St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room in Menlo Park is asking for the public's help in filling its list of needs for the holiday season and throughout the year.

Food supplies needed include meats, fresh vegetables and fruits (these items can be credited to St. Anthony's account at Sigona's Market, 2345 Middlefield Road, Redwood City), canned and packed foods, dry goods and other items.

New toys for children, 2 to 14 years of age, and Christmas candies are requested for St. Anthony's annual Toy Giveaway.

New and gently used clothing and shoes are needed for men, women and children as well as sleeping bags, blankets, diapers, toiletries, coats, sweaters and more.

Founded in 1974, St. Anthony's Padua Dining Room at 3500 Middlefield Road serves as many as 600 hot meals per day, six days a week. Its Thanksgiving meal usually serves 800 to 1,000 people in need, and the Christmas meals serve between 700 and 800 people. This year the numbers are expected to increase.

For more details, contact Max Torres, manager of operations, at 650-365-9664 or maxtorres@covad.net or go to www.paduadiningroom.com.

Turkey Bowl for charity returns to Daly City

Serra Bowl invites everyone to help strike out hunger by participating in Charity Turkey Bowl IX from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 24 at

The event is free, but cash or checks made payable to "Serra Bowl's Turkey Fund," or canned food donations are welcome.

Join pro bowlers, celebrities, friars, kids, adults and seniors as they roll for strikes to win turkeys to help feed Bay Area families in need over the holidays.

Serra Bowl will donate a turkey for every strike made that day to the St. Anthony Dining Room in San Francisco and the North Peninsula Food Pantry & Dining Center of Daly City. Over the past eight years, more than 60,000 people have eaten a holiday meal due to this volunteer effort.

"Striking out hunger is a top priority due to the economic climate," Mike Leong, Serra Bowl's general manager, said in a statement. "We urge Bay Area bowlers "... and the community to join us on the lanes to score turkeys for so many in our community who would otherwise go hungry. Our goal is to keep hunger off the table during the Thanksgiving tradition."

Bowling coaches will be available to help improve everyone's bowling technique. Raffle prizes will also be available.

Serra Bowl and the Northern California Bowling Association are also accepting a can of nonperishable food in exchange for one free game during November and December.

For questions or to register, call Leong at 650-992-3444 or go to www.serrabowl.com.

Volunteer opportunities for seniors

RSVP of San Mateo County, which promotes volunteer activities for people 55 years of age and older, is holding a new member orientation from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Nov. 25.

The event, which is sponsored by Mills-Peninsula Health Services' Senior Focus, will be held at Senior Focus, 1720 El Camino Real, Suite 10, Burlingame. The orientation offers a chance to learn about RSVP's policies and benefits and meet its staff.

The organization offers members maximum flexibility and choice by matching their personal interests and skills with partnering nonprofit agencies to help solve community problems. Supplemental insurance is provided while members perform their volunteer activities.

To register, call Barbara Adamson, RSVP program assistant, at 650-696-7660.

Holiday wonderland in South San Francisco

Barrango, which has designed and manufactured Christmas decorations since 1906, is presenting its first-ever Enchanted Christmas Forest from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 28 to Dec. 19, except for Sundays.

The event will be held at 360 Swift Ave., Suite 1, in South San Francisco.

Specializing in custom displays for businesses, restaurants, hotels and homes, Barrango offers hundreds of displays on a guided walk through a winter wonderland to its Christmas tree lot.

Barrango's creative and unique products can be found locally and worldwide in department stores, casinos, zoos, amusement parks and shopping centers, including Hillsdale, Serramonte, Stonestown and Tanforan.

For more details, call 650-871-1931 or go to www.barrango.com.

Elkus Ranch holds winter camp for kids

Richard J. Elkus Ranch in Half Moon Bay is holding its Winter Discovery Day Camp for children ages 6 to 11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 21 and 22 at 1500 Purisima Creek Road.

Children get a chance to share in the ranch's everyday activities, make new friends and learn about ranch life while helping with daily chores, working in the gardens, hiking the Elkus trails and creating a special project to take home at the end of the camp.

Children should dress in layers, have sunscreen and hats (even in foggy or cloudy weather), wear appropriate shoes (no open-toed shoes), and bring a morning snack, an eco-friendly sack lunch and bottled water. Afternoon snacks are provided.

The cost is $45 per day per child. Send a check made out to UC Regents to Elkus Ranch Winter Camp, 80 Stone Pine Road, Suite 100, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019 or pay by credit card at ucanr.org/wintercamp.

For details, call Leslie Jensen, program coordinator, at 650-712-3151. To learn more about Elkus Ranch or view photographs, go to cesanmateo.ucdavis.edu.

Hill headlines grand jurors luncheon

Assemblyman Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, was the featured speaker at the recent San Mateo County Association of Grand Jurors luncheon, held at Astaria Restaurant in San Mateo.

Lois Everett, chair of the association's speakers bureau, welcomed about 40 people, including Tony Noce of Bakersfield, president of the California Grand Jurors' Association, which encompasses 58 counties, and his daughter, Jeri Lee.

Hill noted that money is the key driver in Sacramento, government in Sacramento is completely different from local governments, and term limits (he supports 12 years) prevent having knowledgeable and experienced legislators.

"Cities work together in San Mateo County, and that's why we're so successful," he said. "There are three parties in Sacramento: one party is the Democrats, the second is the Republicans, and the third is the governor, so that's why it is difficult to come together on issues."

Hill also pointed out that there is no rainy day fund in Sacramento, so reform is needed. He emphasized that "if we don't get ahead of the train, we'll be run over by it!"

The San Mateo County Association of Grand Jurors, a nonprofit organization founded in 1982, is made up of former civil grand jurors. Its mission is to enhance public awareness and to promote the effectiveness of the grand jury system in California and San Mateo County.

The members give training guidelines and information regarding the functions and structure of grand jury systems to citizens interested in serving on county and federal grand juries. They also provide teachers and students with informational materials and resources on the contributions made by the grand jury system.

For more information, go to www.co.sanmateo.ca.us./smcagj.

Reach Carolyn at 650-355-5533 or carolynlivengood@sanbrunocable.com.