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1. Identified Needs & How to Meet those Needs
Our club has researched the best way to serve underprivileged children in the Laguna Beach community during the holidays. By working with the Laguna Beach School District and the Laguna Beach Boys and Girls Club, we have been able to, and will continue to, identify the families in our community who need help getting a special meal on the table for Thanksgiving.
Our club purchases Thanksgiving-related food items and grocery store gift certificates at a discounted rate in the month of November, and packages the food into individual care packages for each family. We then distribute the care packages at the Boys & Girls Club, because almost all of children in need in our community spend time at the Boys & Girls Club. We confirmed this with the Laguna Beach Unified School District Superintendent this month.
With the help of our School District and the Boys & Girls Club, we can ensure that our Thanksgiving Care Packages are distributed to the most deserving children in our community, and their families.
2. Timeline
September: Connect with School District and the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach to finalize number of families who will need Thanksgiving care packages (typically 50 - 80 families). Finalize date of distribution.
October:
Reach out to local grocery stores to place discounted food order; ask for donations of recyclable grocery store bags for care packages; purchase gift certificates at a discounted rate.
Sign up club volunteers to a) pick up groceries b) package groceries c) distribute groceries.
November (week before Thanksgiving): Pick up food from Smart & Final, gift certificates delivered to Community Service Chair; food and gift certificates packaged into care packages. Care packages distributed to families at the Boys & Girls Club.
4. Funds
We will seek contributions of Thanksgiving-related canned goods and fresh foods from local grocery stores (especially our new grocery store in town!). We also have an ongoing relationship with a local Smart & Final that offers us food at a discounted rate for our Thanksgiving project. We will purchase food at a discounted rate from Smart & Final, and we will purchase Gift Certificates (for food only - no alcohol or tobacco products) from a local grocery stores as well, to add to our Thanksgiving packages. This year we will also seek donations of reusable/recyclable grocery bags from local grocery stores, in lieu of purchasing cardboard boxes for our project.
5. Club Members
We always have a huge turnout for our Thanksgiving project. We typically have two members organizing the Smart & Final Order, another member organizing the Gift Certificate order, 5 members that pick up the groceries from Smart & Final; 10 members that help unload the groceries; 5 members settting up our distribution area inside the Boys & Girls Club; and 25 - 25 members helping distribute teh care packages. Our Interact Club is also always present, and the high school students assist us with packaging and distributing the care packages.
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