‘We get to share their joy’

Two giant warehouses at the Orange County Fairgrounds were ground zero Thursday morning for Share Our Selves’ 40th annual Adopt-A-Family program, where they were filled with all manner of foods, toys and housewares that were removed within a matter of hours.

Representatives of schools in Costa Mesa and Santa Ana came by later in the day to pick up the donors’ gifts, which will be distributed to the area’s 1,387 neediest families this week.

Donations to local families ranged from traditional gifts like sock monkeys and toy cars to the one-off, like frozen turkeys, a refrigerator and a dining table and chairs.

For many companies and families, volunteering to assist in the logistical nightmare of sorting and arranging all the gifts for pickup has become an annual tradition.

“Folks are volunteering for the seventh year in a row,” said Vanessa Ontiveros, the nonprofit’s operations manager of social services. “It’s also fun for the people who come for the first time, when the warehouse is bare, and get to watch it fill up.”

“At the end of it, Christmas is here,” said Steve Forbath, whose mother, Jean, founded Share Our Selves and organized the first Adopt-A-Family program. “Jumping in and helping really makes things brighten up.”

A group called the Mitzvah Club, chaired by an 11-year-old girl, creates hundreds of thank-you cards that are given to every donor. Local restaurants feed the volunteers, and the warehouse has a festive feel.

“It’s like every year they improve something. It just gets better and better,” said community facilitator Laura Wagenseller, who was collecting goods for Whittier Elementary.

“This is probably one of the highlights of our year, because we deal with rough things all year. This is the best way to end the calendar year,” said community facilitator Fausto Hinojosa He was picking up gifts for kids at Killybrooke Elementary.

When Hinojosa saw a red bike intended for a student he knows personally, he grew reflective.

“I can see him on that bike,” Hinojosa said. “This way, we get to share their joy.”

Students from Costa Mesa and Estancia high schools also volunteer at the fairgrounds.

Costa Mesa High teacher Anna Wooten’s special education students are now in their second year participating in the program.

Two dozen kids greeted donors, unloaded cars, sorted food and performed a variety of tasks throughout the day.

“It’s a huge privilege for our kids to be here; they have a blast,” Wooten said. The students have to maintain good grades and display model behavior in order to attend.

They also perform many other acts of community service throughout the school year, including work for Mercy House, Save Our Beaches and Habitat for Humanity.

“I am trying to create a sense of community,” Wooten said. “And this is the best place to do it.”

Extra gifts and food gleaned during the drive will go toward the nonprofit’s own stable of families in need.

“The people it touches — it’s endless,” Ontiveros said. “Each kid at SOS will get taken care of.”

As part of the anniversary celebration, Share Our Selves is asking anyone affiliated with the program to share a memory of their experiences.

For more information, call (949) 642-3451 or visit shareourselves.org.