By ALICIA CORONA
This December, the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce provided an opportunity for members of the community to give back and support military families from Liberty Military Housing at their annual Toy Drive. Volunteers and supporters of this charity event joined at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse in La Mesa and helped organize toy donations for delivery to the families of military personnel. County Certificates of Recognition were presented by a representative of Supervisor Joel Anderson’s office and awarded to volunteers and sponsors who made this event possible with their selfless contributions.
Cindy Farless, Regional Community Services Director of Liberty Military Housing, described the impact and appreciation of her partnership with the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce for making this event possible: “As a property managing company, we don’t get the same opportunities as non-profits do to make as big of an impact, so most changes we try to make are internal in our company. Our partnership with La Mesa is vital to our company because they help add to the work that we are already doing in the community.” Farless emphasized how a simple donation can take a toll of stress off a family’s shoulders during the holiday season.
Mary England, CEO of the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, explained that her favorite part of hosting the Chamber’s toy drive is “bringing the community together” with the “same common goal of supporting the children of Liberty Military Housing.”
The Toy Drive was a highly anticipated event among potential donors, who were looking forward to another successful Chamber event centered around an important cause.
Attendees and small business owners Bob Sole and Lizie Delgado shared that they were inspired to donate toys to “help the people who defend our country and sacrifice their lives.” They continued, “I think we owe it to each and every one of them and their kids. … These kids need love, and if we can give a tiny bit of it that’s what we want to do.”
Supervisor Anderson awarded certificates to the toy drive’s volunteers and sponsors in recognition of their hard work and dedication to support military families.
“I appreciate all the volunteers and sponsors for their time and effort given to this Toy Drive supporting our servicemembers and their families,” Anderson commented. “These events are what ties our community together, and I am proud to serve a community that chooses to give back and participates by taking initiative.
The toy drive collected a grand total of over 950 toys, books and other items to be donated toward this event that serves over 2,000 military families.
— Alicia Corona is a legislative intern for Supervisor Joel Anderson.
