Christmas and Hanukkah are on the way, and Jewish Family Service (JFS) is preparing for both of them.

Rabbi Denise Eger, of Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, will be part of the Hanukkah celebration at the Hollywood and Highland Center. (photo courtesy of the Hollywood & Highland Center)

The nonprofit organization is currently soliciting donations for its Adopt-A-Family program, which will pair donors with families at the federal poverty level or seniors with fixed incomes.

Susie Forer-Dehrey, JFS’ chief operating officer, said the organization has been hosting the program for more than 20 years, and last year organizers provided Christmas and Hanukkah presents to 176 families, including 278 children. This year, they expect more than 200 families.

“It really is about being able to share the abundances and blessings some have with others who do not,” Forer-Dehrey said.

Families are confidentially matched, and donors receive vignettes that state what gifts the family has requested. Forer-Dehrey said JFS selects its neediest families and seniors for the program.

“They don’t, at any point, meet,” she said. “It’s really to protect the dignity and integrity of the family.”

Forer-Dehrey said JFS is always taking donations, even beyond the holidays. The organization is not taking any more applications for assistance, though.

“Hunger doesn’t take a holiday,” Forer-Dehrey said. “Poverty doesn’t take a holiday. The needs are unrelenting.”

Additionally, Jewish Family Service is preparing for its Hanukkah party for Holocaust survivors on Dec. 22. Forer-Dehrey said the organization generally serves approximately 250 survivors each year.

Members of the Café Europa, JFS’ support program for survivors, are invited to the party at Temple Beth El. Café Europa meets weekly in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. Entertainment will be provided, and food will be served.

Forer-Dehrey said the holiday meal is of utmost importance for the survivors, some of whom have a tough time during the holidays. She said that many of the Café Europa participants behave like siblings.

“I think it’s really important for them to celebrate the holiday [together],” Forer-Dehrey said. “To be able to be together is very important.”

Several other Hanukkah celebrations will be ongoing in the coming weeks. The Klezmatics will celebrate Hanukkah and the band’s 25th year anniversary during a performance at 8 p.m. on Dec. 19 at Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, visit www.laphil.com.

The Original Farmers Market will have its Hanukkah celebration from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the market. There will be arts and crafts, games, music, snacks and a Menorah lighting ceremony.

The Hollywood & Highland Center will celebrate Hanukkah at 6 p.m. on Dec. 23. Congregation Kol Ami of West Hollywood’s Reform Synagogue will observe the holiday with Shabbat services. For more information, visit www.hollywoodandhighland.com.