‘Drive and Thrive’ helps those in need
Numerous organizations give out essentials, food for families
Members of the Vallejo Peace Project wore T-shirts on Saturday that quoted Jimi Hendrix — “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” That was surely on the mind of nearly ten organizations that came together to help at the Solano
Drive and Thrive event.
There was plenty of crosstown traffic entering the fairgrounds for two hours as the drivethrough event featured a giveaway of free food and essentials to families with children aging from newborn to age 5. Over 170 cars and 200 families showed up for the event.
The organizations coming together to help included the
Vallejo Peace Project, Solano HEALS, Food is Free Solano, Another Chapter Books, Eric Reyes Foundation, Empower Solano, W.A.H.E.O, Black Infant Health and Project Blessing Bags. Each of the organizations had a tent at the fairgrounds and then would deliver goods to cars as they drove up.
The demand for goods was
tremendous as the event started 15 minutes earlier than the 1 p.m. scheduled opening as cars were already lined up as early as 11:30 a.m. as the groups set up their tents.
“It’s amazing to help out this much, but this event is special and heartbreaking at the same time,” Director of Food is Free Solano, Heather Pierini said. “It’s special that we can help and that we have the resources to help, but it’s heartbreaking that there is so many people here today in need.
Danita Taylor, the community outreach liaison for Solano HEALS, was happy to be helping out.
“We’ve been giving out resource guides for all of the people in Solano County,” Taylor said. “The guide is for anyone to use. I’ll tell you, I didn’t expect this many people here (nods at all the cars still waiting) but we go this. This is the new format and way to move and help people in the future (speaking about the drive through event.)
Free items given out to the cars included produce boxes, diapers, baby wipes, masks, dental health kits, census and voter information, emergency kits, community resources and books.
Natalie Kidder, founder of Another Chapter Books, helped give out hundreds of books to children during the event.
“I love this,” Kidder said. “I love reading and I love helping out and working with all these amazing women here today. We’re all working hard and doing something important.”
Isabel Reyes, part of the Eric Reyes Foundation, was also helping out by giving away books.
“We’re giving out art books that are bilingual and then telling people how to paint so they can paint what the story is about,” Reyes said. “I love seeing the kids’ faces when they get the books. But we’ve given out so many books so far and only have one box left. So it’s awesome to help out but it’s sad to see so many people need it.”
Over 500 boxes of food was given out during the day, and Pierini said that within the first hour a volunteer needed to make an extra run to Target to get more diapers as they were running out at the event.
“Everybody is appreciated here and at the heart of what we all do is just caring for people and giving a damn,” Pierini said. “Everyone is going through so much with COVID-19 and distance learning and whatever else and it all wears on you mentally. So this is a way for us to reach out to them and have a sense of community and say that ‘Yes, we do care about you.'”