A state senator, along with local groups and businesses, helped organize a Thanksgiving food giveaway at El Camino College on Tuesday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon.
Sen. Steven Bradford, representing California’s 35th Senate district, spoke before the giveaway.
“We want to make sure that, a lot of folks who are far less fortunate, that are here today have a great holiday season, and have a great Thanksgiving,” Bradford said.
Bradford’s senate district includes Carson, San Pedro, Compton, West Compton, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, West Carson, Watts, Willowbrook and Wilmington.
Bradford partnered with the El Camino College Foundation, U.S. Vets Inglewood and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to organize the event.
El Camino College President Brenda Thames attended the event to help support local communities.
“Our job is to be of service to the community, so we are always excited to join in doing that,” Thames said to the giveaway attendees.
Bradford said this was his 20th year doing a Thanksgiving giveaway and his seventh year as a California senator.
“We have 1,200 bags to giveaway, so we are hoping to impact 1,200 families,” Bradford said.
Each vehicle had one frozen turkey or pork roast and bags of groceries, fresh produce, and pumpkin or sweet potato pie.
“It is first-come first-served while supplies last,” Jasmine Leon Guerrero, event organizer for Sen. Bradford, said.
El Camino Police Officer Kenny Galan said approximately 400 vehicles were let into parking Lot F before the entrance was closed off on Manhattan Beach Boulevard.
“We were at capacity up here all the way to the ramp, so that’s 400, and we opened it up right now and bring in the rest of the 500 vehicles,” Galan said.
Galan said this year’s Thanksgiving giveaway was more organized than the previous years.
The giveaway also had a separate line for people who came without vehicles which was considerably shorter.
Director of Public Information and Government Relations Kerri Webb said people volunteering for the event came from Philips 66, AAA, LA County Probation Department and African-American sororities, including Alpha Kappa Alpha and Zeta AMICAE.
Other sponsors for the event included Torrance Refining Company, AAA Automotive Club Southern California, PhRMA, Enterprise, Wells Fargo, Los Angeles World Airports, Republic Services and Starbucks.
Julio Colorado, an AAA insurance sales rep and volunteer, said he wanted to come and help out families at the giveaway.
Kenley Williams, who volunteered at the giveaway and is a supervisor from the LA County Probation Department, said it was his first time volunteering at a giveaway.
Williams said for Thanksgiving, he and his girlfriend made reservations at a restaurant.
As the event ended, Bradford addressed the volunteers who helped give food to attendees.
“We couldn’t do it without you [volunteers] so I just wanted to personally thank you for making this a priority today, you could have been anywhere else but you decided to volunteer,” Bradford said.
