For many area public services, the holidays are a time of warmth and
remembrance of the year’s accomplishments. But the season is also laden with
stress, as problems don’t take holiday breaks. This year, many volunteer groups
are taxed beyond belief, whether due to increasing needs, crass budget cuts
from insensitive legislators, or pure bad luck. Now’s the time to thank
Austin’s dauntless volunteers — the folks who hold our hurting culture and
stoke it back to life.

From the bottom of our hearts, dear public servants, we thank you. Now, tell
us what you would like for Christmas? Hanukkah? Solstice? Kwanzaa? or…?

NOTE: For the sake of space, these wish lists have been edited. All
groups listed need office supplies, computers, and copiers. (We deleted
these items first.) Please call first for specifications, as some
organizations have hardware and systems in place. Cash & time donations are
universally understood — the gift of ourselves being the best gift of all. For
those in a time crunch, give a $$ donation in the name of a friend or relative.


HIV Wellness Center

* Accounting & green thumb services

* Stereo system, table & patio furniture

* Moving & renovating help for Wright Home

502-B Oakland Ave. 472-2753

Youth Options

(formerly Middle Earth)
* Vehicle maintenance & non-perishable food

* Twin bed mattresses, towels, & blankets

* Diapers, socks, underwear, toiletries

* Dictionaries & sports equipment

3815 S. First 441-8336

Center for Battered Women

New unwrapped gifts & reg. size toiletries for: Children & Teens
* Non-violent toys, sports equipment, school, art supplies, backpacks,
stickers, books, Walkmans, educational games & clothing Women
* Clothing, purses, wallets, umbrellas, datebooks, journals, clocks, watches,
appliances, cookware, phones, & cameras 385-5181

HOBO

For the center:
* Cold water fountain For Housing Units:
* Halogen security lights

* Plumbing for new boiler

* Railroad ties for Playscape

*110 Volt compressor — 40cfm

411 W. Second St. 476-4357

Caritas

* Housewares, beds, & linens

* Good work boots

* Commercial vacuum cleaner

* Personal hygiene items & Disposable diapers

308 E. Seventh St. 472-5269

Capital Area Easter Seals

* Refrigerators, sofa, toaster oven, & VCR

* Children’s tables & toys

* Indoor baby swings & outdoor children’s toys

919 W. 28 1/2 478-2581

Romanian Orphans Relief

Wrapped gift boxes, each including:

* Set of clothing (sweater/coat, shirt, pants, dress, underwear and socks), one
pair of shoes, gloves, school supplies, candies, & one toy

1010 Pine Street, Georgetown 863-4602

Christopher House

* Afghan throws & wooden shaker chairs

* Universal remotes & portable CD player

* AccuCheck Easy (glucometer)

* Videocassette recorders with remote control

* Teflon saute pans & industrial food blenders

* Large print wall calendars 479-0257


Candlelighters

Childhood Cancer Foundation
* Blood donations

* 3 digital pagers

* Shelving units/bookcases & chairs for desks

* 35mm camera with flash & color film

2026 Guadalupe 478-4618

Positive Threads

* Computer workstation desk

* A fund-raiser benefit & grant writers

* Office furniture & office space 478-9218

Austin Rape Crisis Center

* Toys for kids — ages 2-14

* White boards & markers

* Bean Bag chairs

* Huggable pillows & Blankets

* Sweats — pants and shirts (for rape survivors to wear home from the
hospital)

1824 E. Oltorf 440-7273

InterACT

Interfaith AIDS Care Teams
* Banner for public events

* Paper for mailouts & bulletin board

* People! — To join a Care Team

2026 Guadalupe 472-4934

CEDEN Family Resources

* Internet access

* Paper shredder & storage facility

* Chafing dishes, punch bowl, coffee urn

1208 E. Seventh St. 477-1130

Any Baby Can of Austin

* Cribs, strollers & diapers

* Silent auction items for benefit on Feb. 2, 1996

* Respite care

3724 Jefferson, #307 454-3743

Texas AIDS Network

* 35mm slide projector & bookcases

* Working telephone system — 2 lines/5 stations

* Small microwave oven

* Childrens’ videos & spools of red ribbon

tan@global.org 447-8887

Project Transitions, Inc.

* Exercise mats, basketball goal, pole & ball

* Recycling bins & landscaping

* Massage table, portable

* Mini-blinds for supportive living program

* Mini-van for transporting clients 454-8646

Planned Parenthood

* 3 microscopes with 10x, 45x, & 100x

* Free-standing bookshelves

* Dual tape deck w/ high-speed dub

* TV/VCR combination & van in fine condition

302 W. 13th 476-4610

Animal Companions

* High-quality dog & cat food & dishes

* Large, tight-sealing pet food storage containers

* Homes for orphaned animal companions

c/o Christopher House 370-8500

HIV Study Group

* Typewriter table

* Funds for client food

* Transport vouchers

450-1866

Texas Human Rights

* Law books & Martindale Hubbel Directory

* Framed wall art

* A microwave oven 479-THRF

Political Asylum Project

* Two telephones & second phone line

* Blank VHS videotapes

* Bookshelves

1715 E. Sixth St., #206 478-0546


The Arc of Texas

For every business to:

* Employ at least one person w/ mental retardation or other developmental
disability in 1996

* Create internships & PT jobs for students with mental retardation &
disabilities

* Comply w/ Americans With Disabilities Act

1600 W. 38th, #200 454-6694

Informe SIDA

* Large outdoor planters & love seats

* HIV/AIDS videos & health reference books

* Medical dictionaries, easel, & easel pad

* Reproductive health models

1715 E. Sixth 472-2001

Pediatric AIDS League

* Toothpaste/brushes, soap, Kotex, & tampons

* Canned goods & children’s liquid Tylenol�

* Diapers, wipes, baby powder 892-4776

Austin Family House

* Dorm-sized refrigerators & fire ladders

* Exterior security lighting installed

* TV, VCR & CD/cassette player

* Carpet cleaning services & vacuum cleaner

2604 Paramount AV 441-2086

Austin Child Guidance Center

* Non-violent children’s videos & art supplies

* Cedar Mulch & shade canopy installation

* 750 all-cotton Beefy-Ts & silkscreening

* New postal scale, video camera and wall mount

810 W. 45th 451-2242

Williamson Co. SPCA

* Land in NW Austin/Cedar Park

* Cat litter, litter pans, rubber bathtub mats

* Dog/Cat carriers, toys, leashes

* Printing services 335-6300

Out Youth Austin

* Video camera & home entertainment center

* Board games & queer books & films

* A cure for AIDS & a guitar

425 Woodward 326-1234

Women & Their Work

* Help to network computers

* Help to run the gift shop

1710 Lavaca 477-1064

Thanks Santa…

…Have a nice flight! Tremendous thanks to Stewart Gallas at Christopher House
for the idea and assistance. We are sorry that every social service group in
Austin is not on this list. There are so many great services in need. Take the
initiative and call a group whose efforts are near and dear to your heart.
Please be generous. Okay Austin, now you know what to do…

This article appears in December 15 • 1995 and December 15 • 1995 (Cover).

A note to readers: Bold and uncensored, The Austin Chronicle has been Austin’s independent news source for over 40 years, expressing the community’s political and environmental concerns and supporting its active cultural scene. Now more than ever, we need your support to continue supplying Austin with independent, free press. If real news is important to you, please consider making a donation of $5, $10 or whatever you can afford, to help keep our journalism on stands.

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