Northpinellas: Holiday help

Looking for a place to volunteer your time or give something extra during the holidays? You've come to the right place. Here are some names, places and programs that could use your help.

FOOD PANTRY: The Religious Community Services Food Pantry needs not only canned food and dry goods but also boxes and bags. Especially needed are sturdy banana boxes and clean paper bags to be used to sort and hold items that will be dispersed to area hungry and homeless. More than 3,000 clients receive food each month through this program. To help, call Jamia Austin at 443-4031.

FESTIVAL OF TREES: The 17th annual Festival of Trees needs volunteers to help operate the festival through Nov. 27. Workers can help decorate Harborview Center, set up Christmas trees, work in sales booths or in the children's craft area, or help deliver trees to area homes and businesses after the festival closes. To help, call the Festival of Trees office at 446-2858.

HUMANE SOCIETY: The Humane Society of North Pinellas is holding its first Light the Way Home, a holiday lighting ceremony to help homeless animals. The program expects to raise much needed funds so the shelter can continue to care for more than 400 homeless pets daily. Lights will be strung on and around the Humane Society, 3040 State Road 590, Clearwater, to "Light the Way Home" for animals. As a special promotion, a lighting ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 when area media personalities will be in lighted kennels and will not be released until a goal for number of lights sponsored or pets adopted is met. Individuals may purchase lights for $15 each in honor or memory of a special animal or person. Colored lights will be used to honor those who are still living and white lights will memorialize the deceased best friend. For information, call Amy Edwards at 796-3581 or stop by the shelter.

GIVING TREE: Throughout the holiday seasons, Giving Trees will adorn the entrances of Stein Mart stores in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Seminole and St. Petersburg. The trees will be decorated with ornaments containing the "wish lists" of children from the RCS Haven and Gulf Coast Community Care program. Patrons may select one or more of the ornaments and purchase an appropriate gift for that child. The gift does not have to be purchased at Stein Mart. Unwrapped gifts, with the original ornament attached, should be brought back to the store no later than Dec. 15 so representatives of the Haven or GCCC may distribute the gifts to the children by Christmas. Gifts received at the Clearwater and Palm Harbor stores will benefit the Haven, a domestic violence center that provides food, shelter counseling and the necessities of life to victims and their children. Gifts received at the Seminole and St. Petersburg stores benefit GCCC, an agency that provides community services including intervention for at-risk children and their families, mentoring and treatment services.

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