It’s that time of year again. The annual “Holiday Basket Program” is in full swing and volunteers are needed to help provide a little of the Christmas cheer to some low-income families with school age children in Burbank. The Burbank Coordinating Council is the lead organizer and it gets assistance from “… churches, PTAs, studios, individuals, businesses, clubs, city offices, and the Burbank Temporary Aid Center..” according to the council’s website.
At the council’s monthly meeting last Monday, long- time program supporter/ex-mayor of Burbank, Dave Golonski, gave a status report. Golonski said 475 local families have filled out applications for baskets. However, that number will probably go up — the closer it gets to the delivery date, Saturday, December 14.
The baskets are stuffed with gifts for the children and food for the family. Donations come from council partners and the community. This Saturday, December 7, the final food drive for the” Holiday Basket Program” will be taking place at 13 stores in Burbank, from 10 a.m. to 6.p.m. Volunteers will be at each of the stores with a list of needed food items, and you can help by purchasing some of the items or making a donation. (FYI, Media City Groove is a member of the Burbank Coordinating Council and I am a volunteer in the “Holiday Basket Program.”)
Also, if you have some time to spare and would like to share some of the holiday spirit with a needy family, they could use more volunteers. Contact information here.