Holiday drive benefits local families in need

After tireless preparation for this year’s Oceanside Community Service Holiday Drive, snow covered Oceanside’s streets for delivery day. Despite the weather, students, parents, teachers and other volunteers battled the elements on Dec. 17 to bring cheer to hundreds of residents in time for the holidays.

“I was happy it wasn’t a school day, that’s all I have to say,” Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Harrington said, laughing. “That would have been a very tough call to make … but it didn’t stop the people from coming out to distribute the goods.”

The event dates back to the 1950s, according to Bob Transom, president of OCS, which has about 50 members. When Transom first got involved 25 years ago, the drive benefitted roughly 30 families, he said. But this year’s holiday drive helped provide hearty meals for about 250 families, as well as toys and gift cards for children of all ages.

After weeks of collecting toys, the Oceanside Federation of Teachers presented them on Dec. 12, and the next day, volunteers met in the School No. 6 cafeteria to wrap the gifts. On Dec. 16, administrators filled baskets with food in the Castleton gymnasium to prepare for the Saturday morning deliveries to this year’s recipients.

Transom said OCS provides food to people year-round, and coordinates with the schools around the holidays to pinpoint those most in need. The food package included a turkey, a dozen eggs, a pound of butter, five pounds of potatoes, carrots, a bag of apples and a sack of oranges, Transom said. He called the fixings a “first-class meal.”

“I think people are very gratified to be helping those in Oceanside who are less fortunate,” Transom said. “Sometimes, with the kids, it’s an eye-opener of who might be struggling.”

Rich Roschelle, OFT president, said the group has been involved for 20 years, and this year, teachers and other community members collected $2,400 of Kohl’s gift cards, $1,000 in Stop and Shop food cards and many toys.

Roschelle said that though most of the donations came from the teachers, students at some of the elementary schools contributed by holding toy drives. The 800-member federation contributes to the OCS’s efforts year-round, he added, but the holiday season is the perfect time to give.

“That’s really the purpose, to give something back for the holidays,” Roschelle said, “because many of us are so fortunate, and this way we get to help the people who are in need have a joyous holiday season as well.”

The fire department has participated at the event for about a decade, Oceanside Fire Chief John Madden said. The firefighters loaded their trucks with food and toys and delivered them to the families’ homes. Community members helped transport the donations in personal vehicles as well.

“It’s just another way to help everybody who’s in the community,” Madden said. “The fire department does a lot. Somebody has an emergency, they call and we come. This is just another sort of emergency where these people need help, and we’re happy to be able to go out and help [Oceanside] Community Service get the food and toys out to them so they can have a nice holiday season.”

Harrington, who was among the army of about 200 helpers, said the event is just another example of the generosity exhibited by the people who work and live in Oceanside.

“It never ceases to amaze me the quantity of gifts that are produced and food that’s produced,” Harrington said. “There’s just no end to the selflessness of the individuals involved.”