By Town Crier Staff

Not all homeless people consider their plight inevitable. Some really are working to change their lot.

Take Rose for instance. She has been able to get a warm dinner meal and a warm place for the night because of the services provided by the Community Homeless Alliance Ministries (CHAM) in downtown San Jose. Her alternative has been to live in a park. But Rose has worked as a paralegal and is active each day seeking work.

CHAM is just one of nine charities that are supported by the Town Crier Holiday Fund. The criteria for participation in this program now in its third year is that the agency has minimal overhead and is really “touching and changing people” - not just during the holidays, but year around.

Three are primarily in involved in education: the East Palo Alto Kids Foundation buys materials and teaching aids for EPA elementary schools, Bay Shore Christian Ministries provides tutoring and after school and summer positive experiences for the young people and Sunday Friends is primarily kids volunteering to help kids from family and homeless shelters to learn and enjoy educational projects in downtown San Jose.

The 2002 Holiday Fund keeps growing and the effort will continue until mid-January.

In the past week, funds from 55 new donors have been added to the list.

Fully tax deductible contributions can be sent to the Town Crier Holiday Fund, 138 Main St., Los Altos 94022. Or donors call Avinell at 948-9000 and donate by credit card.