For those with short attention spans - I am asking everyone I know to help me collect a total of at least 100 blankets by December 14th for local families in need to keep them and their babies and their kids warm this winter. More details on how to donate are on a new Facebook page. Read on to hear how this ambitious goal was born.
Because I don’t have enough to keep me busy {snort!} I took on the glorious job of organizing monthly field trips at school. For December’s field trip I wanted to incorporate a service learning component. We visited a place today that I wanted to share with you all, because there is good work going on here and they need our help.
For 28 years Encinitas-based Community Resource Center has hosted its annual Holiday Baskets program, which provides essentials such as food and clothing as well as toys to over 1,200 low-income families living in the San Diego North County Coastal area. Our school children visited their sorting and distribution facility at the Del Mar Fairgrounds to learn about the operation, hear about families in need, and help sort through the donations that our school collected.
Andrew was very excited to load up the train set that a classmate donated:
I think what made the deepest impression for me was the staff’s quiet plea, despite our enthusiastic toy/food/clothing drive, to help spread the word that blankets and jackets/coats are needed this year. CRC staff Suzie explained that, when working with families to help cut costs, they often hear that families can’t afford to heat their homes. It’s the jackets, coats, and blankets that are serving this very basic human need - for shelter, for warmth.
We saw it today firsthand - the stash of donated blankets is very small, folks, and Suzie explained that no matter how many blanket donations they receive, all of them will go. They will still need more.
I was very moved by the efficiency of CRC’s holiday drive, by the generosity of our community. But it’s the need, the thousands in our community living below the poverty line who can’t afford to heat their homes, that is really getting to me.
Please join me in giving this season to CRC’s Holiday Basket program. My goal is to collect at least 100 blankets to donate to CRC by December 14th. That’s just seven days from now, or roughly 14 blankets a day. I will need LOTS of people involved to accomplish this! Here’s how you can help:
- Check your stash. If you have blankets (any size, baby to king) that you haven’t used, don’t need, are ready to part with please donate them.
- Spread the word. Ask your friends, neighbors, family, co-workers to do the same - donate gently used blankets, any size.
- Pick one (or more) up. The next time you’re shopping this week, look for a new blanket and buy it for a family in need. Better yet, let your kids pick one out and get involved. Check out local secondhand stores as well - new and gently used blankets are welcome.
- Leverage it. Organize a one-day blanket drive at your/your spouse’s office. Ask each employee to donate one or purchase one. I will gladly make pretty posters/PDF files for anyone that would like to organize a drive.
- Send me shopping. Those who know me well know I am not a shopper. But I’ll sacrifice for the greater good.
Make a donation in any amount, and I will use the total donated to purchase blankets for CRC’s program.
CRC would also love to have more volunteers - pitching in during the sorting process at the Fairgrounds is a great way for families to get involved and support this program. Check out their website for volunteer shift information.
Please spread the word near and far. I know those outside San Diego may scoff at the thought of it being difficult to stay warm here in SoCal, but we locals know it’s no joke. Add to the mix an inability to pay the heating bill, a baby or toddler at home… my heart really goes out to families in this situation.
On the way home from volunteering, Andrew and I talked about the program, and he asked “But we’ll never need to ’shop’ at that free holiday place, right?” Boy, that was a tricky one. You want your kids to feel secure, but you want them to understand the world as well. Please join us in giving this season to those who need it the most.
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Dawn Tacker | Eos Photography | Naturally beautiful, environmentally friendly portraits
