Holiday Spirit Revived by Outpouring of Charity

The week before Christmas, our private nonprofit service agency sustained a mean-spirited burglary, with intruders breaking into our facility and stealing all the Christmas gifts for our children in residence, and making off with our computers, VCRs, refrigerator and office equipment--even the battery-operated pencil sharpener. Despite the well-intended efforts of volunteers from the Quest Foundation who arranged for the donated gifts, it looked like a dark and bleak Christmas for our kids. We were devastated.

But, with the help of the news media, the people of Los Angeles poured out their hearts and opened up their wallets to make up our losses and give our children the brightest holiday ever. Led by the members of the Los Angeles city police and fire departments, hundreds of visitors from all over Los Angeles and Southern California came to Dubnoff Center carrying toys, clothes, sporting goods, games, VCRs and computer equipment. They also donated cash in amounts from $5 to $5,000 so that our kids could have their Christmas wishes come true after all.

This response restored out faith in the real spirit of the holidays. The gifts helped us to shield our kids from one of life’s most disheartening experiences. The overwhelming generosity of individuals, groups, small businesses, corporations and foundations who were moved by our misfortune, more than covered our losses. Any donations we could not use immediately were distributed to shelters in South-Central Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the San Fernando Valley. Monies in excess of restoring gifts this year have been set aside to establish a Christmas fund for future years as well as to provide other necessary program activities in 1995.

AL LIZER

North Hollywood

Lizer is chairman of the board of directors, Dubnoff Center for Child Development .