Westside Food Bank

This is such a fun place to volunteer! It’s easy and everyone is nice. I volunteered with my friend during the holiday and it’s the night where they also feed with you dinner and dessert! It was me, my friend, and our boyfriends. We mainly sorted canned food that had been donated from all over LA into their respective categories. We put baby food with baby food, canned beans, canned veggies, desserts, snacks, coffee/​tea, pasta, pasta sauce, condiments, meat, etc in respective boxes. The volunteer hours were from 4pm-​8pm and we showed up at 5pm and left around 7pm. There are adults, teens, kids, and staff around. There was plenty of street parking. They even had a bounce house outside, but it was raining. A company I had also worked at donated a lot of food and they came to pick it up too. I also think students get credit for volunteering as I saw some of them filling out their forms, etc. A great way to give back! I can’t wait to volunteer next year.

Save the Date for our 25^th Annual Hunger Walk on Sunday, November 8, 2015!
Register Now
Download the Hunger Walk Paper Registration Form or Poster
To celebrate this milestone year, we will have some special surprises so mark your calendars now. The location is the same as last year, Ocean View Park, 2701 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, 90 405. For information on sponsorship, contact Michael Girsback.
Description:
The Westside Food Bank’s annual walk-​a-​thon and kick-​off for our holiday food drive attracts hundreds of participants from companies, churches, schools, non-​profit agencies and the community at large. There will be food & drinks, games, raffle prizes and much more. This walk-​a-​thon is a fun way to spend the afternoon with co-​workers, family and friends while helping our less fortunate neighbors right here in our own community.
Contact: Michael Girsback, Development Associate
WHAT: WESTSIDE FOOD BANK’S ANNUAL HUNGER WALK
WHEN: Sunday, November 8, 2015. Registration begins at 11:00 am
WHERE:
Ocean View Park, 2701 Barnard Way — just south of Ocean Park Blvd on the east side of Barnard Way, at the Beach in Santa Monica.
Parking: in the all day city beach lot south of Ocean Park Blvd.
WHY: To help fight hunger in our community, raise awareness about local hunger and have a great time!

«For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.» Audrey Hepburn
A food drive at work lead me to the Westside Food Bank’s guideline link to be sure I bought the right items
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Physically shopping for these foodstuffs this year, instead of just writing a check, brought home how I take my food security for granted. I fill my grocery cart with minimal concern about cost, not worrying how many meals each item will provide and Lord knows, I’ve never skipped a meal due to food insecurity
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The Westside Food Bank not only needs donations during this food-​obsessed-​holiday season but also ALL year long, EACH day, EVERY day…

On my way to the Westside Food Bank there was a large sign posted outside a nearby school that says «Record Deficit» and «Tax Cuts.» To me, it was a lesson that the children at the school was attempting to teach us about the insanity of such contradiction that has consumed us in the policy direction that purportedly will restore the vitality of this economy. Regardless of our differences in the sense of hope and despair in the current economy, each of us can still do something on the micro level for those whose daily struggles for food and other survival essentials have been forgotten by those in Washington and Sacramento.
Simply expecting hope to miraculously arrive in our local community is no longer enough. My department was sponsoring a food drive so I agreed to take the donations to the Westside Food Bank thanks to my friend Pedro for driving us there. Founded in 1981, the mission and goal of this 501©(3) non-​profit organization is to distribute as much nutritious food as possible to local food assistance charities, and to reduce food waste on the Westside. By connecting with other service agencies that include the Pico Youth and Family Center, St. Gerard’s Social Services, St. Augustine SAVES, Stand Up for Kids, Upward Bound House, CLARE Family Center and more, the Westside Food Bank provides enough food all year round and 10,000 meals everyday that connects people with food and other resources that foster self reliance and greater economic independence. Almost half of their clients are children.
When I got there, the small entrance was followed by an office space that led to a sizable warehouse in the back where the foods were being kept. I saw boxes of oranges, beans, and tons of canned food all compartmentalized from one wall to another. I was assisted by a friendly staff and the drop off process was very quick and convenient. Although there appeared to be a lot of food in the warehouse, it is never enough until hunger is no longer a dilemma or a choice for one to make when there are bills and rent to pay.
All said, we are our children’s gatekeepers to the future. As the unemployment rates continue to stagger while the social safety net erodes, the uncertainty of food on the table is something that foodies and Unilocalers simply should not tolerate or stand passive with indifference like our public officials. The experience of dropping off the donations and seeing people committed to fighting hunger had taught me a great deal about life and a perspective about ways that foodies can make a difference on a day to day basis. Our children are counting on us!