Programs for Hungry Emphasize the Spirit of Giving : Drive for donations to social service agencies gains speed at holidays. Several options are available to those wanting to help.

Every day, thousands of people in Ventura County look to social service agencies to provide them with something to eat. The homeless, the elderly, the poor, the homebound and others count on free or low-cost food for their survival.

Though the problem exists throughout the year, the big drive for contributions tends to center on the holidays, when the “spirit of giving” is emphasized, and a “happy holiday” means turkey and fixings for all.

Here’s what just a handful of the many organizations are doing to help the cause:

Food Share Inc., the food bank of Ventura County, serves 127,000 people countywide, year-round, said spokeswoman Dee Volz. “Almost everybody who feeds the county gets food from us,” she said. “We have 257 nonprofit agencies in the county.”

The organization has begun to make a big push for its Hunger 2000 campaign, an attempt to raise enough money over the next five years to wipe out the county’s hunger problem. Promotional television ads featuring actress Mary Steenburgen of Ojai are scheduled to air through December.

Food Share receives donations from a variety of public and private sources, including local restaurants, which provide food served as hot meals.

Volz said donations of money and canned or packaged food are accepted, but that the monetary donations go further. “Every dollar donated makes $34.88 of food going to the hungry,” she said.

This time of year, Food Share counts heavily on in-house corporate canned food drives, as well as public food drives. Among the latter, The Gap has a drive running through Christmas, and Vons grocery stores are collecting canned goods through Dec. 9.

If you’re interested in contributing, send monetary donations to P.O. Box 4596, Ventura, 93007, or call 647-3944. Donations also may be dropped off at the Food Share warehouse at 4156 Southbank Road, Oxnard, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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The Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank, a 24-year-old organization serving areas south of the Conejo Grade, will provide about 2 1/2 weeks worth of groceries to 3,300 families over the holidays. And the organization is working with local schools and clubs to provide full holiday meals.

“One school wants to adopt 17 families for Christmas,” said Administrator Pauline Saterbo. “One of the churches has asked for the names of 200 children. . . . First Financial Group has (Ralphs grocery store) coupons to give to our clients. They’re hoping to take care of the fresh vegetables and fruit for the holidays.” To help, call 497-4959.

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Family to Family, a program of Project Understanding, works with the Catholic Charities Program of Ventura County to supply hot meals in the Ventura and Ojai areas. The organization accepts non-perishable, unopened, generally canned goods, or monetary donations.

Private donations are welcome, as is the assistance of local community groups.

With the holidays in mind, De Anza Junior High School in Ventura held a Turkey Trot earlier this week, with children winning Thanksgiving turkeys--which they were encouraged to donate to the Family to Family program. Family to Family and Catholic Charities will provide holiday food baskets to needy families in the area. About 160 baskets will be delivered for Thanksgiving, and another batch is expected for Christmas.

Call Family to Family at 652-1326 and Catholic Charities at 643-4694.