Just this past week, volunteers at Lemoore Christian Aid spent their most recent Saturday filling 130 food boxes destined for the city’s annual fetes. The food boxes are destined for several Lemoore families. At least one youngster, Kalob Jones, collected canned food and contributed $50 to LCA to purchase more food for the boxes.

During a normal holiday season, Lemoore police officers, accompanied by a large contingent of VIPs (Volunteers in Policing), distribute food boxes and gifts to local families and their children. The events include a “Reasons for the Season,” normally scheduled in the Lemoore Civic Auditorium, and a “Presents on Patrol,” a holiday tradition involving VIPs and police officers delivering presents to selected families in Lemoore.

According to the Lemoore Police Department’s Community Services Officer Soledad Perez, both events will be held again this year. Still, due to COVID-19 awareness, the department is determining the best way to go about distributing the food and gifts. Perez told The Leader that police officials are looking for a place to safely distribute gifts and food for its annual “Reason for the Season,” which has been held at the Civic Auditorium in past years.

Volunteers are also considering a two-day event for “Reason for the Season,” perhaps scheduling families to come in and pick up gifts.

Perez also told The Leader that its annual “Presents on Patrol,” where police officers and VIPs are scheduled to visit 10 or 11 families, picked specifically by local school officials, will indeed be held Dec. 22.