Seven years ago this month, my husband was laid off from his job as a newspaper journalist. There is, obviously, never a good time to be laid off, but our timing was particularly lousy because it was going to be our first Christmas with our first child. Instead of playing Saint Nick, we were nickel and diming our holiday budget, downsizing our vision of loads of presents, a giant tree, and holiday sweets to create the perfect Christmas for our son. Now, we were fortunate that we had grandparents nearby who could help out, but I have never felt so humbled, or grateful, as I did in the weeks leading up to Christmas when someone anonymously put $300 cash in our mailbox, and again when a neighbor, who had signed us up for their church’s holiday angel program, brought over a bag of clothes and small toys for our son. 

So when I heard that the Community Resource Center has a severe shortage of food for its Holiday Baskets program, it brought me right back to that season of need and the memories of what it was like to try and create special memories in grim circumstances. Now in its 29th year, the Holiday Baskets program is one of the most amazing outreach programs in the county. The Encinitas-based Community Resource Center takes over the Del Mar Fairgrounds for a weekend in December offering needy families not just food and gently used gifts but a dignified experience where they can “shop” for their items in a respectful atmosphere thanks to the hard work of legions of volunteers. Last year, the center helped 1,400 households — 6,400 people — through the holiday program.

One of the biggest ways the center did that was by providing food — 46 tons of it. But this year, with the same amount of families estimated to participate in the program, the center has less than a ton of food going into the holiday season, says Suzanne Colby, the center’s public relations and development director.

“Food is a staple item that helps stabilize a family,” says Colby, who adds that this is the worst food crisis she’s seen in her six years with the Holiday Baskets program.

Several factors contributed to the problem. The tough economy means more people are seeking assistance through the center’s year-round programs — more than 300 North County families get food each week from the center. With more people needing food throughout the year, there hasn’t been enough to stockpile for the holiday program, Colby says. Compounding the problem is the center’s only FEMA allotment of food was cut by 22 percent, and food costs have risen almost five percent since last year, crimping donation budgets and making it harder for needy families to make ends meet. While the center can count on strong community support through food drives via schools, churches, and other civic organizations, it is making the unprecedented move of holding a kickoff food drive for the holiday program on Nov. 5 at the fairgrounds (see box).

“There is no shortage of volunteers who want to help, there is no shortage of people with the right spirit about this program, and there is no shortage of families who seem to be in need. The one thing there is a shortage of is food,” Colby says. “We understand it’s a tough economy and that people are pulled in many different directions, so we’re grateful for a can of food — it does make a difference.”

The food drive takes place from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 5 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds’ Training Track, through the Solana Gate entrance only. All food donations are welcome, from a single can to a bag to a carload of food. If you can’t make it to the Nov. 5 event, you can still donate food through Dec. 18 for the Holiday Baskets program, which takes place Dec. 16-18. For more information, call Colby at 760-230-6305 or go to crcncc.org.

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