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FBFR310 List $80.95 69 99 Cork Wine Set Kikkerland KIKBA67 List $21.99 19 99 43 99 Pastels A L'ecu Sennelier SVF10132231 List $66.95 Galeria Acrylic Color Sets Winsor & Newton WNX2190525 List $29.15 19 99 100ml Water Base Spray Paint 6 Pack Montana MTEX011W0006M List $38.94 29 99 High Flow Acrylics & Refillable Marker Set Golden GOL9590 List $36.69 Acrylic Paint Markers 12-Piece Set Art Alternatives AAT 10705 List $39.99 Colourfix Pastel Paper Pack Armadillo AZCFR10x List $41.99 24 99 29 99 34 99 Acrylic Gel Mediums and Molding Pastes Introductory Set GOL09450 List $31.39 26 99 I nthemonthsafter her mother died after a fight with cancer, Sarah Chris- topher sought out a sense of purpose. During her mother's fight, Christopher worked as her primary caretaker, staying long days at the hospital and making her mother comfortable. But she also grew accustomed to little social interaction. While she didn't want to start working yet, she wanted to get back out into the community. Her sister suggested helping at the Santa Cruz County Volunteer Center during the holidays. The work went together with the memory of her mother, Emily Galli, who worked as a children's librarian in Santa Cruz County. She also volunteered with Friend's Outside, a program that helps incarcer- ated individu- als bridge con- nections with the outside world. Christo- pher remembers her mother as an encouraging and optimistic woman who always wanted to help. "It was just who she was," Christopher said. "I wanted to carry that on and it was the best way to continue to feel that con- nection with her." At the Volunteer center, Christopher worked a variety of roles from front office clerk, the Americorps program and Friends Outside. She was eventually tapped to help with the Adopt-A-Family project. The program, through the center's network of organizations, identifies needy families for the Christmas holiday and connects them with families willing to help. The generous families volunteer to buy gifts for the needy ones and provide them with holiday cheer that would have otherwise been missed. Christopher's role was to field calls from poten- tial families looking to help. Callers would phone in asking for families in need and Christopher, reading from a thick binder, would thumb through pages trying to find the right match. Needy families can in all sorts of sizes, from small households to ones as large as 10 people. Each story is different. Some are grandparents caring for their grandchil- dren while the parents are incarcerated. Others are individuals who escaped domestic violence or families without homes. "You kind of just get a sense of the issues that are really going on in our community with this program," she said. Through her countless conversations with willing donors, Christopher said she found inspiration in the people willing to do- nate time and money for complete strangers. "It kind of gives you a sense that a lot of things happen that we don't see that are really great in our community," she said. One family struck a chord with Christopher and her sisters. The family in need was rebounding from an illness of their own: a battle with cancer. The mother fought and won her battle with leu- kemia, the same disease that Christopher's mother fought. Fate had bridged a connection between this family and Christopher's. In December 2015, Christopher and her sisters visited the family with their gifts. Pleasant- ries were exchanged and gratitude was expressed. As she watched, Christo- pher noticed all three of the children were younger than 10 and couldn't help but ask, "What if?" "I imagined if they had lost their mother and the extent of their loss," she said. "It was kind of encouraging to see a positive side of that experience." This year, Christopher is continuing her mission to help the needy in Santa Cruz County as a volunteer again. More than volun- teering, she com- mitted to adopting and helping another family this year. While the program has support, Christo- pher encouraged county residents to get involved with adopting a family and connecting with the volunteer center. "The community always needs help," she said. "With helping others, you help them out but it also fills you with goodness." The community always needs help with helping others, you help them but it also fills you with good- ness and something pure and real. By Calvin Men Sarah Christopher,Volunteer DANCOYRO-SANTACRUZSENTINEL HonoringaLovedOne roughVolunteerism Communitycontinued... e community always needs help.With helping others,you helpthem out but italsofills you with goodness. –Sarah Christopher | COMMUNITY | SANTACRUZSENTINEL.COM FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2016 2 C