It’s not yet Thanksgiving, but Christmas is right around the corner and hundreds of families in San Jose are worried about how they will spend this year’s holiday. Poncho Guevara, executive director of Sacred Heart Community Services, said that 15 percent of the children in his community are living beneath the poverty line, and for many of them, a festive meal and Christmas presents could be out of reach, were it not for Sacred Heart.

This year, as every year, the church has begun signing up families for special holiday packages, which include all the trappings for a holiday dinner and gifts for the kids. Sign up began on Saturday and thousands of people lined up, so many, in fact, that Guevara says it is the most that he has ever seen—an estimated 6,000 people.

Now Guevara and the staff at Sacred Heart are struggling to make sure that these Christmas wishes come true. Charitable donations in the Bay Area are down because of the recession, even as the number of needy recipients is up. The church is appealing to the community to help out with donations of cash, food, and toys, so that everyone in San Jose can enjoy the holiday season.
Read More at CBS 5.