By Mary O’KEEFE

In the heat of the summer many are not thinking of Thanksgiving; however, for those who volunteer at the Bailey Center the holiday is at the forefront of their mind. 

For over four decades the Bailey Human Care Center in Tujunga has been supporting the foothills communities. Caring for the community began when a secretary at the church had a box of food under her desk to help those in need. The reach of the Bailey Center since that simple beginning has extended beyond the foothills to just about everywhere and to anyone who needs support. The Center is staffed by volunteers and is a community outreach of the Tujunga United Methodist Church.

The number of those who need support has, and continues, to grow –especially around the holidays like Thanksgiving. 

During the COVID-19 shutdown volunteers never stopped providing help. They reorganized their traditional outreach service and began operating a drive-through, reaching those who may have, for the first time, found themselves in need of assistance. The volunteers put out a call for food and supplies and the community responded with donations; as those in need drove through the assistance line they were given that helping hand that has been synonymous with the Bailey Center since its doors opened.

And now the call is going out again. The Center continues to serve over 300 families on average (estimating an average family has four members) and it is expecting those numbers to grow. 

The Bailey Center is in need of donations including canned goods, marinara sauce, pasta, tuna and mac-n-cheese. Some of the donations can be geared toward Thanksgiving, like canned pumpkin and cornbread mix. 

Donations can be taken to the Bailey Center located at United Methodist Church, 9901 Tujunga Canyon Blvd. in Tujunga. Volunteers receive donations on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Items can also be dropped off at the CVW office, 3800 La Crescenta Ave. #206, La Crescenta/Glendale. Donors can call the office at (818) 248-2740 during regular office hours (M-F, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) to be directed where to drop off donations.