Ocean Beach Town Council is gearing up for its annual Food & Toy Drive spreading holiday cheer from now through Dec. 16.

‘Tis the season 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. 11-16.

The big goal this year, as every year, is to feed and provide presents for local families and seniors. Toward that end, OBTC partners with community groups and numerous volunteers to receive donations, package groceries, and wrap new toys for those in need of a little help during the holidays.

Planning and executing the OB Food & Toy Drive is a major undertaking, noted OBTC board member Shelly Parks, a social worker who’s participated with Jewish Family Service of San Diego and the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank.

“We start planning around early October, getting the word out to families and seniors who may be in need this year reaching out to schools and senior centers and helping them apply for this (food and toy drive),” Parks said. “We also have it listed on our website so people can sign up on their own, or if they know of a family to be adopted.”

“It’s sort of all hands on deck,” concurred Cameron Reid, co-chair along with Parks of charitable food and gift giving sponsored each year by OBTC.

Noting the OB Food & Toy Drive benefits about 100 families and 50 seniors annually, Parks pointed out people living in the Peninsula are primarily served. But she added that OBTC “is pretty flexible” in extending the list of those served to include people living outside the area who may work in the Peninsula, or whose children attend school there.

Parks noted real estate offices and churches have a great track record of collecting food and toy donations for the yearly drive. She added the San Diego Food Bank and OB Kiwanis are always helpful as well in collecting toys and food for those in need.

“OB Kiwanis goes door-to-door collecting food from houses in neighborhoods throughout the Peninsula during November through Dec. 8,” she said adding that collected food and toys are then funneled to the Masonic Lodge at 1711 Sunset Cliffs Blvd. for packaging and ultimate distribution starting on Dec. 10.

Volunteers then form a triage of sorts for goods flowing into the Masonic Lodge, getting everything ready by packing it up into care packages. That happens Monday through Thursday of that week. But the real show is the following day on Friday, where volunteers this year will package everything up and get ready for it to be delivered on Saturday, Dec. 16.”
“The morning of Dec. 16 from 8-10 a.m. is when volunteers deliver everything, all of the care packages, to families,” said Reid. “People come in with their cars, we load them up, give them an address and send them out. Families living out of their cars drive to us and pick it up themselves.”

Of the donated food distribution, Parks noted some 30 or more volunteers nightly “help us (OBTC) all week including mother-son Teen Volunteers in Action and mother-daughter San Diego MADCAPS, both of which have chapters on the Peninsula.”

Parks said participating in the OB Annual Food & Toy Drive is a really moving experience, offering an example from last year. “We visited a senior who had lost his wife and was having a down time,” she said. “We stayed with that senior for 30 minutes while he opened a gift of ornaments he put on his tree. He talked about his wife and what they used to do on the holidays. It made me cry just to know there are so many people in need this time of year.”

Regarding the toy drive with 15 donation stations throughout the Peninsula this year, Parks said all toys must be new, not used. “We prefer donated toys be unwrapped, so we can package them and get them to the right-age children,” Parks said adding “Another need we have is wrapping paper, which we go through a lot of.”

Help support the OB Food & Toy Drive with a generous donation to bring some additional holiday cheer to the needy in the OB community. Learn more about getting involved in all the OBTC holiday initiatives at obtc.link/holidays.

TOY DONATION STATIONS:
Vervor, 4689 Voltaire St.

Newbreak Church, 4694 Cape May.

Compass Realty, 1021 Rosecrans St.

Pruett Realty, 1845 Sunset Cliffs.

OB Business Center, 4967 Newport Ave.

OBMA, 1868 Bacon St. #A.

OB Library, 4801 Santa Monica Ave.

Submerge Church, 1711 Sunset Cliffs (Dec. 10 only).

Law Office of Gallagher Bolander Smedley LLP, 1951 Cable St.

Little House of Flowers, 1017 Rosecrans St., and 6090 Friars Road.

Matt Kalla Insurance, 4148 Voltaire St.

Santa Experience, Newport and Abbott (Dec. 2 and 9, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Hugo’s Cocina, 1830 Sunset Cliffs Blvd.

Dirty Birds, 1929 Cable St.

Joshua Lightcap, 5083 Santa Monica Ave., Suite 1A.