Schools throughout Northern Santa Barbara County are getting into the holiday spirit this year by collecting donations for local nonprofits. In Santa Maria, the students at Rice Elementary School recently collected two shopping carts’ worth of food to donate to the Santa Barbara County Foodbank and the People of Greatness Community Center.
Located at 1503 N. McClelland St., the community center holds a canned food drive and a community party each year, called Gifts of Love, during which they give turkeys, canned food, and presents to families in need. This is the center’s 10th annual event.
Natalie Galaites, a member of Rice School’s PTA, said this is the school’s first year competing in a canned food drive competition with five other local schools. Administrators at Tunnel Elementary School started the competition several years ago. Galaites said her school collected close to 800 items for the drive.
Michael Alcazar, owner of Big Bargain Appliance, volunteered to help load the food into his truck and drive it to the community center and the food bank.
On Dec. 9, the K Kids Club at Adam School in the Santa Maria-Bonita School District teamed up with the Kiwanis of Santa Maria Valley to collect food, clothing, and other items for the food bank, the Good Samaritan Shelter, the Santa Barbara County Red Cross, and the Santa Maria Valley Humane Society.
Throughout the day, students and other volunteers loaded such items as diapers, food, laundry soap, school supplies, and even cat litter and pet toys into a nearby school bus. The items will be organized and distributed by the Northern Santa Barbara County Red Cross.
This article appears in Dec 15-22, 2011.