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A message from
Dave Butler
Editor
San Jose Mercury News
&
Leigh Poitinger
Wish Book coordinator
San Jose Mercury News
 Wish
Book Home
How to fulfill a wish:
Each Wish Book story includes links to donate, so that you can earmark your donations
through our secure server.
Donate
to the Wish Book Fund.
Print
out this form to send your donation by mail.
Questions?
Contact us at wishbook@
mercurynews.com
About
Wish Book
Staff credits
Email this Wish Book story to a friend
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dear reader,
Welcome to the 30th edition of the Mercury News Wish Book.
This year, our reporters and photographers will introduce you to 24 individuals, families and groups who face significant challenges. Each has a wish you can help fulfill.
Since 1983, readers have donated nearly $7.5 million to provide their neighbors in need everything from nutritious meals to camp scholarships to specialized equipment for those with disabilities.
During last year's campaign, despite the ongoing recession, readers sent in more than $500,000. This year, we asked more than 400 social service agencies throughout our area to tell us not only their needs but also those of the people they serve. From that information, we selected 24 stories and sent our staff to document them.
Contributions of any size are welcome and are tax-deductible. Wish Book's tax ID number is 77-0229665.
If more money comes in than is needed to grant a specific wish, we'll use the extra funds to pay for other wishes in the series. Excess funds may also be used to support camp and class scholarships for young people, domestic violence shelters, or food programs for the needy. Over the years, your contributions have provided thousands of dollars for these worthy services. We hope the Wish Book series will inspire you to give generously this year.
Secure donations may be made on this site, or if you prefer, download the donation coupon and mail it in with your check or credit card information to the San Jose Mercury News Wish Book Fund, c/o Silicon Valley Community Foundation, 2440 W. El Camino Real, Suite 300, Mountain View, CA 94040.
Wish Book works with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to process readers' donations, maintain the charity’s books, and provide all donors with tax receipts in a timely way, in exchange for a very small fraction of Wish Book proceeds. Wish Book also is able to accept donations of appreciated stock. If you are interested in making such a donation, please email us at wishbook@mercurynews.com.
Thank you, and happy holidays.
Dave Butler,
Editor
Leigh Poitinger,
Wish Book coordinator
Questions about Wish Book stories? Email wishbook@mercurynews.com or call coordinator Leigh Poitinger at 408-920-5972.
Staff
credits
Editor Leigh Poitinger
Reporters
Elliott Almond, P.J. Brown, Mike Cassidy, Michele Chandler, Karen de Sa, Karen D'Souza, Mark Emmons, Mike Frankel, Mark Gomez, Patricia Hannon, Karl Kahler, Patrick May, Charlie McCollum, Sharon Noguchi, Jeremy C. Owens, Sal Pizarro, Leigh Poitinger, Joe Rodriguez, Paul Rogers, Robert Salonga, Richard Scheinin, Julia Prodis Sulek
Photographers
LiPo Ching, Josie Lepe, Dai Sugano, Patrick Tehan
Photo editor
Jami C. Smith
Copy editors
Tim O'Rourke, John Swartley
Online design Nadya Harvey
The Mercury News editorial staff has researched
each case in this catalog, and we believe all of these requests
to be bona fide cases of need. We have verified that the facts presented
here are accurate. However, the Mercury News makes no claim, implied
or otherwise, concerning the validity of the requests beyond the
statement of these facts.
Donations to the
Wish Book Fund, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, are tax deductible.
The
tax ID number is 77-0229665.
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wish book stories