Other ways to help: health groups Other ways to help: health groups (December 17, 2003)

The following groups provide health services to people in need. They are not part of the Holiday Fund, so gifts and checks should be sent directly to the organization. Some need specific items, such as food and clothing; they all need gifts of money and volunteers.

**CORA (Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse) deals with problems related to domestic violence. Formed in 2003 by the merger of the Center for Domestic Violence Prevention with Sor Juana Ines, the agency serves 16,000 people a year with an emergency shelter, transitional housing, several 24-hour hotlines, counseling, children's groups, legal assistance, teen chat room, and community education programs. To reach: Erika Guzman, CORA, P.O. Box 5090, San Mateo, CA 94402; 652-0800. Support hotline (650) 312-8515; Teen Line (650) 259-8136; Legal Line (650) 259-1855; www.cdvp.org..

** Center for Independence of the Disabled assists some 3,000 people with disabilities to live independently, and stay at home and out of institutions. To reach: Ray Pitzinger, Center for Independence of the Disabled, 875 O'Neill Ave., Belmont, CA 94002; 595-0783. www.cidbelmont.org.

** Children's Health Council is dedicated to making a measurable difference in the lives of children facing behavioral or developmental challenges through inter-disciplinary assessment and treatment services. To reach: Isabel Chou, The Children's Health Council, 650 Clark Way, Palo Alto, CA 94304; 326-5530; www.chconline.org.

** Free at Last helps more than 5,000 at-risk youth and other people with problems of addiction, family breakdown, and the spread of communicable diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. Services include bi-lingual education and intervention. To reach: Deborah Vargas, Free at Last, 1796 Bay Road, East Palo Alto, CA 94303; 462-6996. www.freeatlast.org.

** Pathways Hospice Foundation (formerly MidPeninsula) serves terminally ill patients and their caregivers on the Peninsula. It provides medical, emotional and spiritual care so that people may live their final days in comfort and dignity. To reach: Pathways Hospice Foundation, 201 San Antonio Circle, Suite 104, Mountain View, CA 94040; 229-1200. Web: www.hospicehomecare.org.

** Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired serves 1,200 people of all ages with severe sight loss with programs that promote independence and improve quality of life. To reach: Susan Coan, Peninsula Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2470 El Camino Real, Suite 107, Palo Alto, CA 94306; 858-0202; www.pcbvi.org.

** Planned Parenthood Golden Gate provides low-cost reproductive health care, primary care, family-planning services, education, and outreach programs for 65,000 teens and adults at clinics in Redwood City, San Mateo, San Francisco, Hayward, Oakland, Rohnert Park and San Rafael. To reach: Planned Parenthood Golden Gate, Attn: Development, 815 Eddy St. Suite 100, San Francisco, CA 94109; (415) 441-7858. Information Hotline: (800) 967-7526. Web: www.ppgg.org.

** San Mateo Medical Center Foundation supports the county's newly rebuilt hospital, and its system of 14 clinics around the county, with comprehensive care, including HIV/AIDS care at the full-service Willow Clinic in Menlo Park. To reach: Peggy Lucas, San Mateo Medical Center Foundation, 222 W. 39th Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403, 573-2655; Willow Clinic, 795 Willow Road, Menlo Park, 599-3890.

** Women's Recovery Association (WRA) provides programs for women, girls and families suffering the effects of substance abuse. It has five residential programs, counseling offices, and children's programs. To reach: Laura Woodworth, Women's Recovery Association, 1450 Chapin Ave., Burlingame, CA 94010, 348-6603. www.womensrecovery.org.

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