Youth Golf Alliance: Holiday toy and food drive success

Youth Golf Alliance (YGA), a student-run organization with the mission to promote the sport of golf and support life-changing initiatives for underprivileged communities in the greater San Diego area, recently ran successful holiday drives: the Toys-For-Tots program for the U.S. Marine Corps and a food drive for San Diego Food Bank. With a strong turnout from its members and local communities, YGA collected three loads of new toys and several hundred pounds of non-perishable food. As the pandemic worsens, YGA aims to reduce food insecurity and bring joy to those less fortunate during the holiday season.

Founded in 1947, Toy-For-Tots has distributed over 500 million toys to children in need. YGA is proud to continue its second-year partnership with the U.S. Marine Corps Toys-for-Tots Program. Representing YGA, president Spencer Zhang and vice president Sofina Firouzi posed for a picture with the Marines at its Miramar base after delivering the donated toys. As Sofina pointed out, “This is a worthy cause to show our support to our heroes and their family during the holiday season. We are deeply grateful for their sacrifice and service to our country.”

Hunger has been worsening due to COVID-19, as many have lost their jobs or source of income. One in six Americans could experience a certain degree of food insecurity as a result of the pandemic. 2020 marks the most severe increase in food insecurity, impacting vulnerable households almost everywhere in America. While maintaining social distancing, YGA put forth strong efforts to this cause; the sheer volume and quantity of donated goods required a forklift to move them to the distribution truck. Spencer stated, “We hope to play our small roles in alleviating food insecurity during the holiday season and beyond. The donations from members and from the broader community underscore the demonstrated kindness, generosity, and empathy. We, as a community, want to be as supportive as possible and come out of the pandemic with stronger bonds and spirits.”