Poets Park Food Drive 2026: Thank You, Neighbors!
Hey there, Poets Park!
I have been looking at these photos all week and I still get a little choked up. This year's Poets Park food drive brought in MORE food than last year. About 50 bags of groceries, all headed to 2nd Chance Food Bank before the holidays.
And every single bag came from a porch right here in our neighborhood.
So before anything else: THANK YOU!
This year's Poets Park food drive at a glance
About 50 bags of groceries, roughly 600 pounds of food
Around 500 meals for local families
More food than last year's drive
Every bag came from Poets Park porches in Ladera Ranch
Delivered to 2nd Chance Food Bank ahead of Thanksgiving
Why does this food drive mean so much to me?
Giving back isn't a side project for me. It's who I am.
I learned it in the Navy. Honor, courage, commitment. Those three words stuck with me long after I took off the uniform, and they still shape how I show up for the people around me.
These days that looks like the Ladera Ranch Little League board, Cub Scout Pack 689, Boy Scout Troop 787, helping out in my kids' classrooms, and hiding a LOT of eggs for our Easter egg hunt at Poets Park. I've called Ladera Ranch home for almost 10 years, and the best part has never been the pools or the trails. It's the people.
The food drive is one of my favorite things I do all year. Because it's so simple. Neighbor helps neighbor. That's it.
How did Poets Park pull this off?
You texted. I drove by. You left a bag on the porch.
That's the whole system, and you made it look easy! Some of you gave one bag. Some of you gave several. Every one of them counted.
By the end, the front of my house looked like a grocery store. Target bags, Trader Joe's bags, cereal boxes poking out the top. I sat down in the middle of it all for a photo and couldn't stop smiling.
And what was in those bags? Jars of pasta sauce, canned soup and veggies, cereal, oatmeal, ramen, SpaghettiOs, peanut butter, and lots of snacks for school lunches. Real food a tired mom or dad can turn into dinner in ten minutes. You nailed it.
What happened on drop-off day?
My Anvil Real Estate family showed up in their hats and tees, ready to work. We loaded up the cars, rolled everything across the parking lot on the pantry's carts, and lined it up under the tent. One teammate even brought her pup, who took supervising VERY seriously.
Then we stepped back and looked at two full tables of food.
All of it from our little corner of Ladera Ranch. That's the moment that got me.
How much did the Poets Park food drive collect?
About 50 bags, which is roughly 600 pounds of food and around 500 meals. And that's more than last year!
This year | |
|---|---|
Bags of groceries | About 50 |
Pounds of food | About 600 |
Meals | About 500 |
Compared to last year | MORE! |
Full honesty: I didn't count every can. The bags were packed two and three deep, so I counted from my photos and kept the estimate on the low side. For meals, I used Feeding America's measure of about 1.2 pounds of food per meal. Those bags full of pasta sauce jars were HEAVY, so the real number is probably higher.
Why does a food drive matter in South Orange County?
Because the need is real, even when it's hard to see.
South County Outreach, a pantry that has served our area for decades, says thousands of families, seniors, and individuals across South OC are quietly struggling to pay the bills and keep food on the table. They're our neighbors, our kids' classmates, the people who work at the places we go every day.
That's why we started early this year. Pantry shelves get thin in the weeks before Thanksgiving. Your bags were there in time.
FAQ
When is the next Poets Park food drive?
Next fall! I'll start collecting earlier again so the food gets to the pantry before Thanksgiving. Watch for dates in my monthly newsletter and on Instagram.
I don't live in Poets Park. Can I still donate?
100%! This drive started with Poets Park, but I'd love to see it grow. Text me at 714-599-0068 and we'll figure it out.
What foods do pantries need most?
Shelf-stable staples: canned protein and veggies, pasta and sauce, peanut butter, cereal, rice, and cooking oil. Kid-friendly snacks, juice boxes, and easy meals go fast too.
How can I get more involved in the Ladera Ranch community?
Start with what you already love. Coach or volunteer with your kids' team, help in a classroom, or come to a neighborhood event. And if you want ideas, ask me. I'm always looking for more hands.
Thank you, Poets Park
To everyone who filled a bag, left it on the porch, texted a friend, or rolled a cart across a parking lot: thank you. This is why I love our neighborhood. Poets Park is lucky to have you, and so am I.
See you at the ballfield! And if you're ever thinking of buying or selling, you know where to find me.
Thanks!
Taylor
Taylor-Ann Bergeron | Anvil Real Estate | DRE #2134420 | More about me | More Ladera Ranch posts
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