The annual gift-bag project at Boise Rescue Mission’s City Light Home for Women and Children is a tangible, straightforward way to help a woman in need start her new year right.

Shelter staffers hope the community will be inspired to help out.

City Lights asks that each bag is the same, containing these items: nonslip gripper socks (medium-large); umbrella (collapsible travel size); toiletry items (regular sized: shampoo, conditioner, brush, deodorant); warm pajamas or casual sweat suits (large to 3XL); robe (large to 3XL); $5 gift card to Fanci Freeze, Starbucks or McDonald’s; five bus passes, $2 single day use (Albertson’s sells a six-use coupon book for $10); one pocket-sized yearly planner; one “gifty item” of your choice (jewelry, scented lotion, make-up, etc.); $30 gift card to Fred Meyer, Walmart, Shopko or Target.

If you are able to help, call Maria McConnell or Shari Raddatz at 343-4680, or Megan Korthals at 861-9295.

The shelter is at 1404 W. Jefferson St., Boise.

WORLD RELIEF CHRISTMAS BASKETS FOR REFUGEES

World Relief, one of the local agencies that resettles refugees in our community, needs help providing gift baskets for the newest arrivals over the holidays.

Baskets should be filled with fruit, chocolate, a small gift that will fit in the basket for each person in the family and a gift card to a local merchant (Walmart, Target, Shopko or Fred Meyer).

Contact Sue Hagler at World Relief. She will assign donors to a local family and fill in the details.

World Relief is at 6702 Fairview Ave. Contact Hagler at 323-4964 , ext. 110 or shagler@wr.org. The deadline for dropping off a gift is Friday, Dec. 21.

HELP FILL A WISH LIST FOR TERRY REILLY PROGRAM

Terry Reilly’s SANE Solutions program provides services for people affected by child sexual abuse.

Needed items include new and gently used kids’ books, small toys and action figures, candy and suckers, stickers, items that would work as small prizes given to clients after counseling sessions, fingernail polish, beads for making bracelets, Play-Doh and small boxes of crayons, colored pencils or markers.

Cash donations also are welcome, made out to Terry Reilly, with a notation that the gift is for SANE Solutions toys and arts supplies.

Terry Reilly is at 211 16th Ave. N., P.O. Box 9, Nampa, 83653-0009. Call Ann Sandven, 318-1258, for more information.

NAMPA AMERICAN LEGION BREAKFAST FOR HOMELESS VETS

The Nampa American Legion Post 18 invites homeless veterans in the Treasure Valley to a special breakfast. The purpose of the event is creating ties among homeless men and women with other veterans in more stable situations.

The breakfast is 8 to 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 29, in the Nampa Legion Hall at 1504 2nd Street S., in Nampa. It is free for veterans. For more information and to RSVP, call Larry Matthews, 546-8427.

OPERATION WARM HEART SUPPORTS AIRMEN

Your donations will help 350 lower-ranking airmen and their families have toys for their kids and food baskets for their holiday meals.

Contributions also help with things like blankets, diapers and other items for new military parents.

If you can help, make checks payable to Operation Warm Heart, PSC 4188, Mountain Home AFB, Mountain Home, 83648.

Call 599-0402 for more information.

FIREFIGHTERS, OTHERS, COLLECT DONATIONS

Æ Firefighters across the valley invite people to drop nonperishable food items and unwrapped toys at any fire station for distribution to local families in need through The Idaho Foodbank and Toys for Tots programs. Drop off items from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at any Treasure Valley fire station through the end of the year.

Æ Firestone Complete Auto is collecting nonperishable food items for The Idaho Foodbank. Foods in high demand include peanut butter, dried beans and peas, canned meats, tuna, whole-grain crackers, oatmeal, cereal, pasta, rice, sugar, flour, condiments, diapers, and baby formula and food (nonglass containers.)

Drop them at the store, 6690 W. Fairview Ave., Boise, through Dec. 30.

IDAHO YOUTH RANCH LAUNCHES ORNAMENT FUNDRAISING PROGRAM

The organization, which provides services for children and their families, is selling an assortment of Christmas tree ornaments to raise money for its programs.

Prices for ornaments range from $5 to $100 — representing everything from a healthy meal to a counseling session for an abused child.

The ornaments are available at 26 Idaho Youth Ranch thrift stores across the state. Call 377-2613 for information.

HAVE A TURKEY FOR THE IDAHO FOODBANK?

The organization still needs about 2,000 turkeys, hams and roasts for needy Idaho families’ holiday meals.

The goal of The Idaho Foodbank’s “Hope for the Holidays” campaign was 15,000 holiday meats for November and December. Donors gave 7,800 for Thanksgiving and another 5,200 during December — leaving 2,000 needed by Dec. 21.

Drop donations at any Les Schwab store in the Treasure Valley or the Foodbank’s Boise warehouse, 3562 S. TK Ave.

LOOKING OUT FOR THE CREATURES

Camp Bow Wow, 3430 South T.K. Ave., Boise, is holding a pet food drive for pet owners struggling to buy animal food.

Items needed include unopened boxed and packaged dog treats (nothing with red dye and preferably nothing manufactured in China); cat nip and other cat toys; unopened boxed and packaged cat treats; and packaged carrots or other fresh veggies. To maintain freshness, please wait until Dec. 20 to drop off vegetables.

Donations should be dropped off at Camp Bow Wow by 7 p.m. on Dec. 22. Call 331-5091 for information.

BLESSINGS FOR YOU

Local spiritual group, Oneness Boise will be offering “Deeksha,” or “oneness blessings” free for anyone who would like to stop by the Oneness Playground, 1003 N. Orchard on Friday, Dec. 21. Blessings will be given from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The purpose, said organizer Theresa Mitchell, is to help people relieve holiday stress and find some inner calmness. For information, contact Mitchell at theresasemail@gmail.com.

NICE STORIES THAT HAVE COME MY WAY

Here are a couple bright spots from the email inbox:

Æ Boisean Charles Lauterbach emailed me about the Sunrise Rotary Club’s annual Christmas project.

For more than 20 years, club members have “adopted” local families in need during the holidays. Elementary schools, the Salvation Army and other groups help club members identify families. Groups of four or five Rotarians buy presents, frequently spending as much as $100 per child.

In addition, the club contributes a $150 food card to families for their Christmas dinners. One member also arranges to give a frozen turkey to each family.

This year, the club is helping 24 families that include more than 60 kids.

But that’s not all.

In addition to the Christmas program, said Lauterbach, the club hosts a special breakfast for the children and staff of Hope House. This year, everyone is gathering at 7 a.m., Thursday, Dec. 20 in the ballroom of the Owyhee Hotel. One highlight: a comedic rendition of the "Twelve Days of Christmas."

To find the Rotarians online, link through this column at idahostatesman.com.

Æ The lawyers and staff at Boise law firm Gjording Fouser have a nice holiday tradition. For the ninth year in a row, they’ve forgone a holiday office party, opting to spend that money on the community instead.

They closed their office on Friday, Dec. 7. All 12 employees went shopping for gifts for parents and children they sponsor through the Family Advocate CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program.

Each year, partners Jack Gjording and Trudy Hanson Fouser provide the money; employees split into teams and only return to the office when they’ve found the perfect gifts. That’s cool.

Æ The staffers at DaVita Dialysis raise money each year for a different nonprofit. This year, they’re giving $1,000 to Life’s Kitchen, the program that provides culinary and life-skills training for at-risk young people.

Æ Nampa High School students loaded buses with more than 10,000 cans and other food items for delivery to the Nampa Salvation Army. The delivery of the food caps off the students’ annual food drive.

Æ This came in through our news tip line Saturday: Andy Parker was in line with his wife and kids at the Meridian Winco when a woman he didn’t know walked up to him, handed him a gift card for $50 and said “Merry Christmas.”

Anna Webb: 377-6431