Giving holiday cheer
People line up for Food Basket Giveaway
As Christmas approaches, many Porterville residents turn their attention to the observance of holiday traditions, great or small, that help make the season special. For Janice Rice and her team of dedicated volunteers at the El Granito Foundation, their holiday tradition is to give to those in need, and they did so Thursday afternoon to a larger-than-expected crowd at their 44th annual Christmas Food Basket Giveaway.
A line of community members began at the foundation’s front gate and spilled out onto the asphalt of Date Avenue as they waited their turn to receive some holiday help and Christmas spirit.
At the head of that line, presiding over the occasion from a folding chair with two blankets on her shoulders was Janice Rice, EGF founder and president. Over the last 44 years, her presence in the community and tireless effort to provide assistance and resources for those in need has become as much a holiday fixture in Porterville as egg nog and Christmas carols.
Rice turned 80 earlier this week and was a bit under the weather, but she would not be deterred from putting smiles on faces and taking her rightful place in the middle of the activity.
“If you’re 80 years old you can do what you want,” said volunteer Victoria Moreno about EGF’S determined leader.
As if in response to that statement, Rice expressed what compels her to battle through her cold to give to those in need.
“I do this because I want to do it. These folks are hurting, but they know they can trust me,” said Rice. “We’ve gotten a lot of stuff in for them. I tell folks they can have two to three loaves of bread, and we don’t let any of it ruin. They’ll have to have two or three bags to carry it all out.”
Once inside the gate, those in attendance made their way to several stations, where they stocked up on bread, potatoes, corn on the cob, fruits, beans, rice and other dry goods. The feature item this year was 3,000 pounds of bagged frozen chicken donated by Foster Farms, which volunteers unloaded from the back of a trailer, one 10-pound bag at a time, into the grateful hands of community members.
The foundation also had clothing items donated from the community available for those in need.
In addition to longstanding partnerships with Flower Bakery in Visalia, Visalia Gospel Mission, and Fresno Community Food Bank, Rice works with several local donors and scours local stores for the best food deals in her mission to provide as much as she can for her community.
“I know where everything’s at and I know every store in this town. I do a lot of hustling on my
own,” said Rice.
As the head count continued to rise to over 200 people, the foundation was glad to have the extra helping hands of David Rodriguez and his six foster daughters, who were all volunteering for the event.
Rodriguez’s mother Grace has known and worked with Rice and the EGF for 47 years, and David grew up spending lots of time at Rice’s house.
The foundation’s commitment to helping the community took root with Rodriguez, and he in turn has passed the torch to each of his foster daughters.
“It’s great. My kids like to give during this time of year,” he said.
As they filed out with bags full of food and smiles on their faces, many stopped to thank Rice personally for making their holiday a little brighter, and others gave their thoughts on what the foundation means to the community.
“It’s amazing. I used to
care for an autistic adult, and he was running low on food and he didn’t have enough services — he was going downhill,” said one man. “Then he came across [the El Granito Foundation]. Just having this available to him gave him a whole new sense of life, and he felt like he had a second chance. It’s amazing to see how this little seed spreads out to somebody in need. It’s one positive in a sea of negatives.”
Aside from holiday events at Thanksgiving and Christmas, the foundation provides year-round support and assistance to homeless and low income in the community. Their Operation HELP (Homeless Emergency Living Project) offers a variety of programs, including energy assistance, legal assistance and referrals, and a drug diversion program.
“I just want people to get saved. I want them to get off drugs, get delivered, and be fed,” said Rice.