Christmas Shoppe joint effort of churches

Christmas shopping without money was the order of the day for over 100 families who were invited guests of the Christmas Shoppe held at Citrus Valley Christian Center in Santa Paula on Saturday. Dec. 13. Smiles and tears of gratitude were abundant as shoppers left the church with bags of toys, clothing and other items for their families, all donated by local churches, individuals and businesses. Adding to the excitement of the event were a visit from Santa who gave out candy canes to children in the child care area, and the arrival of a fire truck accompanied by the fire department chaplain, Kay Wilson-Bolton. Participating churches included the United Methodist Church, El Buen Pastor Methodist Church, Valley Community Foursquare Church of Santa Paula, Bible Fellowship Church and Iglesia Puente in Ventura. A total of 70 volunteers from these and other churches throughout the county set up and staffed the event in Santa Paula. The Christmas Shoppe is a joint effort of churches under the umbrella of the ACTION foundation,(www.actionvc.org). This was the first year that a distribution center was located in Santa Paula, in addition to the usual sites in Oxnard, Simi Valley, and Newbury Park About 700 toys were distributed in addition to blankets, clothing, Christmas decorations and other donated items. Those who participated are excited about the possibility of repeating and expanding the event next year to serve even more families.