Bakersfield North Rotary, school district to help families get Thanksgiving dinner

Bakersfield North Rotary and Standard School District volunteers are distributing 350 Thanksgiving food boxes for North of the River families who might otherwise not have Thanksgiving dinner.

For the health and safety of the families and volunteers, the boxes will be distributed via drive- through, starting at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 24.

The food baskets will be distributed to preselected families at the Standard Middle School Multi-Purpose Room located at 1222 N. Chester Avenue.

Surplus funds raised by Bakersfield North Rotarians during this year’s Thanksgiving Basket project will go to support Church Without Walls to help families year-round.

Mechanics Bank hosting holiday-season collection drive for Toys for Tots

Mechanics Bank is teaming up with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program to help less fortunate children in the Bakersfield area receive a gift this holiday season.

Now through Dec. 15, community members are invited to donate new, unwrapped toys by placing them in drop boxes located at participating Mechanics Bank branches. The toys will then be distributed locally by Toys for Tots volunteers.

Parents and legal guardians who want to request for a toy for a child can visit Toys for Tots’ local “Request Toys” web page for more information: bakersfield-ca. toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/local-toy-request-single-form. aspx. The drop-off locations are: 900 Truxtun Ave., Suite 100, Bakersfield; 2700 Mt. Vernon Ave., Bakersfield; 3990 Gosford Road., Bakersfield; 5151 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield; and 3800 Riverlakes Drive, Bakersfield.