Kids These Days!!!

...are Awesome!

I know. I know. You thought I was going to say something about kids these days not giving or helping or working or something grandpa might say. Nope! What I saw yesterday was a group of high school students that pulled together and spent a day in pouring rain to collect food and deliver it to those in need.

Garrett W., Nocole M., and Chadd A Were Part of Our Crew That Gathered More then 500 Pounds of Food

High School students from Novato High School and Marin Catholic High School participated in a food drive to collect turkeys, hams, pies, pasta, rice, potatoes, bread and other goodies in Marin County, California and bring an estimated 500-600 pounds of food to a soup kitchen in the Tenderloin. In partnership with San Francisco-based Food Runners, we did our best to adopt Fraternite Notre Dame and help them feed their neighborhood on Turk Street.

Fraternite Notre Dame is run by two Sisters who have a true dedication to service. They feed the neighborhood out of a small facility, clean up and then sleep there to rest up and do it all over again.

Some of Our High School Volunteers and Sister Marie Benedict with Part of the Food Donated to Fraternite Notre Dame.

With the help of some social media promotion from college student Lauren W. and some great Novato mothers (!!), our volunteers promoted the food drive, collected the food and then delivered it where it was needed the week of Christmas. Sure, there's an ice skating rink in Union Square and beautiful decorations in the shopping district, but in my humble opinion, going to the Tenderloin District and doing a little something to make Christmas better for others is a side of Christmas that should also be seen and experienced.

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! We wish you the best in this coming new year!

Thanks to You Marin Catholic High School

We'd just like to take a moment to thank Marin Catholic High School for its support of our Tenderloin Turkey Drive for Fraternite Notre Dame. They are allowing us to distribute flyers and even use their parking lot as a donation pick up spot. (Details are on the flyer below.)

We are also receiving support from parents at Novato High School and are very appreciative of that. Our hope is that a Marin-based corporation will also take this on and we have reached out, but we don't want to put anyone in the spotlight until they feel it is a good fit for them.

Our crew of truck drivers, Sharon Miravalle, Nina McIsacc, Cassie Alciati, Lisa Winkler, Susan White are ready to come and pick up your donations on the 21st of December. 

Last week, we were at Fraternite Notre Dame on Turk Street in San Francisco's Tenderloin District and accidentally ran into our partners, Food Runners, who were also there to help. The facility is modest, full of heart and needs our support. This is a soup kitchen where those that serve hundreds of meals literally sleep in the kitchen to rest up and do it all over the next day. It is a privilege to help them with their mission this holiday season.

December 21st is the day. Buy a second turkey, fill a bag with canned cranberries and other goodies and bring it to one of our donation stations. Or, if you happen to be with a generous corporation or neighborhood that can pull together a donation in the bay area, we will send a truck to you.

Here's our homespun flyer:

Let's Bring a Ton of Turkeys to the Tenderloin This Holiday Season!

No, really. We aren't kidding. Take a 20lb bird and multiply it by 100 and we'll have a ton of turkeys to make the holidays a little better for the Tenderloin. It's a goal we can make happen, but we need your help in the form of donated frozen turkeys, pies, canned cranberries and anything else that might make a holiday table more festive!

Though our current drop off spots are in Marin County, we will come to you and pick up a group donation if you work for a generous company in the San Francisco Bay Area. We're very pleased to partner with Food Runners of San Francisco and the Sisters at Fraternite Notre Dame to make this happen.

It's Time to Help. Be the difference!

Here are the details:

Tenderloin Turkey Drive

We're taking turkeys to the the Tenderloin. Actually, our goal is to take a ton of turkeys to the tenderloin (and canned cranberries, pies, candy and anything else that would add to a holiday table.) 

More info coming tomorrow. But, here's a preview. We've partnered with Food Runners of San Francisco and the Fraternite Notre Dame, which operates a soup kitchen in San Francisco's Tenderloin district that feeds 300 people a day and a lot more during the holidays. We are going to gather frozen turkeys and other holiday fixings and bring them into the Tenderloin so they can help feed those in need. 

High schoolers and Boy Scouts have offered to help get donations and load our truck/s so we are making this our holiday effort. 

Please stay tuned for more information on this. If you work for a generous corporation in the San Francisco Bay area and want to put together a donation, we'll send a truck to you and pick it up. Otherwise, we will have drop off places where you can bring a turkey or anything else that might be helpful and we'll make sure your items get where they are needed. Or, if you'd rather write a check and not lug around a frozen bird, you can send it to:

It's Time to Help

19 Aaron Drive

Novato, California  94949

and we'll purchase the turkey for you and send you a letter so you can let the IRS know just how nice you are. 

Remember, though I know we say this too often, but this time of year more than ever...

You Are The Difference.