Area charities seeking holiday donations

This holiday season in Pasco County, a number of businesses are seeking community donations for charity projects, hoping to provide the food, toiletries and even the books and toys needed to brighten the holidays of people in need.

Christine B. Cooper, owner of Cooper Financial Services in Land O' Lakes, is accepting donations for an annual giving effort on behalf of Sunrise of Pasco County domestic violence and sexual assault center.

"Their domestic violence and sexual assault center is in need of all kinds of items," Cooper says in a written announcement. "When we did this last year at holiday time, the community responded wonderfully and we managed to fill up an entire office with donated goods."

Acceptable donations range from cosmetics to paint.

Cooper also said that financial donations will be accepted from anyone who wants to stop at the Cooper Financial offices and fill out a gift card.

Christina Bates, social change community organizer for Sunrise of Pasco, says that Cooper's assistance is greatly appreciated by the agency and its clients.

"Cooper Financial will be collecting items for Sunrise including toiletries, towels, clothing, bed comforters, phone cards, paint for bedrooms, area rugs, light bulbs, and monetary donations. These items will be used at our emergency shelter, which provides safe housing to victims of domestic and sexual violence," Bates said.

"These items will help to ensure that when someone comes into the shelter, they will have a nice bed to sleep on and that they won't have to worry about the small things such as soap, shampoo, etc."

Bates such help is needed during these challenging economic times.

"With the way the economy is these days, every little bit helps, and it is wonderful to see the business community involved," she said.

"Cooper Financial understands the importance of businesses getting involved with the community, and Sunrise is very grateful to have their continued support," she said.

Educational items needed

Other agencies are seeking educational and recreation items for children. Toys for Tots of East Pasco, for example, has partnered with Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass to get more books into the hands of needy children.

A special display at Barnes & Noble features an assortment of books, from classics such as "Snow White" and "The Boxcar Children" to contemporary favorites such as "Disney's Toy Story" and educational books.

Customers are encouraged to buy a book featured at the display or elsewhere in the store, sign a bookplate supplied by a cashier and submit both the book and the nameplate for delivery to a child in need.

"They can write a message on the bookplate that goes into the book, like 'Enjoy the book,' 'From a friend,' 'From a fellow lover of books,' etc.," said Nancy Lay, a storyteller at the Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass.

The objective of this program is to foster a love of books in Toys For Tots kids.

"From early readers to children's classics, we've picked the books kids really love," Lay said.

Bob Loring, executive director of Toys for Tots of East Pasco, sees the book donation project as the continuation of a successful community partnership with Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass.

"Barnes & Noble has been of great assistance to us both last Christmas, when they collected 2,000 books for the ... (The American Dream) Congress, and for our school supply drive last fall," he said. "There they help get books and dictionaries for many of our children. It's a dandy relationship and a fine example of how a for-profit business can interact with its local community. With them, we hope to set the standard for other businesses to emulate."

Give food to the hungry

Publix Supermarkets also is pitching in to help community service agencies this holiday season. Through its Holiday Bag and Food For All campaigns, the store is giving customers the opportunity to support local food banks through cash and food donations.

"This is a convenient way for people to give back," said Shannon Patten, media and community relations manager of central and southwest Florida Publix supermarkets. "And donations will be given fully to their local community food banks."

In the Food for All program, customers buy $1, $3 and $5 tickets, with all money going locally to Volunteer Way and Suncoast Harvest Food Bank.

"One hundred percent of all that money goes to the food banks," Patten said.

In the Holiday Bag program, customers can purchase bags containing items ranging from the makings of full meals to toiletries such as shampoo and toothpaste. The bags go directly each day to Suncoast Harvest Food Bank.

HOW TO HELP

Local businesses are hosting philanthropic efforts on behalf of Pasco County-based aid agencies. Here's how and where you can help:

•Cooper Financial is accepting donations on behalf of Sunrise of Pasco Inc. Acceptable items include cosmetics of all kinds, soaps and lotions, foil and zip plastic bags, towels, underwear, pajamas for women and children, bed comforters, phone cards, paint for bedrooms, area rugs and light bulbs. Financial donations will be accepted from anyone who visits Cooper Financial offices and fills out a gift card.

Potential donors can call Cooper Financial at (813) 996-6100. Donations will be accepted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, beginning Tuesday and ending at noon Dec. 18, at Cooper Financial Services, an independent financial services practice with offices at 5420 Land O'Lakes Blvd. in Land O'Lakes.

•Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass is inviting customers to buy and donate books, toys or other store items to Toys for Tots of East Pasco. Donors are welcome to select items from a store display and fill out a bookplate that can accompany each donation. For information, visit Barnes & Noble at 28152 Paseo Drive or call the store at (813) 907-7739.

•As part of a statewide corporate program, Pasco Publix stores are conducting a giving effort on behalf of Suncoast Harvest Food Banks and Volunteer Way. Customers can buy and donate prepackaged bags of food and toiletries or purchase tickets for cash donations to both agencies. For information, visit your local Publix or visit www.publix.com.