Letter: Volunteers sought for holiday baskets

The Burbank Coordinating Council is busily preparing for its holiday basket program and we need the community’s help.

This program matches up needy families in our community with individuals, businesses, service organizations and all groups that are willing to adopt families by providing them with food for a holiday meal and gifts. The Coordinating Council has been doing this for more than 70 years and is run entirely by volunteers.

Each year through our partnership with organizations and members of this community we supply holiday baskets to more than 565 families whose children are on the free or reduced-cost lunch programs in our schools. We currently have more than 100 families that have not yet been adopted.

We are looking for volunteers to help with a citywide food drive on Dec. 7, packing bags of food on Wednesday, Dec. 11, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Little White Chapel, building baskets for unadopted families on Friday, Dec. 13, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Washington Elementary School, and then delivering baskets throughout the city on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Washington Elementary School. We have speakers who can come and talk with your groups about the program.

If you or your organization would like to help brighten the holidays for a needy family in our community, please contact us at ccholidaybaskets@aol.com or call Barbara Sykes at (818) 843-2948. We offer service learning hours for teens and the gratitude of wonderful deserving families. Be a part of the Holiday spirit and help us help others.

Sincere wishes for the best holiday ever for everyone.

Janet Diel
Burbank
The writer is the president of the Burbank Coordinating Council.