LAFAYETTE PARISH — A longtime Acadiana tradition returns this weekend as Tonya Bolden-Ball and The TBB Collective host the 13th Annual Community Cares Love Thy Neighbor Holiday Care Package Drive, aiming to provide essential cleaning and household items for families facing financial hardship during and after the holidays.
The event takes place Sunday, December 7, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Northgate Mall parking lot on Moss Street—near the former Transcom building and next door to the Xtreme Health Club. Donors can simply drive up and volunteers will unload items directly from their vehicles, making it a fast and contact-friendly experience.
“Each year, the generosity of our community allows us to reach even more families,” said Tonya Bolden-Ball, event organizer and founder. “This drive is a true reflection of neighbors helping neighbors.”
The initiative was born out of a gap Bolden-Ball noticed more than a decade ago: while holiday toy and food drives are common, few focus on the everyday necessities that families struggle to afford year-round. Items such as laundry detergent, dish soap, trash bags, toilet tissue, and paper towels are among the most requested supplies, and some of the most expensive to keep stocked at home.
“Think about the cost of laundry detergent. If you have a family of three or four, you’re going to go through that really quickly,” Bolden-Ball said. “We’re living in times where the need is even greater, and the cost of the items we are collecting is even more expensive. So I need help from my Acadiana community.”
Residents seeking assistance can apply for a care package online at tonyabball.com or visit the link here. Organizers try to accommodate as many households as possible, prioritizing Lafayette Parish residents but extending support when resources allow.
Despite inflation and increasing demand, the drive has already made a measurable impact. In its first 12 years, the initiative helped more than 1,100 people, and organizers expect that number to continue growing as applications surge again this season.
Bolden-Ball emphasized that no donation is too small.
“A little goes a long way. Whether you can donate one bottle of dish detergent or a case of toilet tissue, it doesn’t matter,” she said. “At the end of the day, the need is still going to be there, and we just want people to give so we can pay it forward.”
Those unable to attend Sunday’s event can arrange early drop-offs or make financial donations so volunteers can shop for supplies on their behalf—something Bolden-Ball says happens every year. “Walmart sees me coming,” she joked, “because people have been generous, and we clean them out.”
