Since 2012, UCLA External Affairs has partnered with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, offering numerous volunteer hours from its employees in order to sort thousands upon thousands of pounds of food that are prepared into meals for people in need across Los Angeles County.
UCLA volunteers most recently visited the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank location at 1701 E. 41st Place on March 23 and March 31. There, they sorted fresh produce, canned items, non-food items and helped assemble packages for the food bank’s various programs.
UCLA External Affairs adopted the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank as one of its charitable organizations in 2012. Since then, various departments have visited the downtown food bank to put in volunteer hours.
“Without volunteers, the Food Bank would not be able to accomplish its mission to mobilize the resources of our community to fight hunger throughout Los Angles County,” Food Bank Volunteer Director Ana Martinez said. In the county, 1 in 6 people struggle with hunger. The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank includes a network of 1,000 charitable agency sites in the county. “With your help, the Food Bank is able to leverage every $1 donated to provide four nutritious meals to hungry children, seniors, and families in LA County.”
“It’s a rewarding experience and volunteers always leave knowing how many individuals they’ve fed through their hard work,” UCLA Volunteer Center Director Shannon Regan Hickman said. “The Food Bank also educates volunteers on the facts about hunger and food insecurities right here in our own city, which really drives home the importance of the work and the need to do more.”
“Because the Food Bank partners with hundreds of agencies across the county, they are able to distribute the food to high need areas and to those families that need it most,” Hickman added.
In the two most recent volunteer days, the UCLA coalition was able to sort more than 24,000 pounds of food and help the Food Bank provide at least 15,000 meals to those in need.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is always in need of more volunteer help. The minimum age is 14, and groups are welcome. Visit www.lafoodbank.org/volunteer for more information, and view the video below: