GMEO and ICF lead Thanksgiving week donations

ICF donation.jpg

The Gardena Management Employees Organization and the Italian Catholic Federation, St. Anthony of Padua, Branch No. 237 each gave $500 this week to the Helping Hands holiday meal driver for needy, coordinator Evette Wedlow-Benjamin said.

Gary H. Motoyama followed with a generous $200 check. Rounding out the list of donors this week were $50 from Iku Kiriyama, $25 from the St. Anthony Senior Group, $20 from Ken Feuer, a Rent Mediation Board member, and $10 from Rich Gomez.

The Gardena Management Employees Organization and the Italian Catholic Federation, St. Anthony of Padua, Branch No. 237 each gave $500 this week to the Helping Hands holiday meal driver for needy, coordinator Evette Wedlow-Benjamin said.

Gary H. Motoyama followed with a generous $200 check. Rounding out the list of donors this week were $50 from Iku Kiriyama, $25 from the St. Anthony Senior Group, $20 from Ken Feuer, a Rent Mediation Board member, and $10 from Rich Gomez.

The week’s total came to $1,305. That pushes the year’s total to an unofficial $12,485 for the week ending Nov. 24.

Week of Nov. 17

The week before Thanksgiving and the 2014 Helping Hands holiday food drive for the needy is picking up steam. Thanks to a good week of donations, led by South Bay Toyota with $1,250, the holiday drive has reached nearly half of its goal of $22,500 for the year.

More than 2,360 individuals living in Gardena, many of them children and seniors will not be able to enjoy the holidays without the food, gifts and toys that many of us take for granted,” Evette Wedlow-Benjamin, Helping Hands coordinator, said.

 

Helping Hands, which is a combined effort of the Elks Lodge 1919, Lions and many other service groups and churches in the City of Gardena, is now entering its 33rd year of community service, will make the holidays a bit more comfortable for those who are low income or unemployed.

 

You can assist with Helping Hands with food, new unwrapped toys or monetary donations by dropping them off or mailing them to:

 

Drop off or send donations to:

City of Gardena

Human Services Division

c/o Helping Hands

1651 W. 162nd Street, Gardena 9024

 

For more information, contact the Human Services Division at 310-217-9574.

 

For a great cause

Now in its 33rd year, Gardena’s holiday food drive will benefit more than 400 needy families in the community, and will serve more than 1,700 people with grocery vouchers and gifts for the kids.

Sponsored by the city of Gardena in cooperation with the Gardena Valley News, the holiday food drive began in 1981 as a food basket giveaway to Gardena’s less fortunate.

In recent years, food vouchers to area grocery stores have replaced food baskets, which provides families with a greater selection of food items, including dietary and ethnic items.

Every year, Helping Hands receives palettes of canned foods from various groups for the holiday.

The city of Gardena provides all staffing in the Hands drive and all monetary contributions go toward the holiday fund-raiser and the year-round food pantry. No money is used for administrative costs.

As in the past, the Gardena Valley News will publish a list of contributors, with a weekly update of new donors.

            Week of Nov. 24

Gardena Management Employees Organization $500

The Italian Catholic Federation St. Anthony Padua Branch No. 237            $500

Gary H. Motoyama            $200

Mrs. Iku Kiriyama            $50

St. Anthony Senior Group            $25

Ken Feuer – Rend Mediation Board member            $20

Rich Gomez            $10

            (Unofficial total) $12,485

           

            Week of Nov. 17

South Bay Toyota            $1,250

El Camino Lions Club            $500

North Torrance Lions Club            $500

Gardena Valley Friends of the Library            $100

J.R. and Jessica            $100

Ladies Auxiliary to Gen. Rosecrans Post 3261            $100

The Haskell Family$50

Kim Nolan            $30

            (Unofficial total) $11,180

 

            Week of Nov. 10           

June Eicker            $100

In Memory of Paul and Larry Greco            $100

Edith and Kenneth Shimokochi            $100

ER Thompson            $100

Allan and Patricia Lange            $50

            (Unofficial total) $8,550

 

            Week of Nov. 3

John and Elaine Nichelson            $200

In Memory of Tom and Jan Gohata            $200

Anonymous            $200

Alton and LaVerne Knight            $100

Sons of Italy & Elaine and Eleanor Bersano            $100

Tom Parks            $100

            (Unofficial total) $8,100

 

            Week of Oct. 27

Gardena Elks Lodge 1919            $4,000

Richard M. Kaya            $2,000

Terry and Betty Kennedy            $400

Loyce Holt            $300

Hoodlums Club, Inc.                        $200

Evelyn B. Nall            $200

Mas Fujita            $100

 

            Total            $7,200

 

Food Donations Nov. 27

Gardena Valley Baptist Church

156thStreet  School

The Living Word  General Assembly Church Of The First Born Of Jesus Christ

Shirley Tanaka

Carson Gardena Dominguez Rotary

Kathy Kamio

Cub Scouts Pack No. 203

B.Nakamacjo

First Christian Church

Brookwood Rool Goods

 

Food Donations Nov. 20

Food donations to the City’s food pantry were made the following groups:

Agape Faith Center/Living Word

Gasket Manufacturing Company

AThe Rowley Park Second Time Around Seniors Club

 Dennis and Julie Schwietrman

The First Presbyterian Church Preschool

MCHS Football Booster

 

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