Charitable / Special Donations

First, Monday's terror: A spark from the fireplace set the Christmas tree on fire, ravaging their multigenerational home and sending three children fleeing through the garage to safety.

Then numbness: the total loss of all their belongings, save for a grandmother's Bible and a school medal.

The San Jose household of six faced a meager holiday in a hotel room paid for by the Red Cross. Matriarch Cloveral Deal, who is raising her family on Social Security death benefits, is short on funds for a rental deposit, let alone money to replace everything they once owned.

The ordeal began Monday when Deal's daughter Olivia O'Neal -- a 14-year-old Andrew Hill freshman -- was resting on the couch after basketball practice. It was about 6 p.m. when the heat of a flaming television and Christmas tree jolted her awake. The lithe, fast-thinking teen rushed to get her 7-year-old niece, 5-year-old nephew, and her older sister out of the house. The front door was already blocked by flames, in a blaze San Jose fire Capt. Mary Gutierrez described as "very, very hot."

Family members held one another outside and called the Fire Department. Two alarms later, the four-bedroom rental home in the 3700 block of Kauai Drive in San Jose had sustained $200,000 in content and structural damage. It now stands walled in by plywood with a blackened exterior and holes in the roof. "The interior's a complete loss," Gutierrez said.

The timing of the devastation added to the injury: The fire that destroyed their home of 10 years landed on the 10th anniversary of the death of Olivia and Darius' father, Deltha. Their brother, who bears the same name, is a former Cal football player who played nine seasons in the NFL with Denver, Cincinnati and New England.

Olivia said her focus now is on life's bigger picture. She's trying not to lament losing all her belongings and being homeless for the holidays. "I just have to be strong for my mom because she's a single parent. I need to be humble," Olivia said, noting that the family has faced adversity before, and survived. "I can't just be here whining."

This is the original story from the Mercury:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_19610603?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com

The 2012 Why We Ride Calendar, including shipping is $10 each, and 100% of the proceeds goes to Susan G. Komen (calendar is available in quantities of 1-10). All those pictured in the Calendar are, or were, San Jose PD.

Annual SJPOA Charitable Foundation Fundraising Drive

The San Jose Police Officers' Association Charitable Foundation is conducting our Annual Charitable Foundation Fundraising Drive. Your donation is what allows us to continue supporting positive community programs such as youth recreation leagues, drug resistance programs, victim support groups, widow and orphan support, developmentally disabled childrens programs and college scholarships.

We understand that these are tough times for many San Jose families - which is why charitable programs are more important than ever. By sponsoring league programs we are giving kids positive activities that keep them off the streets, and through scholarships we are helping hard working yet underprivileged students fight for the American Dream. Because we are a not-for-profit charity organization, your gift is 100% tax deductible. And you can be confident your donation is directly benefiting our community in a positive way. As police officers, our top priority is keeping our community safe and secure. That means performing our job to the highest standard possible, and giving back to our community through charitable Programs.

Thank you for your support.
George Beattie
President, San Jose Police Officers' Association Charitable Foundation