BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Young Marines of Kern County, a non-profit youth education and service program for boys and girls that focuses on teaching the values of leadership, have teamed up with other organizations to gather toys and food for the less fortunate in Bakersfield.
"We're collecting food for CAP-K, a local food bank, and that way kids don't have to go to sleep hungry," said Private First Class Luke Villanueva with YMKC. "They can always have food, and we are also doing Toys for Tots. We ask people to donate toys."
Villanueva is learning the importance of giving back to his community. He's been stationed outside the Gosford Road Walmart for the past 4 days from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm asking people to donate food and toys.
"We have been collecting apple juice for CAP-K, peanut butter, non-perishable foods, and for Toys for Tots it's just pretty much any kind of toy," said Villanueva.
The Young Marines are also looking for a place to store the toys, as well as locations to hold future collection events. Their previous storage location was broken into and many of the toys they had already collected were stolen.
Unit Commander Derek Fuller explains what the organization needs.
"A location where we can have the event, but we would need it for at least a couple of months," said Fuller, "In that case, if we had a building or something we would have to have it for a couple of months, and we would have to have access to, like, maybe a truck or something so we can load the toys to that building."
Others in the community have stepped up to help the Young Marines, even people from other parts of the country, including retired radio host Jimmy Olsen, who has spent the last several years going around the nation helping with food and toy donation drives.
"We said let's do this, and we come here and we do this," said Olsen. "I fly in, I have great partners, and this is what I do. I will be in Phoenix next weekend doing it there. We just have to make sure that no child goes to bed hungry anywhere."
Villanueva says the Young Marines need all the assistance they can get in order to help as many kids as possible, and he knows what it is like to be one of those kids in need.
"It makes me feel really great that, you know, I'm out here helping kids in need, 'cause I used to be like that," said Villanueva. "But now I'm helping the kids, and I'm just grateful."
If you or someone you know would like to make a donation to the Young Marines' food and toy drive, you can visit the Young Marines Bakersfield Unit's website.
