP Laguna Beach
PupLagunaBeach.org Rescuing Unwanted Furry Friends
www.ruffrescue.orgAs can clearly be deduced by the above list, there is no shortage of local Laguna Beach organizations with needs. When I sit down with my family and friends this year, rather than my choosing for them, I’m going to give them this list, and ask where they would most like to help.
Together, we can make a difference.
CATHARINE COOPER loves to explore new ideas. She can be reached at cooperdesign@gmail.com
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