Just as the return of pumpkin spice flavored coffee drinks herald the return of fall, large blue barrels around town signify the start of the season of giving in Turlock.

For the past 28 years, Turlock’s nonprofit organizations, churches, scout troups, service clubs, school groups, businesses and families have pooled their resources during the holiday season to make sure that every family in need gets food to eat and toys for their young children before Christmas.

Linda Murphy Julien was one of the founding coordinators of Turlock Together in 1996. She said that working at a school she noticed that many families struggled during the winter break to feed their children breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“They really were dependent on that breakfast and lunch at school. So going without for that two week break…was hard. They needed food,” Murphy Julien said.

She and other concerned citizens from around town all went to then-mayor Curt Andre seeking a solution.

“He stuck us in a room at city hall and said you all have a problem,” she said.

The group ended up founding Turlock Together with one goal in mind: serving as many families as possible without duplication of efforts.

“And that was how it was born,” Murphy Julien said. “Community-minded people getting together and asking how can we help these families.”

She said the program is needed now more than ever.

“Rent’s gone up, food’s gone up, fuel’s gone up. By the time you pay your utilities and rent, you don’t have a lot of money left over for food,” she said, sharing that some families have to make the choice between filling their car’s gas tank up or feeding the family.

The way Turlock Together works is simple. Families or individuals (including senior citizens) can sign up to receive the holiday food boxes — one filled perishable items like milk, cheese and chicken and one with nonperishable items like beans, peanut butter and spaghetti — at the Salvation Army or any of the Turlock school sites. It doesn’t matter where a family signs up, their names go to the same data base so there is no duplication. Families with young children also receive one toy for every child aged 10 or younger.

Turlock Together gathers donations of nonperishable food items and new toys in the blue barrels that are posted around town at schools, churches, fire stations and will be at the City of Turlock’s Family Fun Nights at 6 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 15 at the Turlock Regional Sports Complex, 4545 N. Kilroy Rd., behind Pitman High School. Nonperishable food items needed include: canned green beans, canned corn, canned green peas, canned tuna, canned soup, peanut butter and spaghetti.

United Samaritans Foundation can accept cash donations for Turlock Together. However, according to Murphy Julien, the annual food box giveaway would not happen without the efforts of the Central Valley Association of Realtors’ Turlock branch and their CanTree events. Last year, the CVAR and their CanTree Breakfast raised over $15,000 for Turlock Together. Murphy Julien said all of the CanTree donations went straight to the purchase of perishable food items.

This year, the Realtors are hosting a tropical themed CanTree dinner at 5 p.m. Nov. 1 at the Assyrian American Civic Club in Turlock. Tickets are $65 each and can be purchased by contacting Sheri Yagi at 209-605-3102 or sheri@lifestylerealtyco.com or Joanne Perez at 209-480-0927 or joanne@ambeckmortgage.com.

The last few years, Turlock Together has given away 1,200 boxes of food. In years past, it has gotten up to over 2,000. Turlock Together needs hundreds of volunteers in the lead up to the mid-December food box distribution day to help sort donated items and prepare the food boxes at the Turlock Fruit Company warehouse. Individuals or small groups looking to volunteer can contact Salvation Army Captain Katie Breazeale at 209-667-6091 to sign up. Volunteer groups of 10 or more should contact Jeff Lorenzi at 209-620-6608.

“It’s fortunate that we have a community that will come together and give back,” said Murphy Julien.