About 200 Salvation Army volunteers on Sunday delivered Christmas meals for San Franciscans who are homebound due to age or illness, and hundreds of other volunteers throughout the Bay Area opened their hearts for those less fortunate during the holidays.
The Salvation Army meals were hand-delivered from 7 a.m. until about 9:30 a.m. A total of 4,000 meals were prepared at the agency's central kitchen at 850 Harrison St..
Volunteer Jason Lee, of San Francisco, said he was inspired to see children among those volunteering, adding that he's a big believer in teaching youth to appreciate what they get and give back.
"It's really heartwarming to see a lot of the kids doing this because that's the best way to learn, to actually do it," he said. "Hopefully they remember this, and it becomes a tradition not only within their family but within the community."
Claire Gladstein, a real estate agent from Phoenix on an extended layover in San Francisco, said she learned about giving back at a young age and volunteered with some friends to help deliver the meals. She said she helped her family in similar programs overseas.
"We ran a lot of kitchens in Asia, and my mom ran it all," Gladstein said. "So I've been doing this since I was very young, and then pretty soon I was organizing it myself. So it's second nature to me, and it just feels good."
The Salvation Army has been providing fresh meals for those in need for 50 years.
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Elsewhere, thousands of people were served a Christmas meal at Saint Anthony's dining room in San Francisco.
Kitchen crews started preparing the community meal at 5:30 a.m. in order to make enough food for 3,000 people. The dining room, at 121 Golden Gate Ave., opened at 10 a.m., and the Indiana University football team, which is in town for the Foster Farms Bowl, was on hand to help serve meals.
Glide Church in San Francisco also served Christmas breakfast and lunch meals. University of Utah football players, also in town for the Foster Farms Bowl, were on hand at the church at 330 Ellis St. to help serve lunch.
Lefty O'Doul's in San Francisco collected 15,700 toys Saturday for its 16th Last Minute Toy Drive.
Lefty's on Saturday distributed more than 10,000 of the toys to six "Toy Parties," churches and community centers in the Bayview District and Western Addition.
On Sunday nearly 5,000 more toys were distributed to some of the city's most needy and at-risk kids at the annual Christmas Community Toy Giveaway at Ella Hill Hutch Community Center in the Fillmore.
South Bay communities also got into the charitable spirit. In San Jose, an overflow of vounteers showed up for the annual Christmas lunch and dance event for seniors at the Roosevelt Community Center downtown.
Longtime volunteers said many people look forward to the event each year because of its inclusive environment.
The event provided meals for seniors who live in downtown San Jose's many affordable housing developments. Organizers also hired performers to sing in several languages to represent the diverse community.
