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SEQUENCE:18692300
CREATED:20091205T164900Z
DESCRIPTION:From the IJ\n\nThe number of items being assembled might be down, but 
 organizers of the annual Warm Wishes program expect a big turnout Saturday 
 in Novato to package needed items for the Bay Area's homeless.\n\nHundreds 
 of volunteers will likely be on hand to help assemble more than 3,500 
 backpacks with sets of gloves, scarves and caps to be distributed to 
 various shelters and social service agencies as part of the 15th annual 
 holiday program. Assembly will begin at 8 a.m. at Unity In Marin in 
 Novato.\n\n"We'll have quite a few volunteers," said Mary O'Meara, 
 executive director of MarinLink, which has helped run the program the past 
 few years. "It's been a big year for volunteers, it seems."\n\nO'Meara said 
 funding restrictions prevented the group from matching the 5,000 backpacks 
 assembled in recent years. A dip in corporate donations has been countered 
 somewhat by several private donations recently, she said.\n\n"Funding is 
 definitely down, but it started to come in after Thanksgiving," said 
 O'Meara, noting program costs are about $30,000. "We're hopeful it will 
 continue."\n\nShe said items were purchased new because "we really feel 
 strongly people need new items, not hand-me-downs. These are personal 
 items."\n\nStudents from the Bolinas-Stinson School have donated 275 
 handmade scarves and holiday cards for packs going to children, and other 
 local students have donated items, she said.\n\nFounder Bill Hamm, of San 
 Rafael, started the program with his late wife Nina Barbalacci in 
 1994\nAdvertisement\nafter giving his gloves to a homeless man following a 
 night at the theater in San Francisco.\n\n"We're down on funds, but a lot 
 of warm things are going out to a lot of people in need, that's for sure," 
 Hamm said.\n\nContact Jim Staats via e-mail at jstaats@marinij.com\n\nIF 
 YOU GO: Warm Wishes will assemble backpacks of cold weather items for the 
 Bay Area's homeless community beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at Unity In 
 Marin, 600 Palm Drive in Novato. Organizers suggest volunteers arrive 
 early. For information or to make a donation, call 472-0211 or visit 
 www.warmwishes.org\n\nwww.warmwishes.org\n\nput up 
 by\n\nhttp://twitter.com/davidaquinley\n\nhttp://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000031433391&ref=mf#/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000031433391\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/05/18631459.php
SUMMARY:Novato:Cold weather items for bay area homeless to be collected
LOCATION:reminder = 2009 to Stuff Backpac @ Unity in Marin started @ 
 8:00am\nwww.UnityInMarin.org 600 Palm Drive, Novato (Hamilton) Contact: 
 Mary@MarinLink.org or call 415.472.0211 for more information.Proceeds to 
 benefit the Homeless Holiday Backpack Project.Thanks to San van Zandt KBAY 
 94.5 FM!\n\ndont know how long - guessing - call them 
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/12/05/18631459.php
DTSTART:20091205T170000Z
DTEND:20091206T050000Z
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