The Columbian’s late owner and publisher, Don Campbell, originated the People In Need Program in 1979. He felt The Columbian, with its broad readership and spirit of community outreach, should be a positive force in helping the less fortunate in Clark County. Today, third generation owners, Scott and Jody Campbell, believe in the same founding principles of the program. Donations to The Columbian’s People In Need Fund are distributed to the local non-profits serving the urgent needs of children and families throughout Clark County, including The Salvation Army’s Adopt A Family program during the holidays.

You can make a difference in our community several ways:

1. Send a tax-deductible donation to: The Columbian People In Need Fund c/o The Community Foundation 1053 Officers Row, Vancouver, WA 98661. Please make checks out to Columbian People In Need Fund.

2. Visit the Community Foundation web site to make a donation by clicking here. Select “The Columbian People In Need Fund” from the pull down menu options.

All proceeds from your donation will benefit children and families in need throughout Clark County. You will receive a receipt from The Community Foundation for your contribution.

Single parent families. Grandparents raising grandchildren. Mothers laid off. Fathers looking for work. No money. No food. Everyone is hungry. Thousands of Clark County residents are barely able to afford the bare necessities, let alone gifts for their children during the holidays. Can you help a needy family celebrate the spirit of the holiday season?

3. Drop off your donation of toys for children, gifts for teens or gift baskets for a family at:
The Salvation Army
1500 NE 112th Avenue
Vancouver, WA 98684

4. Adopt a Family in need this holiday season by contacting The Salvation Army: 360-448-2880 or visit www.salvationarmyvancouver.org.

Here are just some of the families who would benefit from your generosity:

1. An unemployed,  single mother of a three-year-old daughter and six-year-old son is in college and looking for a job, but needs some help for the two this Christmas. The girl hopes for a doll, and the boy a toy car so they can be surprised on the big morning. Bringing bright smiles to the faces of the children is one of the most important ingredients of a happy Christmas, says mom.

2. Clothing and shoes are needed by this family with a four-year-old daughter, who could also use a Barbie. Mom works but doesn’t bring home enough to cover the expenses, yet alone purchase presents. “We would like to have a nice dinner, and my daughter can open her presents,” says Mom, who says her Christmas wish is for all to “have good health.”

3. Clothing and shoes are needed by a family of five, which includes two daughters aged 12 and 10, and a five-year-old boy.  He likes dinosaur toys, and his 10-year-old sister asks for dolls. “We are suffering a little economically,” says Mom, who notes a need for food.

4. A family of five, including two boys aged one and two, as well as a four-year-old daughter, are struggling with unemployment. A Christmas tree and being together is the main wish of this family. The two-year-old boy would like some Veggie Tales toys, and his one-year-old brother would smile over a “noisy light-up toy,” says Mom.

5. Mom needs towels and Dad asks for a jacket in this family with three sons: a seven-year-old asking for a board game and pajamas; a five-year-old needing a winter jacket and a board game, and a four-year-old who likes art supplies and needs shoes. Dad works full time as the sole breadwinner, but medical bills have taxed the family this year, with their trailer home under foreclosure action. Add to this a collapsed roof raised to expenses.

6. An unemployed single mother of four-year-old and three-year-old daughters also supports a 19-year-old son living in a domestic situation after escaping a violent household. Mom has post-traumatic stress syndrome and suffers from daily panic attacks. Bills are higher than income, she says,  and asks for clothing for herself. Her daughters would  be happy with toys like Tinker Bell and unicorn items. Her older son needs shoes.

7. Mom has a part-time job, but supporting two youngsters is more expensive than she brings home. “I just want the kids to be happy on Christmas morning,” she says. An  eight-year-old daughter needs clothing and hopes for a scooter. A two-year-old boy needs clothing and perhaps a soccer ball. Mom requests clothing and lotions for herself.

8. “We live paycheck-to-paycheck,” says a Mom with three sons. While working fast-food part time and attending college, Mom’s fiancée remains at home caring for the children: a six-year-old asking for toy batteries, a four-year-old who would like some race cars, and a two-year-old who like crayons.

9. Mom is unemployed and Dad isn’t working many hours in this family with three children: a nine-year-old boy asking for a park play set; a seven-year-old girl who hopes for a toy cash register, and a three-year-old boy who needs a t tricycle. Mom and Dad ask for pajamas and boots.

10. Mom stays at home and Dad’s hours are few in the construction sector  for this family with three children. A baby daughter needs diapers; a six-year-old son likes Legos, and a four-year-old girl asks for a Barbie. Mom and Dad need clothing items for themselves.

11.   Shoes are badly needed by a single Mom with two little boys and a niece to care for this Christmas. “All the money I make goes to bills,” she says. A four-year-old boy asks for Power Ranger toys, and his nine-year-old brother hopes for skates. The eight-year-old girl hopes for bead kits. Mom requests some books for herself.

12. A single Mom and Grandmother live together raising three small boys, but there is no job in this family. To help out, twin five-year-old boys hope for some games to play, and a four-year-old boy likes Power Ranger toys. Mom and Grandmother need coats and shoes.

13. Dad works but Mom stays at home caring for three young girls and a little boy. “We are barely getting by,” she says, “and our car is about to break down.” Some help from the community would be important. The girls -- one 13-year-old, and two twins at three-years-old, all ask for CDs and DVDs. The year-old boy would find fun in  some Hot Wheel race toys, says Mom.

14. Dad works in landscaping, so there isn’t much work right now in this family of five in which Mom doesn’t work. As a result, they’re getting behind on paying the bills, she says, and it doesn’t look like they’ll have money for Christmas presents. To provide some joy, a six-year-old boy asks for a skateboard, his five-year-old brother likes Spiderman toys, and a three-year-old girl loves to play with purses, and needs some shoes. Mom and Dad say the family could use some towels and socks as well.

15. Bikes and clothing are on the wish list for a family of five who also has another adult women living in the household. “We are essentially homeless, all living in a single room provided by a relative,” says Mom. Dad is  seasonal worker, meaning this is the off-season. “Our children suffer by sometimes not having food or enough clothing,” she says. The children, all girls, are  three-, six- and seven-years-old.  Mom and Dad request blankets as well.

16. Two boys, aged five- and three-years-old, ask for toy cars, and their year-old sister could use some educational toys in this family living on one salary which doesn’t cover their bills. Mom asks for some pots and pans, and Dad could use some tools in this family where the minimum wage income does not cover basic expenses.

17. Dad works only a couple days a week in this family of five which is having  trouble finding money for essentials. A 14-year-old daughter needs a jacket, and her four-year-old sister asks for some dolls. A one-year-old girl needs clothing and perhaps a doll. Mom hopes for shoes and pots and pans, and Dad could make good use of a warm jacket.

18. A remote-control airplane for a six-year-old boy, and wooden puzzles for his two-year-old brother would brighten this home with a single income. Mom asks for socks and pants, and Dad would appreciate pants and shirts.

19. Toys and clothing are needed by the four-year-old son and two-year-old daughter of a single, low-income Mom living hand-to-mouth. “My children have been through a lot and I want to give them all I can but may not be able to afford it,” she says. Mom asks for socks and cosmetics.

20. A single, unemployed Mom recently separated from her husband is a new mother of a girl and raising four- and seven-year-old sons who like toy trains and trucks. The new arrival could use some clothing, while Mom asks for household items, including candles. “I am struggling to get through the holidays,” she notes.

21. Mom and Dad have two boys  to raise while he fights cancer and she is forced to remain at home to care for the children. A four-year-old would have fun with some action figures, and his nine-year-old brother asks for Legos. Mom and Dad need clothing, towels and shoes.

22. Depending on food stamps and public assistance to raise their three boys, this jobless couple is trying for a fresh start since their recent move to Clark County from California. To help out, Legos for a six-year-old would be appreciated, along with some Spiderman items for a five-year-old. A newborn could use some baby toys. Mom and Dad also request blankets, laundry soap and clothing.

23. Caring for two of her own daughters plus three boys whose mother is in the hospital, a couple is struggling on minimum wages for the husband. There is “just enough money to pay the bills,” she says, with nothing left over for Christmas presents.  A four-year-old daughter asks for dolls, and her nine-year-old sister hopes for art supplies. The three boys in her care include an eight-, 11- and a 17-year-old who need clothing and shoes.

24. An unemployed mother of three youngsters, one which was recently diagnosed as diabetic, says she needs some help to celebrate Christmas with presents this year. A six-year-old boy asks for toy cars; a three-year-old girl likes Hello Kitty, and a newborn boy could use some baby toys. Mom asks for trowels and blankets.

25. Mom works full time, but as a single parent with two little ones, she finds it hard to stretch her income to purchase Christmas presents this season – particularly with much of her money going to daycare. Numerous medical issues for her and  a two-year-old boy complicate the financial situation. The boy and his five-year-old sister need  clothing and shoes. Mom asks for cold weather clothing and cooking utensils.

26. Mom will deliver a new family member in July, but she and Dad also care for two sons with a small single income. To help out, a one-year-old would like some toys and needs a jacket. A four-year-old needs pants and shirts. Mom and Dad also ask for blankets, slippers, jackets and hats for winter. The baby will need bottles and other new arrival items.

27. Toys and clothing are the sole request of parents raising five children: newborn, three- and five-year-old girls, and one- and 13-year-old boys. Dad works  now and then, and Mom must remain at home with the children. “Resources are tight,” she says “Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.”

28. Mom and Dad are not working as the mother of this family of three children attends college to try for a new career. An 11-year-old boy asks for a soccer ball; a nine-year-old boy likes Legos. A five-year-old girl likes Princess items. Dad asks for tools, and Mom hopes for some cookware and dinnerware.

29. “We just don’t have the means this  year to buy gifts” for their two little ones, writes a Mom noting that Dad recently lost his job and underwent surgery. She works full time, but all the money goes to bills, she explains. There is no money in this household for Christmas presents, so some super hero figures for a six-year-old boy, and Tinker Bell items for his four-year-old sister would bring smiles on Christmas morning.

30. Dad works in a construction job that isn’t steady right now, and Mom is a homemaker in this household with four children. Games are requested by to boys aged seven and six. A four-year-old girl hopes for a baby doll, and a one-year-old girl would like a rocking horse. Mom and Dad ask for bedding and pillows.

31. A single mother of three is unable to work due to a medical condition,  but keeps a trailer roof over the heads of the family after a year of homelessness. A four-year-old boy likes toy cars; a 14-year-old boy hopes for a telescope, and a seven-year-old girl asks for dresses and books.

32. Dad works for a company shutting down before Christmas, and Mom can’t help out due to a medical condition in this struggling family with three little ones. “We have had a rough time,” she says. “We’re unable to provide the Christmas our children deserve.” A community hand would be appreciated to provide a four-year-old boy with toy cars, an art set for his five-year-old sister, and some                         books for an eight-year-old girl.

33. Mom is a full-time college student while the man of this home works on a seasonal job, limited their income to provide Christmas presents for a three-year-old son who asks for cars and trucks, and a one-year-old boy who would have fun with an Elmo. Mom asks for a jacket and wallet, and Dad needs clothing.

34. Bedding, clothing and shoes are requested by a mother of two girls, aged 17 and five. Working part time isn’t providing the income she needs for this family, says Mom.  “Finances do not meet with our basic obligations,” she says. “The kids are great in understanding, and I would love for them to have something special for Christmas.”

35. Parents of four also care for a parent in a two-bedroom apartment. Dad works in landscaping, and isn’t finding lots of work right now. Mom stays at home to provide care for the children and her father-in-law. “We have very little money,” she says. A two-year-old girl likes Barbie dolls, and a four-year-old girl hopes for a tea set.

36. An unemployed single mother lives with her five-year-old daughter who hopes for a “Tangled” DVD this Christmas. “We have many outstanding bills,” says Mom, who hopes for a Christmas day with a tree and some candles for the home.

37. Two daughters, aged two and four, hope for bikes this Christmas, but they also like Tinker Bell and Mickey Mouse items in this family of four living on very limited income with Dad’s 15-hour work week. Mom cannot work due to health problems. The parents could use  shoes and jackets.

38. An unemployed single mother of four also cares for her father in this household of very limited income. To provide some relief this Christmas, a five-year-old boy likes toy cars; a nine-year-old daughter asks for Princess items; a 14-year-old boy asks for a skateboard, and a 16-year-old brother hopes for art supplies. Clothing is needed by adults in this home.

39. Living only on Dad’s restricted income, this family of four children will find no leftover money for Christmas presents, says Mom, who notes that a two-year-old son was recently diagnosed with a medical disorder (he would like some toy cars). A five-year-old boy and his  four-year-old brother like Leapfrog toys. A newborn boy could use some infant’s toys.

40. A family of six is finding it hard to get by on a single limited income. To provide some help, a four-year-old boy asks for Spiderman toys; a nine-year-old girl requests Barbie items; a 10-year-old boy needs clothing, and a 16-year-old boy hopes for a new backpack. Mom needs dishes and pans, and Dad asks for clothing items.