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Frequently Asked Questions
About the Los Angeles Holiday
Basket Brigade Delivery Party
What
is a Basket Brigade Party?
You're
invited to a party where really incredible people gather, have fun, and assemble
and personally deliver holiday baskets
to low-income families in Los Angeles. In
ONE DAY, surprise baskets will be delivered
with love to THOUSANDS of low-income
people!!
Join
us! You will feel the real pleasure and
fun of spending time with wonderful volunteers and bringing joy to the lives of
others. We do deliveries in Los Angeles, Riverside, Palm Springs, and North and South Orange County. All adults, adolescents, and
children are invited (minors must be accompanied by adults). It all happens in ONE DAY, but it�s a wonderful
day you will never, ever forget!
This
is our 11th Los Angeles Holiday Basket Brigade, and over 8000 people have received
surprise food and toy gifts since 1991!
How
can I help?
1) Join us for this inspirational event on Saturday, November 23rd,
2002!
2) Donate supplies or financial support, or to help connect us with potential
donors.
Our
donations come from volunteers like you!
All donations are tax-deductible!
Donations
we especially need:
1000-1800
toys for children and adolescents
boxed
or canned food
financial
donations to buy food
toiletries
(little shampoos, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc.)
flowers
for 500-1000 small bouquets ("flowers for holiday dinner tables")
3) Help us prepare for November 23rd!
We
ALWAYS need
help finding donations during these weeks and months before the Los Angeles
Basket Brigade Delivery Party, and planning specific parts of the day. Take a look at the link for our Volunteer Teams Join
us in helping to make this day of love and joy a reality!
What
ARE The Hours Of The Basket Brigade Delivery Party?
That�s
up to you. We invite people to join us
as early as they can and stay as long as is possible for them. People join us for whatever portions of the
day they are able to do so. Just make
sure you sign in when you arrive. We
especially need you to indicate on the sign-in sheet if you are committing to
be in one of the small groups that deliver baskets on that day.
Meet us at the warehouse at 7:00 a.m. and help us transport our fresh
produce donation. We assemble donations at the Wilmington Recreation Center and have our Basket Delivery
Info Meeting whenever we're done with assembling the baskets.
Anyone who wants to help deliver baskets must attend the Basket Delivery
Info Meeting. After the deliveries,
some of us often go out to eat to CELEBRATE an amazing day and share our
experiences of the event.
How
Are The Baskets Delivered?
On
the day we deliver, we have a mandatory Delivery Info Meeting to make sure the
delivering goes smoothly. Volunteers
divide up into Delivery Teams. Families
and/or friends who want to deliver together can join a Delivery Team together. You will receive specific details about the
procedures and maps for delivering baskets.
We all drive to one location, along with our delivery trucks, and the
Delivery Teams get to deliver the surprise baskets to each family. You should see their amazed and delighted faces!
We
deliver the holiday basket with sensitivity and love, and the donors remain
anonymous. Each gift delivery includes
the written message:
�This basket comes to you from someone who cares about you. All we ask is that you take care of yourself well enough to be able
to do this for someone else someday. "Happy Holidays!�
If
recipients ask who we are, we say only that the donations came from many donors
and we are happy to deliver them and wish them the very best.
Volunteers
or others are allowed to take pictures throughout the day while we are organizing
the food or assembling the baskets. Once
we travel to the community and are preparing to deliver baskets, we ask that
no pictures or videos be taken. This
is out of respect and sensitivity for the community residents, and to keep the
spirit of pure-hearted selfless service, which is what the Holiday Basket Brigade
is all about.
What
Is In A Typical Holiday Basket?
In
the past, the Holiday Baskets have included:
Bread,
Potatoes, Squash, Cucumbers, Melons, Bananas,
Canned food, Stuffing, Pasta, Soup,
Cookies, and Assorted foods (sometimes turkeys)
A
bottle of Sparkling Cider with a bow
Children�s
Toys and Books
Where
Will The Baskets Be Delivered?
Shhhh...It�s
a surprise. The Los Angeles community
that receives the holiday baskets changes every year. Part of the FUN of it is that the gifts are an unexpected, joyful
surprise. Usually one person who lives
in the community knows we are coming and has been sworn to secrecy. If some families are not home during the delivery,
we leave a note at their home. The person
sworn to secrecy arranges to store the extra gifts and guarantees they are delivered
later.
Who
ELSE is Helping The 2002 Los Angeles Holiday Basket Brigade?
The
idea for the Los Angeles Holiday Basket Brigade originates from author and motivational
speaker Anthony Robbins, who decided he wanted to help others after his own
family received a surprise Thanksgiving basket when he was boy. Organizations like the Anthony Robbins Foundation, Team USA, FriendShips Children�s Fund, and the Los Angeles Conservation Corps have also
donated to help the Los Angeles Holiday Basket Brigade Delivery. Please remember that this is an event completely
supported by donations and organized by diverse community groups and volunteers!
We
really need YOUR help! Help us to make the 2002 Los Angeles Holiday
Basket Brigade Delivery an amazing experience for everyone!
VERY IMPORTANT:
This
year, we are trying to reach more families in ONE
day than ever before! We really need to know how many volunteers will commit
to come to the Basket Brigade Party on November 23rd so tht we are able to plan
the deliveries in the community or communities that will receive "Holiday
Basket."
Please
send an email to [email protected].
Tell us what city you are from and if you are committing to help on November 23rd
Don't forget to include the number of family and friends if you commit to bring
any with you (otherwise, they can email us separately).
For
more information:
www.geocities.com/laholidaybaskets
[email protected]