Give back this holiday season!

Volunteers at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and it’s the time of year when Americans everywhere dream of stuffing their faces with delicious turkey, vegetables and pie, surrounded by football, family and friends. However, for many Americans, this idyllic vision is not a reality. On Thanksgiving (and every other day) hundreds of Angelenos will be going hungry on the streets.

Luckily, there are hundreds of great charitable organizations in the West Hollywood, Los Angeles and beach communities that welcome volunteers! Below is just a small sampling of hunger-related volunteer opportunities you can participate in. Whether you donate food or money, your time in serving meals to the homeless or your time playing with shelter children, you’ll be making a difference in people’s life and truly embodying the spirit of this season!

Hollywood Community Food Pantry
Every Tuesday afternoon, the Hollywood Community Food Pantry distributes food to the needy in the Hollywood area. Every item of food has been donated by members of the local neighborhood and community. The Food Pantry accepts canned and frozen food, market gift cards, toiletries and cash donations to stock the pantry. If you are unable to donate, or would rather become more hands-on, you can also find opportunities to help the hungry and homeless in the community directly.

Hollywood Lutheran Church
1733 N. New Hampshire Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.667.1212

St. Augustine Catholic Church – Culver City
St. Augustine Catholic Church is home to the SAVES program (Saint Augustine Volunteer Emergency Services). The organization is an ongoing outreach program to help combat hunger in the area. Last year, during the month of October, SAVES handed out 741 bags of food to 214 families and homeless people. Volunteers are currently needed on Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. to pick up food donations.

In addition, on the second Sunday of every month, SAVES conducts a food drive at the church. Volunteers collect food donations at all the Mass services. Call Sadie Cerda at 310.838.2702 to get involved.

St. Augustine Catholic Church
3850 Jasmine Avenue Culver City, CA 90232
310.838.2477

Union Rescue Mission – Downtown
The Union Rescue Mission, located in Downtown Los Angeles south of Chinatown and east of the Financial District, is a 510(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping the homeless men, women and children of the Skid Row area. Founded in 1891, the Mission serves as a food pantry, soup kitchen, homeless shelter, learning and job skill center and more.

Soup Kitchen - Every day, the Union Rescue Mission serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, adding up to about 2,300 a day! Currently, volunteers to serve breakfast and Sunday meals are needed.

Kids - There are about 100 children living at Union Rescue Mission at any given time and they’d love company! Bring yourself or a group and play basketball, jump rope or tag with the kids and get to know them. There are also opportunities to become more involved, such as organizing sports tournaments or Olympic-style event days.

Adults - The Mission’s Men’s and Women’s day rooms are open every day from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Volunteers are welcome to come by and talk, play games with, read to and make friends with the local people who are trying to find a safe shelter from the streets of Los Angeles.

Email volunteer@urm.org with “DAY ROOM” in the subject line, or call 213.673.4860 to volunteer your time.

In addition, the Learning Center is open to locals who need help in tutoring, resume writing, computer skills and other related useful skills. If you’d like to volunteer to tutor or teach your skills, email jkershner@urm.org or call 213.347.6300 ext. 4400.

Outreach Kits - Don’t live nearby? Make your own Outreach Kits to distribute to those in need in your local community. Download the Outreach Kits on the URM website, place the labels and items inside a Ziplock bag, add pre-packaged food like trail mix, granola bars, crackers and dried fruit, and hand them out to those in need. It’s easy!

Union Rescue Mission
545 San Pedro Street Los Angeles, CA 90013
213.347.6300

Necessities of Life (NOLP) Food Pantries
Begun in 1986 as a food voucher program, AIDS Project LA’s Necessities of Life Program (NOLP) is now America’s largest network of food pantries for those people afflicted with HIV/AIDS. Clients of NOLA receive bags of food containing meat, dairy, vegetables, canned and dried food, personal hygiene items and cleaning supplies. They also have the opportunity to receive nutrition counseling and classes, as well as fact sheets and recipes.

There are 8 locations in the Los Angeles area, and they are accepting volunteers. Branches are located in North Hollywood, Santa Monica, South LA, Koreatown, Claremont, Pasadena, Long Beach and Pomona.

Visit NOLP‘s wesbite for hours and locations.

HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) – Santa Monica
HOPE’s mission is to restore hope to the homeless by providing meals and job help. Every Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, Santa Monica and other local homeless can received a hot main dish, sandwich or egg, vegetables or salad, bread, fruit and a beverage for free. Over 200,000 meals have been provided for free. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Helping Other People Eat accepts food, market gift certificates, cash, checks, and volunteers to prepare food, pick up supplies, clean dishes and design informational flyers. All donations are tax-deductible.

HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) – Santa Monica
503 Olympic Boulevard Santa Monica, CA 90406
310.801.3411

Friends in Deed – Pasadena
Friends in Deed is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for low income and homeless people. Twenty-three percent of Pasadena residents are below the poverty line, and 1,216 homeless people can be found in Pasadena on any given day. With the motto “Doing together what we cannot do alone,” volunteers are always welcome to help out.
The Pantry is always in need of volunteers to drive to pick up food from the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, stock the pantry, provide lunches and other hot meals and help set up at the Bad Weather Shelter. Donations are tax-deductible.

Friends in Deed – Pasadena
444 E. Washington Boulevard Pasadena, CA 91104
626.797.2402

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank currently serves a record 640 agencies, with 565 agencies on the waitlist. With so many locations, it is easy to find a food pantry or soup kitchen to donate to or volunteer your time at near you.

Use the convenient Pantry Locator to help out here: http://www.lafoodbank.org/pantry-locator.aspx