BOUNTIFUL BASKETS BURBANK'S NEEDY RECEIVE FOOD, GIFTS.Byline: Sylvia L. Oliande Staff Writer BURBANK - Christmas came a bit early for 1,000 needy Burbank families, as gift baskets A gift basket, or fruit basket is typically a gift that is delivered to the recipient at their home or workplace. There are different varieties of gift baskets, some which have fruit only, some with dry/canned goods only (such as tea, crackers and jam) although the standard overflowing with food and brightly wrapped gifts were delivered Saturday to their homes. The goodies good·y 1 Informal interj. Used to express delight. n. also good·ie pl. good·ies Something attractive or delectable, especially something sweet to eat. came courtesy of the Burbank Coordinating Council, an umbrella organization
An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions, who work together formally to coordinate activities or of about 70 agencies that collected food, clothing and gifts to distribute to low-income residents. The Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. adopted about 200 families, with the rest divided among the Burbank Temporary Aid Center, various local businesses and city departments. ``Everyone gets into it,'' Burbank parks chief Mike Flad said Friday, as his staff put together a basket for its adopted family - a single mother with three young children. ``I think everyone gets sick of the overcommercialization of things and it puts things back into perspective for us,'' he said. In fact, program chairwoman Pat Gunn said the annual gift basket project is becoming more and more popular. ``We had people clamoring clam·or n. 1. A loud outcry; a hubbub. 2. A vehement expression of discontent or protest: a clamor in the press for pollution control. 3. A loud sustained noise. for them this year,'' Gunn said. ``Word gets around that it's a good thing to do, and it makes you feel good.'' The families are identified by local schools, with applications going out to all of the more than 5,500 families enrolled in the federal subsidized sub·si·dize tr.v. sub·si·dized, sub·si·diz·ing, sub·si·diz·es 1. To assist or support with a subsidy. 2. To secure the assistance of by granting a subsidy. lunch program. Families then turn in the applications, listing their needs and the ages and sizes of the children in the household. Flad said it concerns him when he hears people grumble that the recipients have a Mercedes Benz Mercedes Benz expensive automobile and status symbol. [Trademarks: Crowley Trade, 368] See : Luxury in the driveway or there are other signs of being better off than they claim. He said he's been doing this since he was a child and in all those years he has never encountered anyone that didn't seem to need the help. ``Across the board people can't believe people live like this in Burbank,'' he said. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Food and gifts are distributed Saturday to 1,000 needy families as part of a Burbank Coordinating Council effort. Phil McCarten/Staff Photographer |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion