State Hospital Looks to New Areas for Aid : Holidays: Most of the facility’s residents do not have contact with their families, so hope for gifts through donations.

Camarillo State Hospital has turned to schools and private groups in search of Christmas donations this year because the number of gifts from large companies has fallen off considerably, officials said Friday.

The majority of the 70 children and more than 900 adults in residence at the facility for the mentally or developmentally disabled do not have contact with family during the holidays and rely exclusively on donations for their Christmas gifts, officials said.

“Last year, each patient received four or five gifts,” said Jerry Scheurn, coordinator of volunteer services. “This year, we’ll be lucky if each one gets two gifts.”

On Friday, a group of elementary students from Calabasas dropped off a vanload of presents at the hospital as part of a schoolwide effort to help the needy during the holiday season.

“Instead of giving gifts to one another, we wanted our kids to give to an organization,” said Laura Marcinik, director of student activities at the 550-student Meadow Oaks School. “It’s a good lesson for them.”

The children collected stuffed animals, books, games, clothing and other gifts, and eight school representatives brought them to the hospital Friday.

It was the first time that Meadow Oaks had collected gifts for the mentally disabled, Marcinik said. “We had heard that the hospital had been hurting for donations this year, so that made it all the more special for us.”

Scheurn said the school was one of a number of private groups that recently agreed to donate gifts or time to benefit hospital residents.

“The state can’t afford to provide anything but the necessities for our clients, and many of the companies we have relied on in the past have either gone out of business or cut back on their giving,” Scheurn said. “We were really running out of options this year.”

The donations from Meadow Oaks School will help ensure that children at the hospital have gifts to unwrap Christmas morning, but the hospital will still have to scrape to provide enough presents for adult residents, officials said.

“It’s nice that people are thinking about the kids because Christmas is so important for them,” Scheurn said. “But people seem to forget about the adults who are here. It can be a very depressing time for them.”

Scheurn said the hospital tries to schedule musical performances and parties to entertain residents during the holidays, but it’s difficult to create a festive atmosphere for those who cannot leave.

One patient at the hospital said that when staff members began setting up a Christmas tree in one of the units, the residents protested.

“They didn’t want there to be a Christmas tree there because it wasn’t their home,” said Ed, a 23-year-old patient at the hospital. “It’s sad because the people that are staying have to watch when the other kids’ families come and pick them up.

“It’s really a shame that everyone can’t go home for Christmas.”

FYI

Gifts or donations may be sent to Camarillo State Hospital and Developmental Center, 1878 S. Lewis Road, Camarillo 93011, to the attention of Volunteer Services. For information, call Jerry Scheurn at 389-2728.