CV station adds partners to its holiday tradition

There’s no place like home for the holidays, at least for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Crescenta Valley station volunteers who plan to distribute food and toys this weekend for as many as 150 local families in need.

It’s a tradition that’s gone on for decades, longer than anyone at the station can personally remember, according to Sgt. Cynthia Gonzales, a communications officer in charge of this year’s food and toy drive.

“It’s about bringing smiles to kids’ faces and making their day special,” Gonzales said. “The way law enforcement is perceived sometimes, we’re not always seen as the good guys. (But) we are human, and we care.”

PHOTOS: CV Sheriff’s station toy and food distribution

This year, the Crescenta Valley station collaborated with the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department to jointly host a “Breakfast with Santa” event at Crescenta Valley Park on Saturday morning.

Families can enjoy a continental breakfast and have pictures taken with Santa before receiving bags of food and tickets for age-appropriate toys. Gonzales said about 2,000 fliers were sent out to eligible families this year.

“We sent fliers out to certain schools, because we wanted to keep it in our community,” Gonzales said. “The whole thing is to connect with the community.”

For more than a month, volunteers have sorted food and toys gathered from collection barrels placed at local schools and gathering places. At the helm of that ship is Bill Latuf, a La Crescenta retiree who’s been a station volunteer for 12 years and has given out toys and food with wife Joann every year since.

Although Americans have begun to climb their way out of lean recession years, this year’s donations are noticeably fewer, Latuf said.

But despite the relatively low returns, regular donors have maintained high giving levels. The Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, which annually collects food donations through its Thanksgiving Run and Food Drive, remains one of CV station’s largest contributors.

“Our greatest help is the La Cañada Community Center, Latuf said. “We get a lot of food from their (Thanksgiving) run — all that food is donated to us.”

This Thanksgiving, the community center partnered with local schools and sanitation company NASA Services to challenge La Cañada residents to fill 15 bins, a task accomplished in record time, according to Executive Director Maureen Bond.

“It’s a time to give, as many have so much and feel so blessed they would really like to share with others,” Bond said. “It’s a gentle reminder that we should all be doing our part to help one another.”

Latuf — who remembers the people who helped him when he came to America from Argentina years ago with hardly a penny to his name — said the annual event is the best way he knows to honor the true spirit of the holidays.

“In life, at one time or another, you’re going to need help,” he reasoned. “The best thing to do is not to forget that, especially around the holidays. It’s the best time to help others.”

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Sara Cardine, sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine