Listen here:
This last Friday Basin Transit teamed up with the Way Station in Joshua Tree to try and fill a Basin Transit bus up with food for families who are feeling the pinch this year. From 7AM to 7PM, volunteers from both organizations were at the main entrances of the Yucca Valley Wal-Mart, collecting stuffing, veggies, cranberries, marshmallows, rolls, turkey, hams and more.
Michal Brock is the Office Manager from Basin Transit was there bright and early and she was already excited about the response.
Michal Brock: “It’s been amazing, it’s so great to see all the generosity in our community, to really come out and help those in need this holiday season. Holidays can be hard for some people, so I think it’s really awesome for people to come out and help the way they are.”
By the afternoon, they had collected nearly 40 turkeys, and the Basin Transit bus parked next to the Wal-Mart entrance went from empty in the morning to every seat filled with food donated that day.
Yvonne Gates: “Each guest will receive celery, onions, yams and potatoes. All of that product is fresh… they will have their choice of a ham or turkey. To round out the food box, there will be stuffing mashed potatoes… all the items you see here will be part of the distribution on Tuesday.”
That’s Yvonne Gates, she’s the Director of the Way Station – a soup kitchen and food pantry center that’s been in the Morongo Basin for a while now..
Yvonne Gates: “We’ve been here for 38 years. Most people are completely unaware of our presence in the community unless they’ve leveraged our resources.”
Food insecurity has increased in San Bernardino County since COVID, and prices on groceries and utilities have risen as well – which can mean some families just provide the same amount of food this holiday – but Yvonne says that while food is of course important – Thanksgiving goes beyond just the meal on the table…
Yvonne Gates: “Instead of them remembering sitting around the table having no money, they actually get to have a family traditional meal. So it’s not just the nutritional value, it’s also the memories we are creating with our family. “
The Thanksgiving Food Baskets will be distributed starting Tuesday, November 21st at 8AM the Way Station.
Links:
The Way Station (information and hours)
Food Insecurity in San Bernardino County
