Optimist Club of St. Louis sponsor and volunteer for annual Holiday Basket event! Every year, this nonprofit organization brings in the holiday cheer by organizing their annual community service project. Hundreds of volunteers come together to make sure that the community is taken care of. This year, they collected enough food to fill over 320 Holiday Baskets for those in need. “It’s a heartwarming effort that speaks to the spirit of the season and the generosity of the people of St. Louis.” explains Club President Jennifer Bagwell.
What is the annual Holiday Basket community service project?
Hundreds of volunteers and many organizations participate in the annual Holiday Basket project every year to supply over 320 baskets to those in need. Optimist Club of St. Louis members start coordinating and purchasing items and obtaining gift cards as early as September. This year Wesley House Association hosted the distribution location. The morning of the event, volunteers are on hand to sort items into boxes and prepare them for distribution. As the gates open, cars line up and volunteers load everything into the cars. Each family receives a $20 gift card from Schnuck. Youth and Family Center and Boys Hope Girls Hope help volunteer and also take baskets home to distribute. This combined effort is the Club’s way of giving back to the community and ensuring that everyone can enjoy the holidays.
What is inside a Holiday Basket?
Each holiday basket contains a $20 Schnucks Gift Card, Apples and Oranges, Potatoes, Stuffing, Broth, Gravy, Canned Green Beans, Corn, Bread, and Gravy. In order to accomplish this, planning begins at the beginning of each Optimist International calendar year on September 1st. It is a Member’s job to arrange for the delivery of large quantities of food items from local businesses, and some use food delivery services such as Instacart to help with the process. Through teamwork, Club Members help the community of St. Louis MO.
How does Holiday Baskets help the community of St. Louis?
The Holiday Baskets provide an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with canned goods and pantry staples. Lastly, a $20 gift card is also included for any protein or other needed items not included in the basket. These Holiday Baskets help provide nutritious meals and bring joy and a sense of celebration to families during the season.
Improving the community helps us improve ourselves.
The generous volunteers make a lasting impact by working together to provide much-needed resources to families in need. By donating their time and resources, they help foster a sense of community and connection within St. Louis. Through this project, the Optimist Club of St. Louis demonstrates their commitment to improving the local community.
Want to help with next year’s Holiday Basket event and more?
Be a part of the Optimist Club of St. Louis by volunteering with us and ensuring that we keep up our over 106 year mission of bringing out the best in our youth, our community, and ourselves.
The Optimist Club of St. Louis begins in 1916 and has been supporting local youth in the city of St. Louis for over 106 years through programs and service projects that the Club is involved in, in addition to awarding annual community grants all in the name of Optimism.