Hi Katie,
I am part of the master gardeners' email list and was delighted to read your email requesting info on possible donation sites. I work for a non-profit in Pasadena called Friends In Deed which operates a foodbank for low-income families and individuals. Our food pantry program has been around since the 1970s and we currently serve about 200 families per week. Below is a brief description and history of the program.
Description and History. Friends In Deed runs the largest full service food pantry in Northwest Pasadena, serving 18483 duplicated clients in 2008. The Friends In Deed Food Pantry has provided emergency food services since 1960 and from its current location at Friends In Deed since 1978. Clients come to the pantry to receive food that is “nutritionally balanced, age appropriate and culturally relevant”. The program allows low-income area residents to supplement their food costs, improve the nutritional content of their food, maintain good nutritional health and gain specific knowledge of other programs that our partners provide. Clients “shop” for food as they would in a grocery store, selecting item that they prefer. As they shop, volunteers build one-on-one relationships, to provide a sense of community, and so that case management issues can be identified and addressed by professional staff.
We are committed to offering our client as much fresh and healthy food as we possibly can and rely heavily on donations to do so. In fact, our organization has been trying to figure out a way to network with local gardeners who have excess produce, so I was very excited to come across your email.
I would like to invite you and your club to come tour our site and see if you would like to donate your extra produce to our program. Please feel free to check out our website for more information http://www.ecpac.net/.
Sincerely,
Araceli Lopez
Other places for us to look into are...
- http://www.doorofhope.us/ in Pasadena
- http://www.lafightshunger.org/ in Los Angeles
I like the "Friends in Deed" place. They seem excited to accept garden produce and then their shoppers will get to choose our lovingly grown and picked veggies. It's close by too.
ReplyDeleteYes Friends in Deed - http://www.ecpac.net/foodpantry.htm . They helped my mum out back in the days & now I donate my extra produce/ fruits & every once & a while buy needed items for X- Mas & Thanksgiving when blessed w/ a little extra. They're on the SE corner of Los Robles & Washington Blvd. Call in advance to make sure open & for hours.
ReplyDeleteSeen your post on Yvonne Savio's UCDavis emailer BTW :).
ReplyDelete