Laverna, 92, from Inglewood Laverna has called Los Angeles home ever since he moved here with his brother in 1968. After a lifetime of hard work, Laverna had to retire because of health problems. He is now wheelchair bound. Laverna’s only source of income is his social security benefits, which do not cover all of his monthly expenses. He is forced to make tough choices all the time, and sometimes goes without food in order to keep a roof over his head and pay for medical expenses. Laverna relies on the weekly food he receives from All Peoples Community Center. It takes him two hours on two buses then a mile in his wheelchair to get to the Center. Still, Laverna remains optimistic and grateful. “I’m blessed to be able to get around at all. Lots of people can’t even do that!” His positive outlook, along with the nutritious food he receives from the Center, is what keeps him healthy and independent. Making a donation to the Food Bank helps feed hungry seniors just like Laverna. Every $1 donated equals four meals. Please visit lafoodbank.org to help fight hunger in Los Angeles! Principle Fleming, from Compton Principal Fleming Robinson is a lifelong educator and the current principle of Augusta A. Mayo Elementary School in Compton. Mayo is one of 9 elementary schools that participate in the Food Bank's BackPack Program, which provides six nutritious weekend meals to children who receive free or reduced-price school lunches during the week to make sure they don’t go hungry over the weekend, when school cafeterias are closed. INSIDE Page 2 What You Can Do LOS ANGELES REGIONAL TWO TEAMS | ONE GOAL Page 3 LA County Fair Page 4 Tackle Hunger Shelf Life THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK FALL 2015 Every week, Robinson enlists 20-30 parent volunteers to help distribute the backpacks to the children. He says that, by involving the parents, the program allows the school to reach out and become involved in students' lives in a more holistic way. Through the BackPack Program, Robinson believes Mayo can make a broader impact on the community of Compton, a place where healthy food options are few and far between. As one of Robinson's own heroes, Geoffrey Canada, President of the Harlem Children's Zone, says, "Our school is not the way it is because of our neighborhood, our neighborhood is the way it is because of our school." By bringing healthy food to school children who need it most, our partnership with Principal Robinson and Mayo Elementary contributes to the positive health of the whole community. Jackie, 67, from Inglewood When she was diagnosed with leukemia in her 50’s, Jackie had to take time off work to seek treatment. As her medical leave grew longer, she was eventually let go from her job. Now, at age 67, Jackie is in recovery, but money is scarce as she tries to pay for her medical bills by taking on odd jobs wherever she can. Paying her bills often means going without the food she needs to remain healthy. Thankfully Jackie is able to seek food assistance from Bethel AME Food Pantry, one of the Food Bank’s partner agencies in Inglewood. She appreciates the food she receives there, and is grateful for the additional services, including medical treatment from an on-site Registered Nurse. Jackie’s hope for Thanksgiving is to be able to cook a nice dinner to enjoy with her family. Your donation can help the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank distribute food for neighbors in need this holiday season. Profiles from the Community L L A C F TM LA County Fair
Transcript
Laverna, 92, from Inglewood
Laverna has called Los Angeles homeever since he moved here with hisbrother in 1968. After a lifetime ofhard work, Laverna had to retirebecause of health problems. He isnow wheelchair bound. Laverna’sonly source of income is his socialsecurity benefits, which do not coverall of his monthly expenses. He is
forced to make tough choices all the time, and sometimes goeswithout food in order to keep a roof over his head and pay formedical expenses.
Laverna relies on the weekly food he receives from All PeoplesCommunity Center. It takes him two hours on two buses then amile in his wheelchair to get to the Center. Still, Laverna remainsoptimistic and grateful. “I’m blessed to be able to get around at all.Lots of people can’t even do that!” His positive outlook, alongwith the nutritious food he receives from the Center, is what keepshim healthy and independent.
Making a donation to the Food Bank helps feed hungry
seniors just like Laverna. Every $1 donated equals four meals.
Please visit lafoodbank.org to help fight hunger in Los
Angeles!
Principle Fleming, from Compton
Principal Fleming Robinson is alifelong educator and the currentprinciple of Augusta A. MayoElementary School in Compton.Mayo is one of 9 elementary schoolsthat participate in the Food Bank'sBackPack Program, which provides sixnutritious weekend meals to childrenwho receive free or reduced-price
school lunches during the week to make sure they don’t gohungry over the weekend, when school cafeterias are closed.
INSIDE
Page 2
What YouCan Do
L O S A N G E L E S R E G I O N A L
T W O T E A M S | O N E G O A L
Page 3
LA CountyFair
Page 4
TackleHunger
Shelf LifeTHE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK
FALL 2015
Every week, Robinson enlists 20-30 parent volunteers to helpdistribute the backpacks to the children. He says that, byinvolving the parents, the program allows the school to reachout and become involved in students' lives in a more holisticway. Through the BackPack Program, Robinson believes Mayocan make a broader impact on the community of Compton, aplace where healthy food options are few and far between.
As one of Robinson's own heroes, Geoffrey Canada, President ofthe Harlem Children's Zone, says, "Our school is not the way it isbecause of our neighborhood, our neighborhood is the way it isbecause of our school." By bringing healthy food to schoolchildren who need it most, our partnership with PrincipalRobinson and Mayo Elementary contributes to the positivehealth of the whole community.
Jackie, 67, from Inglewood
When she was diagnosed withleukemia in her 50’s, Jackie had totake time off work to seektreatment. As her medical leavegrew longer, she was eventually letgo from her job. Now, at age 67,Jackie is in recovery, but money isscarce as she tries to pay for hermedical bills by taking on odd jobs
wherever she can. Paying her bills often means going withoutthe food she needs to remain healthy.
Thankfully Jackie is able to seek food assistance from Bethel AMEFood Pantry, one of the Food Bank’s partner agencies inInglewood. She appreciates the food she receives there, and isgrateful for the additional services, including medical treatmentfrom an on-site Registered Nurse.
Jackie’s hope for Thanksgiving is to be able to cook a nice
dinner to enjoy with her family. Your donation can help the
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank distribute food for
neighbors in need this holiday season.
Profiles from the Community
LL A C FTM
LA County Fair
2
Message from the President / CEO...
Shelf Life THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK FALL 2015
As we head into another busyholiday season, I want to take amoment to thank you–our donors–for all that you do to help us feedthose in need in Los AngelesCounty.
As the stories in this newslettershow, hunger continues to be a persistent problem inour community. At the Los Angeles Regional FoodBank, we believe that no one should go hungry,especially during the holidays. The holidays are timesfor celebrations of abundance and joy.
The holidays are also a time when there is greaterneed for the 1.4 million men, women and children inLos Angeles County who are food insecure and whostruggle with the question, “How will I feed myselfand my family?”
Thanks to your generosity, we will be able todistribute millions of pounds of food, including freshfruits and vegetables, to 320,500 men, women andchildren in need every month during this holidayseason. For every $1 donated, we are able to providethe equivalent of four nutritious meals.
Please visit lafoodbank.org to learn how you canmake a difference and continue fighting hunger andgiving hope. Thank you for helping to make thisholiday season brighter for our neighbors in need.
Michael FloodPresident & CEO
The mission of the Los AngelesRegional Food Bank is to mobilizeresources to fight hunger in ourcommunity.
Shelf Life is a triannual publication.If you are receiving multiple copies,please call us at (323) 234-3030,ext. 196.
We welcome questions, commentsand ideas. Please address allcorrespondence to:
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
Communications Department1734 East 41st StreetLos Angeles, CA 90058Tel: (323) 234-3030, ext. [email protected]
What You Can Do
Donate
Participate
Coordinate
Advocate
.
Visit lafoodbank.org to learn more
about what you can do.
Thank you to our Board of Directors
James A. Thomson, ChairmanTammy AmiraultDino BarajasJames P. BeaubienDavid BishopChristina E. CarrollBradford E. ChambersJoseph E. DavisStephanie Edens David EismanJonathan FriedmanRichard C. FungMark KelsonGary Kirkpatrick
Susan K. LeonardDan LukasDavid LuwischRosey MillerMichael Montgomery Luz PadillaRobert PerilleArik PrawerWhitney Jones RoyBarry SiegelGregory SlaughterCary StrouseJustin TonerMichael Flood, President & CEO
3Shelf Life THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK FALL 2015
With your help, we collected over 129,000 pounds of food through the LA
County Fair Food Drive - more than double what was donated last year!Thanks to your generosity, this food will provide more than 100,000 meals tomen, women and children in need through our network of 700 partneragencies located all across Los Angeles County.
Thank you to our partners at KTLA and the LA County Fair for making thisfood drive such a success!
LA County Fair Food Drive
Produce 2 Kids
Thanks to a generous grantfrom the Target Corporation,we are able to serve 7elementary schools throughoutLos Angeles with the newProduce 2 Kids program.Through this program, 3,083children will receive bi-weeklybags of assorted fresh fruits andvegetables, along withnutritional handouts featuringproduce storing tips andhealthy, kid-friendly recipes.
Policy Portion
Today in the United States, nearly 1/3 of the foodwe produce ends up in landfills – that’s 133billion pounds of food wasted! In September,the USDA announced a bold new goal to reducefood waste in America by 50% by 2030.
Since 1973, the Food Bank has collected morethan one billion pounds of food that wouldotherwise been discarded to feed hungrypeople in our community.
Learn more about the U.S. Food Waste
Challenge by visiting
www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste.
LL A C FTM
LA County Fair
Tuesday, December 1st will mark the FoodBank’s third annual #GivingTuesday campaign.Through this one day campaign we’reencouraging donors to help us kick off theholiday season by raising $35,000 to feed 140,000people in L.A. County. Get involved by followingour campaign on Facebook and Twitter, making adonation and spreading the word to family andfriends. Find out more about how you can helpmake this #GivingTuesday a success atlafoodbank.org/givingtuesday.
facebook.com/lafoodbank
twitter.com/lafoodbank
GIVE BACK ON GIVING TUESDAY
SAVE THE DATE
lafoodbank.org/givingtuesday
BLACK FRIDAY. CYBER MONDAY.
DECEMBER 1, 2015
Shelf Life THE NEWSLETTER OF THE LOS ANGELES REGIONAL FOOD BANK FALL 2015
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LOS ANGELES, CA 90058-1502(323) 234-3030lafoodbank.org
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Help us Tackle Hunger!
L O S A N G E L E S R E G I O N A L
T W O T E A M S | O N E G O A L
On Saturday, November 28th, USC plays UCLA at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and this year there’s moreat stake than the Pac-12! With the help of two surprise alumni guests, the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank ischallenging USC and UCLA to see who can mobilize more of their faithful to donate, volunteer, collect food andhelp us #TackleHunger. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for calls-to-action from our surprise alumni and visit www.lafoodbank.org/tacklehunger to support your school, and help Tackle Hunger!
