Local Agencies Assemble Food Baskets for 1,300 Families

For the seventh year in a row, nonprofit Another Way and its parent organization, Inland Regional Center of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties (IRC), served as food drive organizers for the Inland Empire region, coordinating the donation of resources and the assembly of food baskets for families and residents with developmental disabilities. The local effort was all part of the 7th Annual Navidad En El Barrio Food Drive — a statewide holiday campaign that delivers approximately 100,000 baskets filled with groceries — and holiday cheer — to families in need. Locally, 1,300 baskets were given away. This year, IRC and Another Way were joined by nearly 200 volunteers from United Parcel Service (UPS) Freight, Kaiser Permanente, United Way, California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino Housing Authority, and family and friends of IRC staff. “Each year we put a tremendous amount of effort into making Navidad En El Barrio bigger and better than ever,” said Another Way Director Susan Gomez. "It’s such a great day where we get to work together to give back to our neighbors in need throughout the local communities." Each basket included meal essentials such as chicken, tortillas, cheese, fresh produce, kitchen utensils and more, The food was distributed to families in need and residents with developmental disabilities in San Bernardino, Coachella Valley and the High Desert. Another Way is a volunteer organization led by employees of Inland Regional Center (IRC), one of 21 regional centers in California serving adults and children with developmental disabilities (with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy or autism). IRC is the primary provider of services for about 28,000 developmentally disabled adults and children in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.