The city is collecting food and gifts at various locations throughout Rosemead to support its annual Canned Goods and Toy Drive for the nonprofit food bank People for People.
People for People will receive all canned goods and toys donated at special city collection points through Dec. 12.
David Montgomery-Scott, director of Rosemead Parks and Recreation said once his department receives all the food and toys, “We turn everything we have collected over to People for People, and then they put it into the form of baskets and turn it over to the needy.”
The nonprofit prepares these holiday food baskets for low-income families and others in need throughout the San Gabriel Valley area, serving the cities of Alhambra, San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Monterey Park and Arcadia.
Families normally find their way to the food bank through either local churches or chambers of commerce, who put them in contact with the 28-year-old organization, People for People.
“Basically everybody qualifies; everyone has some kind of circumstance where they still need help,” said Norene Rand, director for People for People. “We don’t turn them away; we help everybody,” explaining that even if people come from out of the area, her organization will help them find assistance in their own city.
Rand said that for families to register for assistance they need to present identification, a utility bill, and proof of income; however, she assured, “We never turn them away – we always help them.”
According to Rand, her organization has collected approximately 3,000 canned goods from the city’s current drive. About 40 turkeys have been donated, but she’s not too worried about not having enough to go around.
“That’s because I have chickens, and I have a lot of families that prefer chicken over turkey, believe it or not,” said Rand. “But normally I have enough of the meat to give to everybody.”
Rand said that families will receive a big box of food that contains perishables, including potatoes and salads.
Besides the food drive, Rand’s organization hosts a holiday wish list for families’ needs. “We’ve gotten 14 of our families adopted out for the holidays, which is good,” she said. “And I still have 24 more if I could find more people to come and adopt them for the holidays.”
The way this works is that a family puts down a list of their needs, and the nonprofit encourages others in the community to provide for items on that list.
Rand said that even though kids may often request some expensive toys, she is still surprised that some adults will only ask for simple stuff. “Some of the women, they just basically want a bar of soap or some laundry detergent, stuff like that,” she said. “But, you know, if a family is on food stamps, you can’t buy that kind of stuff.”
Currently, Rand has about 250 families signed up to receive food baskets and toys, of which, nearly 50 percent are from Rosemead. On average the organization receives at least 285 families each month who receive clothing, food, and other help provided through government assistance programs.
“Usually our food donations are really very good,” said Rand, whose organization is made possible by its volunteers. “Our problem is that we always need more funds.”
Monday Regan, a recreation supervisor in Parks and Recreation, has worked with People for People on this holiday program in the past. Her nearly 12 years of experience with the nonprofit has witnessed that the joy of giving is still alive.
“It really is about the community bringing people together to help each other out,” Regan said. “We just put the containers out there, and the people, by putting in the toys and the food, reach out to help each other. It’s a really good event.”
To donate toys and canned goods, look for the special containers set up at the following locations: Garvey Center, 9108 Garvey Avenue; Rosemead Park, 4343 Encinita Avenue; Garvey Park, 7933 Emerson Place; City Hall, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard; Rosemead Library, 8800 E. Valley Boulevard; Shuey School, 8472 E. Wells Street; Janson Elementary, 8628 Marshall Avenue; and Savannah Elementary, 3720 Rio Hondo Avenue.
For further information on this holiday program, contact the Rosemead Parks and Recreation Department at (626) 569-2160.
To contact Norene Rand at People for People, call or leave a message at (626) 285-2549. The nonprofit has recently relocated to 1311 E. Las Tunas Drive in San Gabriel.