Marilyn Gourdeau's husband earns a good living.

But faced with Gourdeau's past two years of cancer treatments, including 17 surgeries for bladder, pancreatic and breast cancer, a good living isn't enough to enable the Oak Park family to provide Christmas for their four young grandchildren.

That's where the annual Christmas Shoppe comes in.

"It's really helpful," said Gourdeau, who shopped Saturday in the Newbury Park site at First Christian Church. "How can you tell your grandbabies you don't have presents for them?"

Sponsored by Area Christians Taking Initiative on Needs, the Christmas Shoppe is open to selected needy families to buy Christmas gifts for their young family members, birth to 16. The presents range from $1 to $5, and all are new.

Two additional Ventura County locations are open for shopping this weekend in Simi Valley and Oxnard. Participants are culled through several private and county service agencies, as well as area churches.

Pastor Rob Orth, the executive director of ACTION, said that last year more than 2,000 people purchased about 15,000 new toys and clothing items to take home for their children and grandchildren.

"Our mission is to bless families that are truly in need for Christmas," Orth said. "A lot of times low-income families have a choice between getting the kids something for Christmas or paying the gas bill. This way they do both. It's an empowering program."

Jessica Nowakowski will lead the effort at Simi Valley Presbyterian Church from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Nowakowski expects about 100 families to participate in Simi's Shoppe. To help in her effort, Nowakowski volunteered last weekend at the Newbury Park Christmas Shoppe.

"I got to be a personal shopper," Nowakowski said.

The shoppers bring $20 to spend on gifts. The gifts are donated by groups around the county, from firefighters to churches and collection boxes placed in area businesses. Orth said staff members from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lost Hills Station donated 1,000 Beanie Babies to the cause.

"I've listened to what's gone on, and for some families, this is the only Christmas stuff they're going to get," Orth said.

During the course of the morning Saturday, each group of 20 shoppers participated in a raffle to win larger items: bikes, skateboards and televisions.

"The lady I was helping won a brand new red bike that was just the right size for her 7-year-old son," Nowakowski said.

For any toys still left at the end of the day, Orth donates them to other agencies dedicated to helping families at Christmas.

"One of the missions of ACTION is to be a hub facilitator for other groups. If we can help facilitate smaller groups and their toys, and partner with them, it's easier on all of us," he said.

For more information about ACTION or the Christmas Shoppe, call 37691 or go to www.actionvc.org.

— Jake Finch's e-mail address is alljake@hotmail.com.