WATSONVILLE — Nearly four decades ago, Gladys Anderson met a low-income family whose 12-year-old daughter wanted only a doll for Christmas. It was a toy she had never owned.
The girl got her wish, as have hundreds of children who have since benefitted under the Gladys Anderson Christmas Project.
The project has evolved through the years, and now includes food for the families, in addition to toys for the children.
On Monday morning, a team of volunteers visited 371 families at eight labor camps, bringing 30-pound bags of produce, frozen chickens and such staples as boxes of cereal, tuna, cooking oil, canned goods, bread and tortillas.
In all, more than 2,000 people received services.
The project was created to serve the agriculture camps of the Pajaro Valley, which house the farmworkers who all too often cannot afford to purchase the fruits of their labor.
That problem is compounded during winter, when much of the agricultural work dries up.
Anderson’s project brings together the efforts of Second Harvest Food Bank, the Salvation Army and Cal Fire firefighters and volunteers.
It comes almost entirely thanks to donations.
“This is a community program,” Anderson said. “Everybody helps, and without that help we couldn’t do it.”
Katie Murray, 12, said she has helped with food distribution for the past two years, joining her father, a Cal Fire firefighter.
“It makes me feel good,” she said. “It gives me a good feeling knowing that people are going to have a nice chicken dinner.”
Now in its 39th year, the Christmas project got its start in 1978.
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To donate, call the Christmas Project at 426-2264.
