Watch One Family Share Their Experience
Holiday Baskets Sponsorships
We are proud to make any contributions you provide go a long way in making the Holidays bright for South Bay families in need.
$1500 Laundry Basket Sponsor for all baskets
$1500 Laundry Detergent Sponsor for all baskets
$1200 Diaper Sponsor for baskets with children
$1,000 Family Sponsor provides essential items needed for one family
$250 Child Sponsor provides toys, clothing, and essential personal items for one child
$100 Food Sponsor for a family
$50 Book Sponsor provides books for multiple children
$25 Toy Sponsor provides a toy on a child’s wish list
How It Works
Each December, Sandpipers, often with their own families, shop for and distribute baskets (more like car-loads!) filled to the brim with household necessities, personal care items, clothing, and toys to “adopted” families in financial need. The participating families are recommended by our agency partners after suffering true and recent economic hardships.
We are grateful to receive many donations of goods and funds from individuals and local corporate businesses that support this annual event. During Holiday Baskets’ distribution day community partners such as the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club, Manhattan Beach Amigos, Mira Costa High Interact Club, and Sandpiper Juniors come out and help the volunteers “adopting” a family to choose gifts and load their cars.
History of the Event
The Holiday Baskets program is the very foundation of our organization, beginning in 1931, during the height of the Great Depression. Seven women in Hermosa Beach saw the struggles their neighbors were facing and knew they had to act. Inspired by the book The Magnificent Obsession, which emphasized selfless acts of kindness, they gathered at the home of Mary Wilke Kellogg and founded Sandpipers with the goal of providing confidential assistance to local families experiencing temporary financial hardship.
That December, Sandpipers’ very first philanthropic initiative was born: Holiday Baskets. These women assembled baskets filled with food, essential items, and toys, which were anonymously delivered to seven local families in need. It was a simple, compassionate act, rooted in the belief that everyone deserves support and dignity—especially during the holiday season.
From those humble beginnings, the Holiday Baskets Program has grown into a time-honored tradition that continues to serve the South Bay community almost 100 years later. Each year, Sandpipers partners with local agencies to identify families in need, ensuring that the program reaches those who can benefit most. In more recent years, we are proud to serve 100 families or more, providing them with baskets filled to the brim with household necessities, personal care items, clothing, toys, and gift cards.
While much has changed since 1931, the spirit of giving and community that inspired the Holiday Baskets Program remains the same. Sandpipers’ founding women set in motion a legacy of compassion and action that continues to impact lives year after year.
