Tri-Cities charity guide

VNA coat drive: Through December, Visiting Nurse Association of Fox Valley is accepting coat, mitten and hat donations to help keep the children served at the VNA Health Centers warm this winter.

More than 8,000 area children under the age of 15 are patients at the VNA Health Centers in Aurora, Elgin and in Aurora East High School. Many of these children come from families who live at or below the poverty level.

The drop-off box for the coats and mittens will be inside the first floor main entrance of VNA's facility at 400 N. Highland Ave. in Aurora. The building doors will be open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. After hour drop-offs will be accepted as well; look for the outside drop-off box by the main entrance.

Those interested in receiving a receipt for tax purposes can visit the VNA receptionist on the second floor during business hours.

For details, call Linda Reiter, VNA volunteer coordinator, at (630) 482-8112.

The Visiting Nurse Association of Fox Valley is a humanitarian, nonprofit organization based on the concept that each individual is unique and is to be treated with dignity. VNA has been at the forefront of health services in the Fox Valley area since 1918, responding to community need with exceptional nurse-centered care delivered at home, in its clinics and in every neighborhood.

Park district collects Toys for Tots: Community members who would like to contribute items to the Toys for Tots program may do so by dropping off new, unwrapped toys at a variety of Aurora, Montgomery and Geneva locations.

Fox Valley Park District locations include: Prisco Community Center, 150 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora; Eola Community Center, 555 S. Eola Road, Aurora; Vaughan Athletic Center, 2121 W. Indian Trail, Aurora; Orchard Valley Golf Course and Restaurant, 2411 W. Illinois Ave., Aurora; Park District Administrative Offices, 712 S. River St., Aurora; and the Fox Valley Park District Police Station, 1460 SE River Road, Montgomery.

Also accepting donations are: Aurora Police Department, 350 N. River St.; any station of the Aurora Fire Department; Aurora City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place; City of Aurora Building and Permits Department, 65 Water St.; Aurora Central Catholic High School, 1255 N. Edgelawn Drive, Aurora; The Daleiden Mortuary, 220 N. Lake St., Aurora; and Kane County Sheriff's Office, 777 E. Fabyan Parkway, Geneva.

According to Fox Valley Park District Toys for Tots coordinator Sgt. Jim Christenson, the Marines are asking the public to consider dropping off items that children, age 7 to 14, would enjoy, including footballs, soccer balls, skateboards, other sports equipment, games, purses and small electronics.

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program delivered more than 19.2 million toys to more than 7 million children in 2006. The local sponsor of the toy drive is the Fox Valley Marines Detachment No. 1233. Drop off toys by Dec. 15.

Toys for Tots in Campton Hills: The Campton Hills Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Marine Corps in the "Toys for Tots" program. The local Marine detachment responsible for this area is the Fox Valley Marines Detachment 1233, 1005 Prairie St. in St. Charles; (630) 564-1804.

Its mission is to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute them as Christmas gifts to needy children. The Campton Hills Police Department is proud to be a sponsor of this program and will be a drop-off point for these toys. Of particular need, are toys for children, age 8 to 14. Anyone wishing to donate to this program may drop off their unwrapped new toys at the Campton Hills Police Department/Village Hall, 40W115 Campton Crossings Drive, Unit B, Campton Hills; (630) 584-0330.

Anyone who has a toy for a needy child and is unable to come to the Campton Hills Police Department may contact the non-emergency number and make arrangements for someone to pick up the toy.

More information can be found at www.toysfortots.org or by contacting the Campton Hills Police Department.

Tri-Cities Toys for Tots: Join in the fun and add to the magic of the holiday season. Once again, the Tri-Cities Toys for Tots program is seeking the community's support for children at Christmas time. Donations for new toys, games, puzzles, stuffed animals, books, and much more are greatly appreciated. Monetary contributions will also be accepted. Here's your chance to help make this Christmas very special for local boys and girls.

In its 24th year, this program has had great success due to the generous donations. Help support this program by dropping off any donations by Dec. 17 to the following St. Charles locations: Pottawatomie Pro Shop, 845 North Ave.; Pottawatomie Community Center, 8 North Ave.; Baker Community Center, 101 S. Second St.; Norris Recreation Center, 1050 Dunham Road; or any Community Unit School District 303 grade school.

The Salvation Army distributes toys to needy boys and girls throughout the Tri-cities area. For information, call Jim Wheeler at (630) 584-8356.

AID Holiday Bazaar: The Association for Individual Development's Keeler Center hosts a Holiday Bazaar from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. More than 30 crafters will offer holiday wares, jewelry, plus-sized clothing, Tupperware, candles, leather, candy, stuffed animals and more. Spaghetti and enchiladas will be sold for lunch, as well as a bake sale. Kids can get pictures with Santa taken and mounted in a holiday card for $3, and also enjoy holiday movies, face painting and children's crafts. A $1 admission gets you two tickets for the door prize raffle. All proceeds will go toward children and adults with developmental disabilities. Keeler Center is at 409 W. New Indian Trail Court, in Aurora. For information, call MaryAnn at (630) 966-4252.

Fox Valley Troops Support care packages: Fox Valley Troops Support Inc. is organizing their annual Christmas care package mailing. Do you know someone deployed from the Tri-Cities? Fox Valley Troop Support Inc. is a group of patriotic citizens whose mission is supporting our local troops with letters and care packages who are deployed around the globe. The volunteer organization is also collecting donated items for Christmas care packages that will be sent to our local troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and around the world. Co-chairs Sarah Giachino and Kathy Tobusch are looking for local residents who will not be home for the holidays and also deployed into 2008. To add a deployed member to the organization, they will need the name, rank, unit address including APO or FPO. The names can be matched with a local family or organization and sent to the troops in time for Christmas. The Tri-City area has traditionally been very supportive of deployed troops, especially over the holidays. For details, call Sarah Giachino at (630) 587-3789, e-mail myconfident@aol.com or Kathy Tobusch at (630) 406-9172 or e-mail Kasha2226@aol.com

Good Cents Children drive: As winter approaches, Good Cents Children is once again sponsoring their coat drive for Channing Memorial School in Elgin. For the past seven years, area residents have generously contributed new and gently used coats and jackets for the school's children. Recipients of these donations are often times homeless, victims of domestic violence, or children of immigrants arriving in the area with no warm clothing.

Donations are accepted during store hours 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.

Good Cents Children Inc. is at 220 W. State St. in Geneva; (630) 208-1115.

For details, call Earlene Froelich, Channing School social worker, at (847) 888-5187 or Harriet Zawada, Good Cents store manager, at (630) 208-1115.

CASA's Santa Claus breakfast: Santa Claus is coming to town to benefit CASA Kane County.

Enjoy a pancake breakfast with Santa on Dec. 8 at the Congregational United Church of Christ on LaFox Road and Fox Mill Boulevard in St. Charles.

Breakfast will begin at 9 a.m. Children will participate in a free holiday craft project and cookie decorating while they anxiously await Santa's arrival.

Breakfast will be followed by a children's holiday concert led by the St. Charles East High School Chorale.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for children 3 and older. Proceeds will benefit CASA Kane County's Court Appointed Special Advocate program for local abused and neglected children.

Call the CASA office at (630) 444-3111 to sign up for the breakfast. For information on the CASA program, visit www.casakanecounty.org.

Winter Wundermusik: Holiday musical magic is in the air as the Fox Valley Philharmonic orchestra will present "Winter Wundermusik" at 3 p.m. Sunday in the Arlene Hawks Theater at East Aurora High School, 779 Fifth Ave.

The program will include works for orchestra and chorus such as "A Musicological Journey through the Twelve Days of Christmas," "Christmas Festival," and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Orchestral works on the program will include Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite No. 1, Op. 71a," "Jingle Bells Forever," and the perennial holiday favorite "Sleigh Ride."

The Fox Valley Philharmonic is a community orchestra sponsored by The Fox Valley Academy of Music Performance which also operates the Fox Valley Youth Symphony Orchestras and the Access to Music program for underprivileged children. Members of the orchestra represent 16 communities including Aurora, Batavia, Carol Stream, Downers Grove, Elgin, Geneva, Hoffman Estates, Lemont, Montgomery, Naperville, North Aurora, Oswego, Pingree Grove, Plano, St. Charles and Western Springs.

Tickets are $15 or $10 for students and seniors. Tickets for the concert are available by calling Jamie Palmer, executive director, at (630) 879-8018.

Breakfast with Santa: Breakfast with Santa tradition continues Saturday at West Aurora High School. Breakfast with Santa, a community tradition for the past 19 years, will be from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday in the high school cafeteria, 1201 W. New York St.

Tickets are $7 and an adult must accompany all children. Each child will receive a gift from Santa, a hot pancake breakfast, and can participate in games and crafts. In addition, there will be a holiday gift shop, pictures with Santa and a raffle.

Breakfast with Santa is a West High student-directed entrepreneurial activity. Members of DECA, an association of marketing students, plan and organize this event. Assisting them are students from FCCLA, family and consumer science students, the Hospitality Academy and the cooperative education classes. For information, call (630) 301-6737.