Lend a hand to families of armed forces

Whether we agree with the U.S. action in Iraq, there is a need for

assistance among families of those who serve in the armed forces.

The Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council and the Daily Pilot

invite you to join in a community-wide effort to help the Marine

Corps families at Twenty-Nine Palms Marine base.

“Currently, Marine Corps Community Services Twenty-Nine Palms is

working with the community to care for the families of our deployed

Marines and sailors, and your help and concern is needed and wanted,”

said Dennis Larson of Marine Corps Community Services Twenty-Nine

Palms.

This initiative is called “Operation Enduring Families.”

Families often experience an increase in the level of uncertainty

during times of deployment.

“With our help, the families can maintain their daily routines and

feel connected with the community” says Dennis Short, president of

the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council and pastor at Harbor

Christian Church.

Here are some ways individuals, congregations, business and other

groups can help the families and the Marines.

* Desert Mail Call: Show your support and appreciation to our

troops deployed overseas by sending notes, letters, postcards and

drawings by your children to “Desert Mail Call.” This effort is

designed to help the morale, welfare and pride of the Marines and

other service members stationed abroad. Each piece of mail will be

added to care packages and sent periodically to the troops by Marine

Corps Community Services in Twenty-Nine Palms. Letters should be

positive in nature and not sealed.

* Adopt-A-Family: Families of deployed service members can choose

from a list of families in the Adopt-A-Family program. Families would

engage in normal family type activities -- picnics, holiday meals, or

other activities agreed upon. The Twenty-Nine Palms Chamber of

Commerce will provide interested families with the proper

information. Please contact Dee Thompson at (760) 367-3445 for more

information or to volunteer to adopt a family.

* Care packages for Marines and sailors deployed overseas: Items

needed are contact lens cleaning solution, eye drops (Visine), lip

balm, sunscreen -- small size, prepaid phone cards, blank post cards,

toothpaste, mouth wash -- small size, magazines, reading material,

chewing gum, granola bars, crossword puzzles, beef jerky, trail mix,

packaged peanuts, antibacterial hand sanitizer, AA and AAA batteries,

deodorant and shampoo.

* Double coupons: Manufacturer coupons are doubled every Monday at

the Main Exchange at Twenty-Nine Palms. Families need manufacturer

coupons, clipped from newspapers and magazines. Practical items

please.

Still want to help a family? How about giving tickets to Knott’s

Berry Farm, Disneyland or Knott’s Oasis Water Park; a gift

certificate to a chain restaurant that can be found in the Coachella

Valley or Mojave, even McDonalds or Carl’s Jr.; or a prepaid phone

card.

Donations of money would allow “Operation Enduring Family” to

continue to provide free and inexpensive activities and services such

as child care and rent assistance for the families. Please make the

check out to “MCCS” and send it MCCS General Support, c/o Mr. Dennis

Larson, P.O. Box 788150, MAGTF Training Command, MCAGCC, Twenty-Nine

Palms, CA 92278.

The Interfaith Council is collecting the above items between now

and April 26. Check with your church, temple, mosque or synagogue to

see if they are participating in the collection items.

You can drop items off at the Daily Pilot office, Harbor Christian

Church or Newport Center United Methodist Church Monday through

Friday during normal business hours. Or deliver your donated items

between 8 a.m. and noon April 26 to the Latter-day Saints Church

parking lot, 801 Dover, Newport Beach, where they will be sorted and

packaged for delivery to the Twenty-Nine Palms Marine base the next

week.

Questions? Call the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council Office

at (949) 660-8665.

Let’s let the families and the Marines know we care!

BEING HONORED

Congratulations to Karen McGlinn, executive director and founding

board member of Share Our Selves, and to Scott Paulsen, former

Newport-Mesa principal and creator of a program that teaches

tolerance and understanding to students. McGlinn and Paulsen are two

of 17 who are being given the Human Relations Award by the Orange

County Human Relations Council at a Sunday night dinner being held at

the Costa Mesa Community Center.

CHAMBER LUNCHEON

The ever-active Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce will hold its

monthly luncheon meeting on Tuesday at Five Crowns restaurant. Tanya

Brown of the Shape-Up Fitness Center will discuss “Keys to a Quality

Life.” Net working begins at 11:30 a.m., and lunch is served at noon.

Reservations can be made by calling the chamber at (949) 673-4050.

SERVICE CLUB

MEETINGS THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 40-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club will

meet at Five Crowns to hear professor Rob Koepp of Pepperdine

University.

6 p.m.: The Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club will meet at the

Costa Mesa Country Club for a program on flag history.

WEDNESDAY

7:15 a.m.: The 20-member South Coast Metro Rotary Club will meet

at the Center Club (www.southcoastmetro rotary.org); and the Newport

Harbor Kiwanis Club will meet at the University Athletic Club.

Noon: The 40-member Exchange Club of the Orange Coast will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

6 p.m.: The 60-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa will meet at

the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear from Herb Trumpoldt on his

experience as a member of the Orange County Grand Jury.

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-plus member Costa Mesa-Orange Costa Breakfast Lions

Club will meet at Mimi’s.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club will meet at the

Holiday Inn; the 50-member Newport Beach-Corona del Mar Kiwanis Club

will meet at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (www.kiwanis.org/club/

costamesa); the 80-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor will meet

at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum for a program by Sheldon Pine

of the Transportation Corridor Agency; and the 100-member

Newport-Irvine Rotary Club will meet at the Atrium Hotel for a

program by Alice Mead on the Russian Leadership Program.

(www.nirotary.org).

* COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot.

Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (949)

660-8667; e-mail to [email protected] or by mail to 2082 S.E. Bristol,

Suite 201, Newport Beach, CA 92660-1740.