The Ventura County Harbor Department is teaming up with the Harbor & Beach Community Alliance (HBCA) to spread holiday cheer this season by hosting the 2nd Annual Holiday Food & Toy Drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on December 4, 2021 at Fisherman’s Wharf.

The Holiday Food & Toy Drive will benefit Food Share of Ventura County and the Spark of Love Toy Drive, an annual effort coordinated by local fire departments which provided toys to thousands of children each year.

On the day of the event, donations will be accepted at a drop off location at Fisherman’s Wharf, located on the southwest corner of Victoria Avenue and Channel Islands Boulevard in Oxnard. No-contact, masked and gloved volunteers will be there to safely accept the donations and provide them to Food Share and the Spark of Love Toy Drive.

The goal is to raise a “boat load” of food and toys.  In addition, money donations to Food Share will be matched up to $10,000 and donations can be made now via text WHARF to 41444 or go to this link to donate: https://app.mobilecause.com/form/gHVTMA?vid=e01hs or cash and checks may be written to “Food Share of Ventura County” and dropped off on December 4^th.

So far, $3,255 in cash has been raised for the event thanks to Brighton Hotels, who operates the Hampton Inn Channel Islands!

 

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Items Needed

The drive will include both food and toy donations to double the spirit of the holidays.

According to Food Share, the top five most needed food items are: canned tuna, chicken, and salmon; cereal (non-sugar types); beans (dry and canned); rice (in 1lb-2lb bags or mixes; and peanut butter, but all non-perishable food items are welcome.

If you want to donate toys, bring new, unwrapped toys and/or sports equipment which will “spark” happiness during the holidays.

Last year, an estimated 2,200 toys were collected to benefit the Spark of Love Toy Drive and more than 5,000 lbs of non-perishable food and money donations of nearly $14,000 were given to benefit Food Share.

 

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Editor's Note: this story was published on Oct. 21, 2021.