Hands Up Ministries hosts annual donation station
To kick off the season of giving, Hands Up Ministries partnered with Holycross Funeral Home to host the eight annual Donation Station on Thursday.
From 8:30 a.m. until 9 p.m., the community was encouraged to drop off donations of clothing, canned food, cold weather supplies, kitchenware or monetary donations at the station set up at the funeral home.
“What’s great is that people don’t even have to get out of their cars if they don’t want to,” said David Holycross, owner of Holycross Funeral Home and event organizer. “They can just drive through or they can stop by and hang out and enjoy a breakfast burrito if they’d like.”
According to Holycross, the van where donations were being stored on-site was maxed out by noon and more donations kept coming in throughout the day.
“We have collected socks, blankets, coats, shoes, you name it,” said Hands Up Ministries Pastor Paul Moxley.
In addition to the donation station, Holycross said he wanted to make the event a place where the community can gather.
“We don’t turn anyone away,” said Holycross.
According to Holycross, the breakfast burritos went quickly Thursday morning but visitors to the station donated boxes of pizza and a chocolate cake for people to munch on throughout the day.
In the evening the event hosted a chili cook-off, which was judged by Yuba City vice mayor Manny Cordoza and radio personalities from 93 Q Radio.
A projector was also set up for attendees to watch the Houston Texans face off against the Indianapolis Colts in the NFL Thursday Night Football game while gathered around the fire pits, tables and chairs set up on-site.
According to Holycross, all of the donations will be distributed to the homeless and those in need throughout the community.
The the event is held each year on the Thursday before Thanksgiving.