Davis Street Set To Provide 1,000 Families with Food and Toys

SAN LEANDRO, CA — Choosing between paying your rent, buying food, or purchasing medicine makes it impossible to have a happy holiday season. Davis Street Community Center aims to ease this stress through its annual Holiday Basket program on Dec. 21 and 22.

Each year Davis Street provides a full holiday meal to 1,000 low income families as well as providing toys for the children, the organization, which serves more than 15,000 individuals annually, said.

"Food and toy donations from the Alameda County Fire Department, San Leandro Police, local schools, clubs, and businesses help make this program possible year after year," Davis Street said in a recent news release.

Davis Street helps low-income families improve their quality of life through short and long-term assistance like the Holiday Basket program.

"Local business owners, Amy and Vic of Smish Smash, first learned of Davis Street and its’ mission only two weeks ago," Davis Street said. "They leapt into action running a toy drive for the Holiday Basket program. Days later, they brought in a truckload of toys and gift cards for the children and teens."

Davis Street clients express over and over how much the Holiday Basket program means to them. One client from the 2021 distribution said, “You guys supported me. I lost everything in a fire … thanks to Davis Street, my family had a happy holiday.”

Donations are still being accepted for the Holiday Basket and other programs, according to Davis Street Communications and Events Specialist Sebastian Fotouhi.

"We are looking for donations, either monetary or toys," Fotouhi said, adding that toy and gift card donations can be accepted in person, and monetary donations can be accepted online.

Helping the most vulnerable defines the impact Davis Street has on the community, one family at a time, Davis Street said.