Holiday Give and Take

“Give! Give! Give! Take! Take! Take!” How many times have you found yourself saying that same statement in a negative tone? Now, shift those thoughts of the word “take” to positive as you envision underprivileged children opening a brand new toy for Christmas, or entering the world of literacy and imagination with their new book. “Give and Take” now brings on a whole new meaning. Wednesday Nov. 4 was an event for the givers. These are the people and organizations that donate to the Child Care Resource Center (CCRC) in San Bernardino, which benefits San Bernardino County children. It also marked the beginning of the 2015 Holiday Book and Toy Drive. The event combined donor recognition, a silent auction, gift-wrapping, and a much-anticipated kickoff to the holiday season collection. According to Susan Montalvo, CCRC Director of Communications, about 10,000 toys are distributed in a 2-week period, while 100,000 new or “gently-worn” books are collected year-round. For some children, these gifts are the only thing that they will be receiving for Christmas. Books are distributed throughout the year at the organization’s events, resource library, and lobby. CCRC’s “What a Difference a Book Makes” allows parents and childcare providers to focus on literacy by offering free books. Other employees mutually shared that the best moments of the Holiday Book and Toy Drive involved seeing the smiles on the children’s faces and the sincere gratitude from their families upon receiving the gifts. They shared a particular story of a woman last year, who had custody of her three grandchildren, ages 4-10. She was referred days before her visit to their office with her teenage son and grandchildren. Upon receiving the gifts, she reminded the children that those were the only Christmas gifts that year. During this time, employees also learned that the grandmother was homeless. As a result, they were able to direct her to resources that would benefit them all. “From the heart” and “moving” is how Rochelle Betancourt, Program Manager for CCRC Case Management, describes the collection and distribution of the Holiday Book and Toy Drive. It gives CCRC staff the chance to see the “bigger picture” of their daily work efforts. She described it as a “reset button” for the employees, even adding that departments within the organization have competitions for the most items collected. If you are interested in donating, volunteering, or wrapping gifts at the Dec. 5 Community Wrapping Day, signup through the website at ccrcca.org or call 866-674-KIDS. Be a giver.