Volunteer News | November 24, 2021
Gratitude
Dear CRC Volunteer,

As I began to go through photos to add to this newsletter, I realized that the month of November is packed with activity. Volunteers have been hard at work preparing for our December 4th Holiday Baskets distribution. In-person events have started popping up again, which means our Ambassadors have had opportunities to share our mission with the public. We recently brought on volunteers to support our truck driver, Omar as he collects food from local grocers and does the Holiday Baskets and Food Drive pick-ups. Our HR Department recently brought on two new administrative volunteers and all of our fall interns are in full-swing now. Volunteers have stuffed envelopes, kept the Food Pantry running smoothly, worked at our Resale Stores and provided behind-the-scenes support to our recent Jingle and Mingle fundraiser. Phew! That is just a snapshot of what you have all been up to!  

I hope that in this month of gratitude, you know that we are thankful. Now, enough from me....see below for some of the amazing work CRC volunteers have been up to this November!  
Warmly,

Sara Rosenbaum,
CRC Volunteer Manager
The Latest Volunteer News
HOLIDAY BASKETS TAKES A VILLAGE!
From decorating our (donated!) Cedros Warehouse space, to receiving and sorting donations, to packing Family Boxes, volunteers are hard at work ensuring CRC’s 39th Holiday Baskets Distribution is a success! Even with a smaller scope again this year, Holiday Baskets preparations continue to create a joyful energy. Thank you to ALL our volunteers who are supporting this amazing program!
National Charity League – Surf Cities Chapter prepping our Cedros Warehouse for volunteers and donors!
It takes a lot of donations to fill 900 boxes! Thank you to the Holiday Baskets Captains and the volunteers who have been receiving and sorting donations.
TaylorMade Golf sent out a team to tape over 600 boxes and prepare them to get filled! Thank you TaylorMade for your long-time support of Holiday Baskets!
Thank you to the Del Mar- Solana Beach Rotary Club for coming out to pack Family Boxes, filled with fun, practical and festive gifts!
Ambassadors Spread the Word
Ambassadors Carla Anderson (left) and Pat Calkins (not pictured) were on site at a Kendra Scott event at the UTC mall on November 12th to answer questions about our mission and work. The fashion, lifestyle and jewelry store donated 20 percent of sales online and in-store for that day. Thank you!
Gayle Patterson and her husband David Hall represented CRC at the Encinitas Holiday Fair on November 20th. Thank you!
Volunteers Trying Out New Roles
Thank you to David Hall (left) and Barbara Bortnick, Ricka Sprunk and Monica Agnew (center), and John Hardin (right), all who have recently stepped into new roles at CRC! (Produce Good subs, Administrative support for the HR Department, and Fresh Rescue Support.)
Celebrating the 2021 Volunteer of the Year, Katrina Dodson
Katrina was nominated by both our CEO, John Van Cleef and our Chief Philanthropy Officer, Debbie Murray. In her nomination, Debbie writes:

Katrina Dodson has volunteered at Community Resource Center for over nine years, and started as a volunteer at CRC’s Encinitas resale store. She supports our fundraising efforts, provides time and expertise to our three resale stores, and is a part of our Capital Campaign Committee. She is a former Board Member and served a term as president.  

Her dedication to CRC has helped give help and hope to thousands of people who were hungry, homeless and hurting in our community. We are grateful to Katrina for always stepping in to serve others!
Volunteer of the Month
Ricka Sprunk

From Executive Assistant Brianna DuPlessis:

"Ricka stepped in to help Susan (HR Manager) and me rollout the new employee recognition program on November 1 and we absolutely couldn't have done it without her. She jumped into the platform and quickly learned the ins and outs of the Recognize software so that she could create user guides and help us on prep calls. She's been flexible and generous with her time and I'm so grateful that she continues to volunteer for this project!" 

Congratulations Ricka!
Volunteer Needs
No new opportunities at this time. Please check emails and social media for updates!

HAVE A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING!
If you know of anyone in need of food, housing or shelter, please pass along this link to information on how we can help: crcncc.org/integrative-services/
If you have a good story of volunteering, please share with me at srosenbaum@crcncc.org. I can include those stories in future newsletters as an encouragement to our team.  
Community Resource Center
(760) 230-6501| info@crcncc.org | CRCNCC.org