ANAHEIM : Rams’ Everett Helps Shelter With Gifts

The Halcyon Family Shelter this week opened a new playground with equipment donated by Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jim Everett.

“I like to get involved with local things, especially with kids,” Everett said. “These are some hard times, and it makes it a little easier when they have something to keep them occupied. It just gives them some alternative stuff to do.”

The shelter in central Anaheim houses 12 families, providing them with food and a home for 60 days while they save money for their own housing.

Ken and Lupe Avilla recently moved to the shelter with their two children after he was laid off from his job in the aerospace industry. Ken Avilla, 38, has been unable to find a new job as an optical engineer making fire control systems on missiles.

He’s now willing to take almost any job, and the couple are thankful to have a temporary home that allowed them to remain under the same roof with their children, Amber, 8, and Erik, 3.

The youngsters preferred their new play equipment to talk of tough times.

In between swings on the monkey bars and trips down the slide, the children said they planned to play on the equipment every day of their summer vacation.

“It’s fun,” Amber said.

Shelter director Beverly Perez said the playground equipment and refrigerators Everett bought for the shelter’s 10 apartments are valued at about $3,900.

“This is the first time we’ll have play equipment,” she said. “Every other shelter has play equipment and we were pretty much the last one, so it was a big to-do.”