It\u2019s that time of year again when schools, churches, and a host of community volunteers pool their resources to conduct the annual OB Food & Toy Drive benefiting needy families and seniors throughout the Peninsula during the week of Dec. 12-17.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sort of all hands on deck, like past years,\u201d said Cameron Reid, co-chair along with Stacie Woehrle, of charitable food and gift giving sponsored each year by Ocean Beach Town Council. OBTC works with community groups and volunteers to package a week\u2019s worth of groceries, care packages, and new gifts and toys for the needy during the holidays.
\n\u201cWe typically start about July thinking about logistics and sponsorships,\u201d said Woehrle of planning for the annual event. \u201cThankfully, this year we have Shelly Parks, who works for the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, join our committee. She has really brought a lot to the table as far as resources and the ability to procure food.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reid noted the annual drive is back again this year at the Masonic Center at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. He said they have a \u201clofty\u201d goal again this year of \u201chelping at least 150 families and seniors.\u201d<\/p>\n
That is accomplished, Reid said, via dialogue with and access to local schools and churches. \u201cOver the last two weeks, we\u2019ve been rolling out toy collection boxes across the Peninsula, along with collecting on our website, for people who want to participate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Woehrle said honorable mention goes to Stasi McAteer, who has been helping her on the toy side of the drive to \u201cget the word out that there are families that need assistance, as well as a need for people donating.\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to COVID, Woehrle pointed out that \u201cwe only take new, unwrapped toys to pass on to people. We look at the (donated) items and decide which families, which children, they should go to.\u201d<\/p>\n
To stage the food and toy distribution, Reid noted OB Kiwanis distributes fliers and grocery sacks door-to-door throughout the Peninsula.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey (Kiwanians) tag 3,000 to 5,000 houses the first week of December,\u201d he said starting the day after the parade (Dec. 3) and returning a week later on Dec. 10 to collect bags of food left on front porches. \u201cIt makes it easy for everyone to donate,\u201d Reid said adding, \u201cWe also get food from the San Diego Food Bank and Grocery Outlet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of how they find needy families and seniors, Reid noted: \u201cWe work closely with local schools, churches, and the YMCA to sign up people. We don\u2019t turn away anyone as long as they sign up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Woehrle said the week of Dec. 12-17 sees donated items, food and toys, flowing into the Masonic Lodge \u201cfrom various churches, schools, and private people. We (volunteers) form a sort of triage for food and toys that come in, get everything ready to start packing it up into care packages. That happens on Monday through Thursday. But the real meat-and-potatoes is on Friday, where we package everything and get ready for it to be delivered on Saturday, Dec. 17.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe morning of Dec. 17 from 8-10 a.m. is when volunteers pretty much deliver everything, all of the care packages, to families,\u201d added Reid. \u201cPeople come in with their cars, we load them up, give them an address and send them to the other side of the hill. Families living out of their cars, drive to us and pick it up themselves. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those people \u2013 more than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n