Wednesday, January 22, 2025
The Long Beach Latino Civic Association hosted its annual Thanksgiving food drive on Nov. 25, bringing the community together for an event that provided food and resources to families in need.
The initiative, supported by partnerships with local organizations and businesses, aimed to ensure that families could enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal while connecting them to additional support services.
The food drive distributed specially prepared boxes containing a full Thanksgiving feast for everyone. Each box included a turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, an apple pie and all the other traditional fixings. The event was made possible through the collaboration with National Grid, which sponsored the purchase of the food, and Key Food, which offered discounted pricing to support the effort.
“All of our wonderful board members are here, long standing members, brand new members, we’re excited,” Helen Dorado Alessi, executive director of the association, said at the commencement of the event. “We just want National Grid to enjoy the day with our members.”
The event also served as more than just a food distribution. Attendees engaged in various supportive activities, including completing important paperwork, accessing mental health check-ins, financial guidance and receiving legal and civic advice. Long Beach City Manager Dan Creighton also attended to support the event.
The organization with over 1,000 members used the occasion to further its mission of supporting and educating the local Latino population. The event highlighted the group’s focus on addressing community challenges, from immigration concerns to civic engagement and provided a platform to promote voter awareness and participation.
“In terms of the importance of teaching people about civics, this is absolutely the most important thing, helping people with everything that’s going on in their lives, and then talking to them about the importance of getting out to vote,” Dorado Alessi shared. “The importance of understanding, even if you cannot vote yet, you’re not a citizen, then what can you do? Can you fill out postcards? Can you take an older person and drive them to the voting polls?”
In addition to the Thanksgiving food drive, the association organizes similar events for other holidays including Christmas and Easter, ensuring that families have access to festive meals and holiday essentials throughout the year. It is currently looking for sponsors for the upcoming winter holiday season.
As challenges persist, the organization continues to provide a foundation of support, education and advocacy for the families it serves.
For more information, to see upcoming events or to donate, visit LBLatinoCivic.org.
