Lending a much-needed helping hand to those in crisis and strengthening our community have always been the aims of the Voice Holiday Fund. The annual charitable giving drive is kicking off this week to support local nonprofits that serve children, families and individuals.

Donations from community members will enable organizations serving Mountain View residents to bridge educational gaps, put food in hungry stomachs, ensure access to health care, step in with critically needed homeless services and more.

Every cent of every donation will go to these community agencies because the Voice and its Holiday Fund partner, the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation, are absorbing all administrative costs to run the fund. All donations are tax-deductible.

This year, the Holiday Fund is supporting the following local nonprofits: Community School of Music & Arts; Community Services Agency; Day Worker Center of Mountain View; Mayview Mountain View Clinic; Community Health Awareness Council; Hope's Corner; and Mentor Tutor Connection. Last year, checks totaling $84,000 were handed out to representatives of local nonprofit organizations.

"It gives us great joy to connect donors with grantees so that so much good work can be done to make lives better," said Bill Johnson, president of the Embarcadero Media Foundation.

For more information about the Holiday Fund, go to MV-Voice.com.com/holidayfund. To give a donation online, go to embarcaderomediafoundation.org/holiday-fund/mountain-view. Checks can be made payable to Mountain View Voice Holiday Fund and sent to 450 Cambridge Ave., Palo Alto 94306.

The Holiday Fund campaign will run through early January. Grants will be awarded in the spring.