The holiday season is in full swing, and the spirit of giving is in the air. Ramona Food and Clothes Closet and the 30th Annual Golf Tournament at the San Vicente Golf Resort have partnered to help children in need.
On Monday, Dec 2, golfers will come together in the spirit of Christmas giving at the 30th Annual Toy Story Golf Tournament. In addition to the entry fee, players will donate an unwrapped toy with a minimum value of $25, which will be donated to Ramona Food and Clothes Closet to give to children in need this Christmas. RFCC Families who apply and qualify per San Diego Food Bank requirements will be given invitations to come shop for toys on Dec 19.
The tournament has been held at the San Vicente Golf Resort since 2005. Retired Head Golf Professional John Rathbun started this fundraiser 30 years ago and continues to organize it every year. Vesna Curry, General Manager at RFCC, became affiliated with Toy Story ten years ago when she met SDCEA Catering Manager Joyce Whelehon. She absolutely loved Joyce; since then, they have built a great relationship. "Give big hugs and kisses to Joyce and Bob when they deliver the toys each year to us," says Curry, who is very thankful for their help and support.
Ramona Food and Clothes Closet, located at 773 Main Steet, has been open for 39 years. RFCC's mission is to serve as a humanitarian organization providing emergency food, clothing, and other resources to aid individuals and low-income families in Ramona, Santa Ysabel, Julian, Ranchita, Borrego Springs, Warner Springs, and surrounding rural areas. The organization sells gently used items to support its outreach efforts.
In 1982, several churches noted that a centralized area was needed to register and supply needy Ramona families with a basket of donated food at Christmas. The idea took hold and resulted in a large surplus of food and clothing being donated by Ramona residents. In March 1983, at the request of the Ramona Ministerial Association, citizens held a community meeting to discuss how to best receive, process, and distribute an ever-increasing amount of donations. RFCC was officially established at this meeting and has been in operation as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization since then.
There is a great need all year, but especially during the holidays, when many struggle to provide gifts or food for their families. RFCC is able to help them with free holiday food, grocery gift cards, and free toys/stocking stuffers through the Share Your Christmas Program. In addition to the Toy Story toy donations, RFCC will hold its annual Share Your Christmas Program on Thursday, Dec 19, from 10 am to 2 pm. During this event, hundreds of qualifying children ages 0 to 12 will receive toys, and their families will receive a holiday food box.
"We provided 34,737 individuals last year with food and emergency services. With the reduction of federal government assistance, we have already assisted 39,132 individuals through October of this year. We provide over 400 children with new toys & stocking stuffers and over 200 families with additional holiday food and $50 grocery gift cards during Christmas for the Share Your Christmas Program," says Curry.
RFCC has expanded its thrift sales operations with a new Christmas store that opened Tuesday, Nov 5. It is a 2,500-square-foot retail space located at 751 Main Street, adjacent to the RFCC store, which had outgrown its main 10,000-square-foot retail space. The Christmas store offers artificial Christmas trees, holiday décor, and linens.
This new store will not be seasonal; they will reopen it at the beginning of 2025, more than likely as a home-type store. Curry's dream has always been to move to a building large enough to house all their departments, but nothing has come up through the years to fit that requirement. When the opportunity arose to purchase the building next door, she knew this purchase would give them the ability to grow. "This will allow us to expand the linens and housewares departments in the new store and clothing and other departments in our main store." Curry's vision for the store is to continue to grow with the changing times and offer reasonably priced thrift store sales to support the organization's social service programs. She emphasizes the importance of supporting local businesses, noting that shopping locally helps keep money within the community and supports small businesses in maintaining their operations.
Helping others makes Curry feel wonderful and happy; it makes her heart smile. Making someone happy brings tears to her eyes when she knows she can help those in need around Christmas time.
For many children, the magic of Christmas only comes to life through the kindness of others. Our community is rich with people and organizations like RFCC that spread joy and warmth, bringing magic to our neighbors in need.
Photos courtesy of Ramona Food and Clothes Closet.