The charitable OB Food and Toy Drive benefiting poor families and seniors will take place Dec. 9 to 14 with numerous collection boxes around town.
Each year OB Town Council partners with community groups and volunteers to package a week’s worth of groceries, care packages and new gifts and toys for the needy during the holidays.
“This year we are shooting for over 100 local families and seniors, which is a big increase from last year,” said Cameron Reid, OBTC community enhancement chair. “So we’re really trying to rally the community’s support. We’ll be needing a lot more food/toys, or even financial contributions, compared to last year to hit this goal.”
Added Reid, “Often people wait until the week of the event to donate, which is always appreciated, but from a planning perspective the earlier we receive contributions the better. We have already distributed toy collection boxes across OB and will be adding more.”
Collection boxes can be found at: Culture (4845 Newport), Kilowatt (1875 Cable), Mike Hess (4893 Voltaire), Dirty Birds (1929 Cable), CVS (4949 Santa Monica), Target (4864 Newport), Waters Edge (1984 Sunset Cliffs), Olive Branch Chiropractic (4967 Newport #13), Ocean Beach Business Center (4876 Santa Monica), Ocean Beach Library (4801 Santa Monica), Run For Cover Bookstore (4912 Voltaire), Raglan Public House (1851 Bacon), OB Noodle House Bar 1502 (4993 Niagara); and Ocean Beach Woman’s Club (2160 Bacon).
Reid said dozens of volunteers will be needed for each day of the event at the Masonic Center, 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd., especially Saturday, Dec. 14. The schedule is: Dec. 9, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., sorting non-perishable food items; Dec. 10, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., filling and labeling boxes with food and toys; Dec. 11, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m, filling and labeling boxes with food and toys; Dec. 12, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., TBD if this evening will require any activities; and Dec. 14, 8:30 a.m. to noon, all hands on deck to distribute and deliver boxes.
Those interested in hosting a collection box should email [email protected].
For more information, visit plumfund.com/community-crowdfunding/2019-ob-holiday-food–toy-drive or https://obtowncouncil.org/food-and-toy-drive/.