DANA POINT SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO : Libraries Offer ‘Cards That Care’

They hit the eye in an explosion of color, 20 bright Christmas cards decorating the front display cases of county libraries in Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano.

But once the multicolored dust settles, what’s left is a single, unifying message from service groups like the American Cancer Society and the Leukemia Research Foundation.

“This holiday is about caring,” said Jose Aponte, head librarian for the San Juan Capistrano Regional Library. “By buying these cards, you can do something for someone else who really needs the help.”

Known as Cards That Care, the program helps service organizations raise money through Christmas card sales.

Nearly all of them deal with critical health issues: The American Heart Assn., Arthritis Foundation, American Diabetes Assn. and many other nonprofit agencies are represented.

“Most every family has someone, a loved one, who is affected by one of these diseases,” said Kay Hockema, who founded Cards That Care in 1992. “It’s a good way to reach out to those less fortunate.”

Order forms are available for the Christmas cards at each location. Orders will be taken through Nov. 30.

Because it takes a few weeks for the cards to be delivered, Hockema suggests ordering early--even if it feels funny ordering Christmas cards so early.

“If you want to give to an organization, it’s never too early,” she said. “We may not send our cards until the 20th of December, but we know we have them.”

The cards are on display at the county libraries in Dana Point, 33841 Niguel Road, and San Juan Capistrano, 31441 El Camino Real.