HOW TO HELP

About 300 private, nonprofit social service agencies feed, clothe and house the needy in Orange County. Those needing volunteer time, money or donations include:

Share Our Selves, 661 Hamilton St., Costa Mesa, (714) 642-3451. Provides emergency food baskets, medical and dental clinics and financial resources, as available, for gasoline, shelter and utility aid for about 20,000 people a month. Need volunteers, food, clothing and money.

Lutheran Social Services, main office: 12432 9th St. Garden Grove, (714) 534-6450; 215 N. Lemon St., Fullerton, (714) 738-1058. Provides emergency food, clothing, transportation, utilities, some shelter for about 24,000 people a year in two offices. “Real Help” program has rotating soup kitchen at five churches in Garden Grove. Needs donations of clothing and food, cash and volunteers.

Southwest Community Center, 1601 W. Second St. in Santa Ana, (714) 547-4073. Provides hot breakfast and lunch 365 days a year to 400 people a day. Emergency food boxes and clothes distributed. Needs canned goods, paper goods, dairy products and volunteers. Training provided.

Orange County Rescue Mission, 1901 W. Walnut St., Santa Ana, (714) 835-0499. Christian-based organization providing temporary shelter for 54 men and eight women, meals, showers, fresh change of clothes, bus passes, long-term counseling to re-enter mainstream. Needs cash donations, clothing, non-perishable food for the holidays and volunteers to help serve holiday meals.

Jewish Family Service, 12181 Buaro St., Suite G, P.O. Box 3120, Garden Grove, (714) 537-4980. Provides counseling, refugee resettlement, emergency aid, services to older adults, information and referral to 5,000 people a year. Needs volunteers, food and money.

McCullough Ministries/Adopt a Neighbor, 25651-H Taladro Circle, Mission Viejo, (714) 581-6802. Nonprofit organization providing emergency food for 30,000 people a month and counseling referrals and notary services. Needs canned food, money and volunteers.

Street People in Need, 4921 Birch St., Suite 190, Newport Beach, (714) 757-1456. Volunteers associated with Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach take food, clothing and hygiene kits to 700 street people a week. Need volunteers and clothing, particularly packages of tube socks, clean blankets, toiletries, first-aid supplies, and money for bus passes, fresh food, and overnight motel rooms. Sheepfold, P.O. Box 3948, Tustin, (714) 669-9569. Private, Christian, nonprofit organization operates four shelters, one a 24-hour emergency shelter, for 60 women and children a night. Needs food, paper supplies, diapers, bunk beds, cleaning supplies, children’s clothes, feminine hygiene items, laundry soap and money.

Orange County Homeless Issues Task Force, 13252 Garden Grove Blvd., Suite 200, Garden Grove, (714) 740-1157. Operates winter Armory Shelter programs in Santa Ana and Fullerton for 250 people and is heading the Interfaith Shelter Network--a rotating shelter program starting Nov. 15 in county churches for 60 single men and women. Needs volunteers to serve food, staff telephones and coordinate programs.

Friendship Shelter, 1335 Coast Highway, Laguna Beach, (714) 494-6928. Food and shelter for 20 single men and women at a time, including mentally ill. Provides job counseling, financial management, Alcoholics Anonymous groups, self-esteem groups and referrals to other agencies. Needs money and volunteers for transportation, clerical and counseling work.

Fullerton Interfaith Emergency Services, P.O. Box 6334, Fullerton, (714) 871-3032. Funds and operates one shelter in downtown Fullerton for 36 families a year and also pays for motel rooms, food vouchers and other emergency services for 18,000 people year. Needs volunteers to interview people, prepare food, donations of non-perishable food and cash for bus passes, prescriptions, car parts and other needs.

Habitat for Humanity, P.O. Box 7086, Orange, (714) 639-5557. Local branch of a national nonprofit Christian housing ministry providing at-cost, self-help housing projects in Santa Ana, Anaheim and Santa Margarita. Needs volunteers with administrative, office and professional skills in architecture, construction and real estate.

Halcyon Family Shelter/Anaheim Interfaith Shelter, P.O. Box 528, Anaheim, (714) 774-8502. Provides temporary shelter for 10 families at a time. Needs money, volunteers, furniture and food.

Food Banks: Food Services Center, Orange County Community Development Council, 1695 W. MacArthur Blvd., Costa Mesa, (714) 540-9293; and Society of St. Vincent de Paul Food Distribution Center, 426-A W. Almond Ave., Orange, (714) 771-1343. Both need surplus food, cash donations and volunteers.

Further opportunities may be obtained by calling the Volunteer Center of Orange County, 1440 E. First St., Santa Ana, (714) 953-5757. Clearinghouse matches 25,000 volunteers a year with jobs.