Turlock Together brings out generosity in young teens

The spirit of the season is getting a major boost from the spirit of competition at Turlock Junior High School, where students vying for a good laugh and a little less running have gathered thousands of cans for the needy.

All the food will be donated to Turlock Together, a local collaboration of nonprofits and longtime good deed-doers that provides about 1,800 Turlock families with food and toys for the holidays.

“The idea of competition strikes a lot of goodness in people,” said Dustin Christian, who for a second year has a friendly challenge going with fellow social studies teacher Jeffrey Kleiner.

“The kids that do this, they do it for absolutely the greatest cause. There’s no extra credit provided. There’s no grade bump provided. There’s no sugary sweet candy provided,” Christian said. “We have conversations about providing the needy the opportunity to have a Christmas dinner.”

With teen pride at stake in the win, the contest had drawn more than 1,600 cans and several boxes of dry goods by last week, rolling over last year’s total of 1,300 right out of the gate.

“It’s truly amazing,” Christian said.

“I wanted to help the people who can’t eat food on the holidays,” said seventh-grader Gustavo Vargas as he unloaded 11 cans from a straining backpack.

And, he did not want team Christian to lose.

“The losing class has to go into the other class and sing a song,” Christian explained with a grin. Last year, each of his classes had to troop over to Kleiner’s room and sing “I’m a Little Tea Pot.” This year, he hopes Kleiner’s classes will come to his class to belt out “Old MacDonald Had a Farm.”

The teachers have skin in the game as well, with the losing instructor having to go on the school’s closed-circuit morning show and serenade the school’s 1,330 students with the same song.

Teens have fueled the rivalry with hashtags on Instagram and other social media, Kleiner said.

“If everybody brings a little,” said eighth-grader Alexia Morrison, nodding her head.

“Every home needs food. I’ve been through it and I know how much every kitchen needs food,” said Reyna Esquivel, an eighth-grader.

The contest has revved up a cause to which the campus has contributed for years, said Assistant Principal Tim Norton. There are 12 barrels on campus.

Half of those stand in a line in the school gym, decorated by each class led by physical education teacher Todd Feldman. For 17 years, he has led a contest between his gym periods to bring in the most cans. Five days in, second period’s barrel overflowed, but first period was closing in fast, helped by 64 cans brought in by Drew Meneses.

“I felt, if I have food at home, I should bring for the needy who don’t have,” said Meneses, an eighth-grader.

Feldman, too, gives no bonuses and wants kids to feel the warmth of doing a good deed. But at the back of the gym period pack, a few wisecracks suggested there might be a little less exercise at stake – taking a victory no-lap, you might say.

No matter. The real winners will be local families who can count on food in their cupboards or at least in their cars this holiday season, said Turlock Together volunteers.

“We’re trying to collect enough for 1,800 (families), but we’d like to shoot for 2,000 this year,” said Jeff Lorenzi, sitting in the Salvation Army center on Lander Avenue in south Turlock.

“Turlock Together is not just Turlock,” added Manuel Drummond, ticking off Hilmar, Denair, Keyes, Mountain View, Chatom and Delhi. Drummond for decades ran the Turlock Fire Department Toys for Tots program that joined with the Turlock Together program.

“Years ago, everybody was doing something,” he said. There was the Turlock Community Christmas baskets founded by Joyce Synstad. Mattie Johnson gave out food baskets. “Different churches were doing different things,” Drummond continued. “There was a lot of overlap.”

According to a Bee news report at the time, some 100 charitable groups and businesses banded together in 1997, bringing 2,000 volunteers into a single effort called Turlock Together, spearheaded by then-Salvation Army Capt. David Ebel.

The Salvation Army still provides logistical support and continuity, Turlock Together organizer Lissette Maunakea said. Maunakea, Drummond, Lorenzi and Dona Varin are among a small group of key volunteers that meet each month to plan the big giveaway.

Once a year, they gather with service clubs, high school groups and anyone willing to pitch in and pack, filling a warehouse worth of boxes with food, and toys matched to kids in each family.

Food boxes also go to low-income seniors, all packed with canned goods and donated Foster Farms chickens, Hilmar Cheese Co. cheese, Gemperle Farms eggs, and potatoes from Village Fresh Market. Other donations buy butter and milk, Drummond said.

California State University, Stanislaus, student groups collected hundreds of toys for the cause this year. Turlock Fire Department stations all have a barrel, as does City Hall.

Playthings should be new or nearly new, and unwrapped. Trucks and dolls are favorites, and every family box gets coloring books and crayons.

“Board games – we always want to try to emphasize family getting together. That’s important,” Maunakea said.

“It has to be creative and nonviolent,” Varin said. “– and, no batteries!” added Drummond.

Too busy to shop? Cash donations help fill the missing bits and add fresh food to the boxes.

As eighth-grader Esquivel put it: “Everybody can help too, if they put their part in.”

This story was originally published November 23, 2016 at 3:21 PM with the headline "Turlock Together brings out generosity in young teens."