Record Number of North County Families to Receive Shopping Carts Filled with Donated Food, Clothing, Blankets, Toys, and More

Community Resource Center’s 26th Annual Holiday Baskets Program is the largest comprehensive holiday distribution program of its kind in the county. Hundreds of volunteers will be transforming the Grandstands at the Del Mar Fairgrounds into a 20,000 square-foot shopping warehouse so that a record 1,200 low-income families can experience “free” holiday shopping this season on December 19, 20, and 21. Eligible North County families will fill their shopping carts or “baskets” with donated turkeys, staple foods, blankets, clothing, toys, and much more.

Economic challenges have slowed donations, but Community Resource Center (CRC) remains optimistic as calls come in from the community offering to help. “We have many of our veteran drive organizers on board, and we’ve had a number of new groups organizing new drives in November and December,” says Laurin Pause, CRC Executive Director. “We are particularly concerned about donations of food, jackets, and toys. The number of families in need of CRC social services has increased by 200% this year, and we are doing our best to keep up for programs like Holiday Baskets.” Holiday Baskets distributed 42 tons of donated food, more than 4,000 jackets, and 2,500 toys last December and organizers are counting on its big drives, along with several smaller ones, to help reach that goal again. “At the very least, we want to make sure the families most in need have food and warmth this holiday season,” says Pause. “Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Over 200 groups are now collecting items for the program and include schools, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, Rotary Clubs, the Encinitas Sheriff’s Department, local businesses and government, Ecke Ranch, Lusardi Construction, churches, foundations, and much more. Community Resource Center supervises the deliveries, drop-offs, and distribution of items and the registration of families for the program.

More than 1,600 volunteers and staff will work around the clock to begin sorting over food, toys, outer wear and much more at the Del Mar Fairgrounds site starting on November 24 and continuing through December 21.

Those interested in donating, collecting, delivering, or distributing items for Holiday Baskets should contact Community Resource Center at 760-230-6305.

To learn more about CRC and Holiday Baskets, please go to www.crcncc.org

The program relies on the donation of items collected by over 200 groups in the community.

High Needs items for the Holiday Baskets program currently include the following:
- Non-perishable Food (canned or boxed)
- Jackets & Coats, all sizes (New or gently used)
- New Toys & Teen Gifts (unwrapped)

Drop-Off Centers for Holiday Baskets
- CRC Thrift Store, 111 “C” Street, in Encinitas (9-5 daily)
- Coldwell Banker Encinitas, 740 Garden View Court #100, in Encinitas (during business hours)

Preferred Donation Deadline: December 12th, but items will be accepted through December 19th. Those interested in donating or collecting items for Holiday Baskets should contact Community Resource Center at 760-230-6305. For online donations, volunteer opportunities, and other information, please go to www.crcncc.org