Community Gives Thanks and Gathers to Give
COLUSA, Calif. — Holiday drives, free community meals, and Turkey Trot runs will roll out across Colusa, Sutter, and Yuba counties over the next three weeks, giving residents several ways to donate, dine, and get moving.
Yuba-Sutter-Colusa United Way and Results Radio stations have launched the 19th Annual Yuba-Sutter-Colusa Turkey Drive. The goal is 1,600 turkeys and hams to help serve about 6,000 residents at family tables and community meals. Cash gifts will buy turkeys and hams at a discounted rate from local retailers.
Drive-through donation sites include Hoblit Chevrolet, 315 Market St., Colusa, on Saturday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Grange Co-op, 1262 Stabler Lane, Yuba City, on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 3 to 6 p.m.; and New Earth Market, 1475 Tharp Road, Yuba City, on Saturday, Nov. 22, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
United Way will distribute donations to area churches, shelters, and food banks, including the Ministerial Association of California Counties, the Yuba-Sutter Food Bank, Yuba Sutter Veterans Stand Down, and Casa de Esperanza. Residents who cannot drop off a turkey can give online https://www.yscunitedway.org/form/Donate3, mail a check to YSCUW, P.O. Box 122, Marysville, CA 9590, or volunteer by contacting Terry Raley at (530) 743-1847 or terry@yscunitedway.org
Princeton High School is running a Thanksgiving Food Drive through Nov. 17. Needed items include stuffing mix, canned vegetables, instant or scalloped potatoes, cranberry sauce, rice, macaroni and cheese, gravy, pumpkin or apple pie, green salad mix, dinner rolls, and canned yams. Drop off at Princeton High School, 473 State St. For details, contact Mikenzie Martinez at mmartinez@pjusd.org
Giving the gift of warmth
Other drives will focus on warmth. Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit and CoBank are supporting BeXtra’s “Blankets for a Cause,” which aims to collect 1,000 new or gently used blankets by Jan. 1, 2026. Donors can drop blankets at Colusa-Glenn Farm Credit or at the BeXtra Community Center, 1251 E. Onsott Frontage Road, Yuba City. For questions contact Brian Davis at (530) 844-0240 or bextrablended@gmail.com.
Additionally, Colusa FFA is running “Harvesting Hope,” a collection of canned food, blankets, jackets, and coats through Dec. 3. Community members can give items to any Colusa FFA member or drop them at Colusa High School.
Colusa County’s Angel Tree program is recruiting sponsors for children in local foster care. Choose an Angel and sign up online to receive the wish list. Gifts will be collected Monday, Nov. 24, from 4 to 6:30 p.m. at 131 5th St., Colusa. If you need another time, email cbowers@colusacapc.net. Sign up:https://tinyurl.com/colusaangeltree
Community Thanksgiving
Two free community Thanksgiving meals are planned for Thursday, Nov. 27. First Presbyterian Church, 326 Jay St., Colusa, will serve noon to 1 p.m. Williams Community Church, 315 9th St., will serve 2 to 3 p.m. Both sites will offer dine-in only. Staff will also register people for the Annual Christmas Food Basket on-site.
The Colusa County Christmas Food Basket applications have been extended to Nov. 24. Families can apply online at www.colusamacc.org/christmas, in person at PneumaCare Health offices in Colusa (241 5th St.), Williams (557 7th St.) and Arbuckle (304 5th St.).
Community Thanksgiving
Runners and walkers can join the Yuba-Sutter Turkey Trot 5K/10K on Saturday, Nov. 22, at Riverbend Elementary, 301 Stewart Road, Yuba City. The event benefits Hands of Hope. Organizers direct participants to ychandsofhope.org/turkey-trot for sign-ups and details..
On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, a community 5K in Colusa will start at Better Body Fitness, 5th and Main Sts., at 8 a.m., with a walk/jog at 8:15 a.m. Entry is a donation or canned food.
Gifts in Gear
Colusa Firefighters Association opened “Gifts in Gear,” a new program for Colusa residents with children up to age 12. Fire crews will deliver gifts on Christmas morning to 15 children selected from online entries. Apply and learn how to donate at https://colusafirefightersassociation.com/gifts-in-gear. The entry deadline is Dec. 1.
