VENTURA

'Furry Friends' drive benefits youngsters

The Rotary Club of Ventura made sure 100 underprivileged children received gifts this holiday season through its annual "Furry Friends" stuffed animal drive.

Two dozen Rotarians and five members of Balboa Middle School's Youth Act Club volunteered several hours Dec. 8 to clean and refurbish nearly 1,000 stuffed animals that were donated to the service club in the past year and stored at Hilford Moving and Storage.

About 300 of the stuffed animals were given to students at E.P. Foster, Sheridan Way and Lincoln elementary schools along with 100 refurbished coats cleaned by Four Seasons Cleaners during a party the Rotary sponsored at the Crowne Plaza Hotel on Dec. 13. Earlier that day, Rotarians accompanied the children on a shopping spree for more clothes at Mervyn's department store in Ventura.

The 700 remaining stuffed animals will be donated to Community Memorial Hospital, St. John's Regional Center and Ventura County Medical Center for their young patients. "It's something for them to cuddle with during their stays, which can be very stressful for them," said Rotary member Rosa Lee Measures.

The "Furry Friends" drive was chaired by Lynda Girtsman, former owner of Steve's Plumbing. It culminates a busy year for the Rotary Club of Ventura, which in June was honored as the 2007 Rotary District 5240 Club of the Year. District 5240 is comprised of 72 Rotary clubs in Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Kern counties.

MOORPARK

Bridge group gives senior center a $1,500 donation

The Moorpark Duplicate Bridge Group presented the Moorpark Active Adult Center with a donation of $1,500 at the annual Holiday Showcase on Dec. 12.

Gary Comer, assistant group leader, presented the check to Peggy Rothschild, Moorpark Active Adult Center supervisor, in front of an audience of 100 center members.

"We appreciate the Duplicate Bridge Group's generosity. The funds they have contributed here today will be used to help support vital programs at the Moorpark Active Adult Center," said Rothschild.

Contributions were given by members of the Duplicate Bridge Group and collected by bridge leader Richard Koch over the course of the year.

CAMARILLO

Meathead Movers takes time for seniors

Meathead Movers is spending its time spreading holiday cheer. As the moving teams finish their moving shifts, they are given the location of a nearby assisted living facility, where they sing to individual residents.

"After reading an article that talked about senior citizens having a hard time around this time of year, I decided I wanted to help out in some way and send them Christmas cheer," said Aaron Steed, president/CEO of Meathead Movers.

Steed contacts assisted living facilities in the area where his movers have finished their jobs and asks if it is all right for them to stop by and sing Christmas carols.

"Our focus is really to brighten up someone's afternoon," Steed said. "We ask if anyone has recently lost a loved one or might be alone during the holidays, and these are the people we sing to."

Dressed in their Meathead Movers uniforms, the movers don Santa hats and sing to the residents individually to make them feel special.

Community involvement has always been important to Steed, and he is always looking for new ways to get people involved.

"My hope is for other companies to think of ways to encourage their staff in ways that come together for the community."

The plan is to continue caroling at various senior homes in Ventura County through the holidays.

Meathead Movers is headquartered in San Luis Obispo, with a local office in Camarillo.

It is a moving company made up of student athletes working their way through college who are dedicated to high standards and good customer service.

— From staff reports