As this Holiday Season approaches, we've been thinking about the disadvantaged children in our town - children of uncaring and inexperienced parents, children suffering from abuse of one kind or another, children under pressure to join a gang, children without the motivation to stay in school, children who become parents before they have the wisdom to do so.

            These children can all be helped. With information and guidance for them (either directly or through their parents or with both together) they can be helped to overcome or avoid their problems. In many cases all it takes is a few hours of care from trained professionals such as members of the El Nido staff. In other cases it takes more, but they can all be helped.

            We believe that making changes in these young peoples' lives is vital to making our community better-for generations-since a parent sets an example for a child. We believe it starts one family at a time. We believe it is important.

            When we say "we" we mean both our contributors and our professional staff members. The staff, skilled as they are, can't help children without funds from our donors and our donors need the staff to reach the children with the helpful services they provide.

            So once again we are asking for as generous a contribution to this cause as you can make. A gift to El Nido is not as much a gift to an organization as it is a gift to the community, a gift to an underprivileged child. Some examples:

• Your contribution of $100 could be a gift of 5 hours of parent education that will teach a parent much-needed communication skills and practical ways to encourage their children in a loving environment to strive for personal and academic success.  

• Your contribution of $250 could be a gift of 11 hours of inspiring and motivated activities that will lead a boy or girl away from the powerful and destructive influence of gangs.

• Your contribution of $500 could be a gift of 9 home visits from a visiting nurse to a pregnant or parenting young girl who will learn how to care for herself and her baby for the best possible start to a healthy, happy and productive life.