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The Bakersfield Voice Sunday, December 12, 2010
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YOURPETS
Help local pets this season with your donations I’m all for spoiling the fur-footed house inhabitants, hances are pretty good that if you are reading this column, your pets are some of the most but if you have a few extra dollars to spare perhaps durfortunate companion animals in Kern Coun- ing the season of giving we can all do a little something to benefit the pets who are not so lucky as ty. Not because my writing is that ours. terrific, mind you, but because you Kern County Animal Control can really care enough about pets to give up use blanket donations to provide a little several minutes of your day to read up on warmth and comfort for the dogs out in their what’s happening in the world of the fourkennels during these wet, cold months. They legged critters in your area. ask that the donations be blankets, not comIn my experience, that translates as people forters, because comforters can be shredwho try their best to do right by the animals ded and the padding inside creates both a they bring into their lives. huge mess and a potential hazard if swalAs the holidays creep ever closer more than lowed. You can drop blankets off at the shela few of you will have a little something under ter at 201 S. Mount Vernon Ave. the tree for your pet, if the 2009 AP-Petside Bakersfield Pet Food Pantry can always poll is any indication. When asked, 52 percent use cat and dog food donations. Their goal is of respondents said they planned to purchase to help disabled and/or homebound seniors gifts for their pets for the holidays, despite the and low-income folks keep their pets by difficult economy. Pet columnist
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VICKY THRASHER
helping provide food to get them through the rough patches. Cat food always seems to run in short supply. You may go to their Web site at: bakersfieldpetfoodpantry.org to find out where to drop off your donation. Helping Animals Live Tomorrow (H.A.L.T.) Rescue is selling one-pound boxes of See’s Candy during the holiday season to help raise funds. If you are planning to gift some folks on your holiday list with chocolately goodness, why not get in touch with H.A.L.T. and make your purchase doubly-sweet? Give them a call at 3953018 for more information about ordering. Bakersfield Cat Control can use a little holiday love to assist in their mission to Trap-Neuter-Release feral cats and adopt out kitten rescues. They can always use cat litter and cat and kitten food. They are also looking for folks willing to sponsor the cost of humane cat traps, donate towards the cost of transporting cats to be sterilized and donations to help offset the costs of veterinary care for the kittens they rescue.
EXTRAEXTRA
For more information go to their Web site at: bakersfieldcatcontrol.com Finally, if your mailbox is anything like mine, you are probably being beset with requests for year-end donations, with many of those requests coming from pet and animal organizations. Please remember to think locally when giving money to help companion animals and donate directly to our local animal shelters, rescues and welfare organizations. Many people don’t realize that when they donate to the big national groups --- the ones who send out calendars, address labels and note pads — that none of that money comes back to the local community. Help the pets in this area by donating directly to the groups who work to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets right here in Kern County. Happy holidays to you and your fur-covered friends. Questions? Comments? Email Vicky at: Vicky@ pawprintcity.com or visit www.pawprintcitytimes.com.
FROM THE BLOGS
Spend less, give more this Christmas season BY JOSH HEIMILLER Community contributor
arkside Church believes that Christmas can still change the world and has partnered with the Advent Conspiracy to celebrate Christmas by spending less, giving more, worshiping fully, and loving all this holiday season. The Advent Conspiracy is a grassroots movement with more than 1,000 churches in 17 countries participating as co-conspirators. Last year, through the Advent Conspiracy, $3 million was raised for relief projects which included providing clean water and medical attention in
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communities around the world. Each church involved with the Advent Conspiracy chooses its own project. The project could be drilling water wells for those who lack access to clean water or simply encouraging church members to think of meaningful acts of kindness as a way to replace traditional gifts. By partnering with the Advent Conspiracy, Parkside Church plans to combat a problem that millions of people around the globe face every day: a lack of clean drinking water. A special offering will be collected during the Advent Conspiracy sermon series and donated to Living Water International. According to
their website, Living Water International exists to, “Address the most basic of needs by helping deprived communities acquire safe, clean water.” Beginning November 28, the members of Parkside Church were encouraged to spend less on Christmas gifts this year and give more to help those in need of clean drinking water. Senior Pastor, Chris Bennett, believes that the Advent Conspiracy will help Parkside to focus on what Christmas is really all about. “We are encouraging people to buy one less gift this Christmas,” he said. “It’s not just about saving mon-
ey in a bad economy. We are encouraging people to give the money that they would have spent on that gift to people in need around the world. Rather than giving a gift out of obligation, our church is committed to giving gifts that really will change the world — gifts like quality time, providing clean water, and looking for ways to be more loving.” For more information about the Advent Conspiracy or Living Water International, you can visit the Parkside Church website at: www.ConnectGrowReach.org. Parkside Church is located at 2515 Church Ave in Bakersfield.
Aera employees give back BY MICHELE NEWELL
Santa Claus is here
Community contributor
era Energy LLC and its employees in Kern County, Ventura and the Los Angeles area are reaching out to support local families in need. Aera food drives provided more than 300 families with a meal in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. In November in Bakersfield, Aera culminated its 13th annual Thanksgiving food drive when the Golden Empire Gleaners picked up 127 brightly decorated boxes brimming with fixings for Thanksgiving meals for local families and nearly $2,000 in cash donations. The boxes were festively decorated by students at South High School and stuffed with enough stuffing, pie fixings and turkeys or hams to feed a family of six. Nonperishable items were donated by employees and Aera topped off each box with ham or turkey and fresh vegetables. “We know that there are many people in our community who go to bed hungry every night,” explains Michele Newell, public affairs specialist with Aera. “We are thankful for what we have and want to give back so that everyone can have a happy Thanksgiving. “Giving of ourselves and our
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BY USERNAME: SUNFLOWERANDGRACE he Second annual Neighborhood Christmas visit with Santa — Santa’s Helper that is — will be December 18 & 19 at 6:30 p.m. There will be free pictures with Santa. (If you have email, we’ll take a digital picture and email it to you!) Or you can bring your own camera and take all the pictures you’d like! Also, visit Santa’s mailbox for last minute letters to Santa! The Neighborhood Christmas visit with Santa will be at: 221 W. Belle Ave in Oildale. The cross streets are: Plymouth Ave. and Roberts Lane.
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Boxes of Thanksgiving dinners fill the cafeteria at Aera Energy LLC. resources is part of Aera’s culture in our communities.” Aera’s giving in Kern County continued when employees at Aera’s Midway Sunset location in Taft assembled another batch of holiday meal boxes for local families through their Adopt-a-Family program. Employees stuffed boxes with Thanksgiving feast fixings for 12 families in the Taft area. “Last year, we saw firsthand what these meals mean to these families,” explains Erika McKamie with Aera. “We brought a box of food to a grandmother who was raising her
seven grandchildren, and they could not have been more excited. It was good for our new employees to see because they did not realize all the things that Aera does for our community.” Aera’s two Thanksgiving food drives in Kern County were part of four food donations Aera organized at locations where they do business. In Ventura, employees donated more than $1,000 to supply 26 families with complete Thanksgiving meals. Holiday meal certificates were distributed to families at the Boys and Girls Club of Ventura
through local non-profit Project Understanding. In Los Angeles, as part of the demobilization of renovation project on Aera’s Platform Emmy, crew boats delivered surplus food to the waiting trucks of the Food Bank of Southern California. The meats, canned goods and other food items will assist needy families in the Los Angeles area. Aera Energy LLC is one of California’s largest oil and gas producers. Company headquarters are in Bakersfield and most of its production is centered in the San Joaquin Valley.
YOURCELEBRATIONS
There’s still time to donate toys to local foster children BY TINA VERVOORN Community contributor
spiranet, one of the largest and most innovative foster care and family service agencies in California, invites residents in four California communities to participate in its annual Holiday Toy Drive. From now and until Dec. 17, Aspiranet is teaming up with the staff and customers at Starbucks stores in Bakersfield, Fresno, Merced and Visalia to collect holiday gifts for California foster children. Customers visiting participating Starbucks stores are invited to obtain “wish ornaments” decorated with the holiday gift wishes of foster children, purchase the gifts and then return the items to Starbucks for distribution by Aspiranet to area foster children. “The caring staffs at Starbucks stores motivate
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their customers to participate in our annual toy drives,” said Vernon McFarland Brown, CEO of Aspiranet. “Thanks to widespread community participation and generosity, each year we are able to brighten the holidays for increasing numbers of foster children up and down the state.” “Successful foster families represent a team effort,” notes Jeannie Imelio, Central Valley Regional Director of Aspiranet. “Not only do they require the participation and cooperation of foster children and their families, they benefit from the support of social service agencies, community organizations, corporate partners and community members. “ Since it began 35 years ago, Aspiranet has touched the lives of over 10,000 families and children. This is the third year Aspiranet has teamed up with Starbucks for its holiday toy drive.
About Aspiranet Aspiranet, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charity, supports foster children, siblings, families, and the community with 35 core programs offering specialized services through 44 centers within California. Founded more than 35 years ago as a six-bed group home for young boys in Moss Beach, Calif., Aspiranet is one of the most diverse nonprofit social service agencies in the state. With a statewide network of innovative services, Aspiranet has touched the lives of over 10,000 families and children since its founding. Aspiranet’s vision of bringing families together and helping foster children, siblings, and parents thrive is realized through six areas of expertise – Family Services, Foster Care, Adoption, Education, After school programs, and Community Partnerships. Please visit http://www.aspiranet.org.
Division champs — the ICE BREAKERS! BY SALLY SAFFELL Community contributor
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he ICE BREAKERS recently won the AYSO Region 359 Girls Division championship! Great job girls! You worked so hard for this. Congratulations!
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The Bakersfield Voice Sunday, December 12, 2010
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The BakersďŹ eld Voice Sunday, December 12, 2010