Rows and rows of bicycles. More than 3,500 new toys and teen gifts. Jackets, coats and sweaters of all sizes and colors. And more than 46 tons of food.
The list is impressive – thanks to the generous donations of San Diego County residents and businesses – and it’s all going to make the holidays happier for low-income working families in North County thanks to the Community Resource Center’s (CRC) Holiday Baskets Program.
“This is our 30th anniversary,” said CRC’s Filipa Rios. “Every year we strive to serve just a few more families than the year before.”
The first distribution took place in a small cottage in Encinitas, helping 50 families. This year, operating out of a warehouse-sized location at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, more than 1,500 families were able to “shop” from tables and shelves stocked with donations collected by a network of more than 200 local businesses and organizations throughout the year. It’s the largest holiday distribution program of its kind in the county.
“The community really comes through for us,” said Rios.
It also takes an army of volunteers to pull off the event. The CRC takes over the facility the weekend after Thanksgiving to begin transforming it into the shopping experience for the family.
Rios said there are between 1,600 and 2,000 volunteers each year.
“We have volunteers from all walks of life,” she said.
Some of those volunteers are employees of the County’s Health and Human Services Agency’s (HHSA) North Coastal Family Resource Center (FRC). They distribute information about County services, provide access to CalFresh applications, offer bilingual services and most importantly connect with members of the community.
“It’s a great partnership with HHSA,” said Rios. “These guys care.
“It’s important to show people that they care and it really builds the bridges in the community with the families they serve.”
That’s why many HHSA staff sign up for the experience. This year, nearly two dozen signed up for shifts on a Friday night, Saturday or Sunday.
“It’s really all about wrapping our arms around our community in the spirit of ‘Live Well, San Diego!”, said Cindy Shelton, FRC manager. “It’s a gift to be able to work side-by-side with these families and other community organizations.
“It’s like being part of the magic and doing our part in the constellation of community partners that work on this event.”
Besides the volunteer help from HHSA employees, the County is a partner in the Holiday Basket program and the Encinitas Sheriff’s Department donates and refurbishes the bicycles given away.
