Christmas Comes Early for 30 Disadvantaged Youngsters

Like any discriminating holiday shopper, 11-year-old Brandon slowly scanned the department store jewelry display Wednesday morning in search of the perfect gift.

As part of a shopping spree sponsored by the Rotary Club of Westlake Village with help from Interface Children and Family Services in Camarillo, Brandon was one of 30 disadvantaged Conejo Valley children selected to pick out $125 worth of clothes, socks, jackets and underwear for themselves.

But as Brandon bounded down the aisles of holiday displays amid the constant Christmas music, the Thousand Oaks youth said he was in a giving mood. His mother will find out just how much so when she tears open her gift from Brandon on Christmas morning.

“When my mom goes shopping she always thinks of getting me something,” Brandon said as he stood in the jewelry section at JCPenney at The Oaks mall. “I thought I’d get her something.”

In the end, Brandon spent about $10 on a gift for his mother. He also picked up a winter coat along with several shirts and pants for himself.

Throughout the store, which provided 25% discounts for the participants, other children in situations like Brandon’s--facing a holiday season with few or no presents under the tree or by the menorah--lugged large plastic bags filled with new coats, shirts and even a few toys.

“We’re going to make them feel hip and cool while they also will feel warm,” said Mary Olson, general manager of public radio station KCLU-FM (88.3) in Thousand Oaks. “People think there is so much money in the Conejo Valley. But there are also kids who need toys and underwear and a pair of shoes.”

Most of the children selected for Thursday’s shopping spree are involved with a resource program run by Interface’s Children and Family Services that assists youngsters needing medical or dental care who don’t have insurance, said Lynne West, a director at the Camarillo social service agency. A few children who participated are members of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Ventura County, she added.

Last year, the agency helped more than 1,000 children during the holiday season, West said. With a sagging economy and a spate of layoffs hitting Ventura County, West expects to assist more children this year.

“There are certainly more children than ever who will be looking at a bleak Christmas,” she said. “What people don’t want to see is that, even in their own community, there are people right on the edge who are one paycheck away from living on the streets.”

Other local stores including Mervyn’s and Target are conducting special programs for the disadvantaged this holiday season.

On Tuesday, Target stores throughout Ventura County locked their doors from 8 to 10 a.m. to everyone but some select seniors in need as well as people with disabilities, said Kim DiCicco, a district manager for Target.

Inside The Oaks mall, each child on Wednesday was paired with a Rotary Club member who chipped in their own money to go along with nearly $2,000 raised for the two-hour shopping trip.