JEFFERSON COUNTY —The holiday season can be a stressful one for families of all shapes and sizes, especially those struggling to make ends meet.
Mag Strittmatter, executive director of the Action Center in Lakewood, sees it every year.
The center provides services every day to meet the immediate needs of families in crisis — whether it’s a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear, food to eat or rent assistance to avoid being evicted — and also to put families on a path to self-sufficiency.
During the holidays, as well as back-to-school time, though, many families face greater risk, she said.
“These are very trying times that push people’s budgets further,” Strittmatter said. “Everyone deserves a Thanksgiving meal and of course, Christmas: What parent doesn’t want their child to have a present under the tree from Santa Claus?”
The Action Center is one of many groups in Jefferson County hoping to ease that financial pressure this holiday season.
On Nov. 24, volunteers gave out nearly 2,700 boxes of fixings, as well as vouchers for free turkeys, during the center’s annual Thanksgiving food distribution. The food given out will feed 6,700 people, spokeswoman Amanda Slates said.
Now, they’re hoping to collect some 16,000 toys and gifts for children ages 0-12 for their Santa Shop on Dec. 9-14 at Faith Mountain Church.
Together with the Arvada-Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Santa House, the two toy distributions could serve more than 7,000 children in Jefferson County this year.
“We want to make sure families stay in their homes,” Strittmatter said. “We don’t want to add to the instability.”
In Jeffco Public Schools, the district that covers the entire county, more than 34 percent of its students qualified for free or reduced-cost lunch in 2012-2013, according to its website.
Now in its eighth year, Santa House in Arvada will be open Dec. 4-21 to parents of low-income students at 16 elementary schools in Arvada and Wheat Ridge.
The service group works closely with the schools to identify students and families, said Duane Youse, coordinator of Santa House. Youse is the former director of the Arvada Community Food Bank.
Eligible parents can come to Santa House and pick out presents for all of their children ages 0-14. The Santa House is located in the Arvada Plaza shopping center.
They expect to serve more than 3,000 children this year, Youse said. Participating schools are Allendale, Arvada K-8, Campbell, Fitzmorris, Foster, Fremont, Kullerstrand, Lawrence, Little, Parr, Peck, Pennington, Secrest, Swanson, Thomson and Vanderhoof.
“It’s a high level of need there,” Youse said.
At the Action Center, officials anticipate helping upwards of 4,000 kids in Jefferson County by sending their parents home with multiple gifts to wrap and put under the tree.
With Thanksgiving late this year, Strittmatter said they’re eager to get toys sooner rather than later.
“We don’t want the kids to even know about the Action Center,” Strittmatter said. “We want the parents to be Santa Claus.”
Both drives are seeking new toys and gifts of all kinds.
Among the items on the list are bicycles, tricycles, scooters, skateboards, sports balls, toy trucks, dolls, action figures, craft kits, pre-teen jewelry, makeup kits, hand-held computer games, board games and books.
“I tell people, when a family comes in, they’re just like I was when I was a kid — they’re looking for the biggest gift they can find,” Youse said. “A kid opening the biggest package gets the biggest smile.”
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, erusch@denverpost.com or
How to help
Arvada-Wheat Ridge Service Ambassadors for Youth Santa House
Donations benefit children ages 0-14 in Arvada and Wheat Ridge. Drop off unwrapped gifts through Dec. 20 during operating hours at:
Apex Center, 13150 W. 72nd Ave.
Apex Field House, 5724 Oak St.
Community Recreation Center, 6842 Wadsworth Blvd.
Racquetball and Fitness Center, 12120 W. 64th Ave.
Apex Simms Street Center, 11706 W. 82nd Ave.
Cash donations are also accepted, with checks payable to AWRSAY, c/o Duane Youse, 6347 Deframe Way, Arvada CO 80004.
The Action Center Santa Shop
Donations benefit children ages 0-12 in Jefferson County. Drop off new toys through Dec. 11.
Where: Action Center donation dock, 8755 W. 14th Ave., Lakewood
When: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday; 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Saturday
