This holiday season, as in years past, there are many families in need in our community. Wish lists of local community nonprofit organizations continue to grow and you can help in a multitude of ways--donate your time; make a financial contribution; give food, toys or gifts; or instead of racking your brain to find the perfect gift, honor special people on your holiday list with a donation to a worthy nonprofit.

There are many agencies seeking help this holiday season and all year long. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

Samaritan House in San Mateo serves more than 12,000 low-income families and individuals throughout the year in San Mateo County. You can bring items from their wish list to their administrative office at 4031 Pacific Blvd. in San Mateo, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. through the end of December. During the holiday season they are especially in need of gift cards to food and clothing stores, gifts for children and teens, educational toys, non-perishable food items and holiday foods such as ham, turkey and chicken. You can also purchase items from their Amazon wish list and have them shipped directly to Samaritan House.

Second Harvest Food Bank of San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties, with offices in San Carlos and San Jose, provides food for 250,000 residents each month and they now serve 1 in 10 residents in the two counties. In addition to their distribution warehouses in San Carlos and San Jose, their barrels can be found at Safeway, Whole Foods and San Mateo County libraries. They are especially in need of meals in a can, such as soups and stews, as well as canned fruit, canned foods with pop-top lids, canned meats and low-sodium vegetables. Also needed are low-sugar cereals and peanut butter in plastic jars. Volunteers are needed to sort and distribute food. Cash donations are especially appreciated, as with every dollar, the organization can purchase two meals, and the cash helps them meet the food needs of their clients throughout the year. They also have a list of ways families and children can help, including making holiday cards and preparing baskets of food for needy families.

Peninsula Family Service Agency  offers comprehensive programs teaching children, families, and older adults lifelong skills to build a self-sufficient future, regardless of ability to pay. They serve 10,000 families and children each year. Your financial donation helps support their many programs. Donations of specific items are also welcome (see their wish list)  and can be dropped off at their office at 24 Second Avenue in San Mateo. If you can volunteer your time, helping with seniors or young children, they will put you to work. Call (650) 403-4300 to learn more.

The Children's Fund of San Mateo County  provides children from low-income families with gifts during the holiday season. In addition to monetary and gift card donations, they are seeking new, unwrapped board games, books, clothing and sporting goods. Contact Rebecca Asch at 650-802-6497 or rasch@smchsa.org for details.

JustGive  is your online destination if you'd like to give the gift of charitable giving to someone on your holiday list. At this website you can purchase a gift card that the recipient can use to give to the charity of his or her choice, whether it be local or international.

With the passage of Proposition 30 in 2012 and the state's new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), many in the community think that education funding is "good to go," says Alisa MacAvoy, president of the San Mateo County School Boards Association (SMCSBA). "But it's really just a first step in rebuilding education in California."

With that message in mind, SMCSBA has developed a position paper on school funding entitled "California's New School Funding System Is Only The First (Small) Step: Inadequacy And Inequity Continue To Burden California's Public Education System."