Four local services that are combating food insecurity during the pandemic
By Sakura Amano, Staff Writer
An already concerning crisis, food insecurity has intensified for American families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Caught in the center of this difficulty are children, the greatest portion of the population affected by hunger, malnutrition and starvation. Thankfully, free food banks in our community exist to help even a small fragment of the estimated 150 million people around the world experiencing extreme poverty. Here are just a few of the organizations within Santa Monica dedicated to serving those in need.
Westside Food Bank
Founded in 1981 by the Westside Ecumenical Council, the Westside Food Bank has continued to provide nutritious food to over 200,000 individuals in need, along with their families, for the past 40 years now. They also work with an extensive list of Westside Food Bank member agencies, including organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica. The member agencies serve the neighborhoods of Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City, West Los Angeles, West Hollywood, Inglewood and the LAX area, as well as the West Los Angeles Veterans Association and several college campuses. Located on 1710 22nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90404, they are open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m.- 2 p.m. to anyone and everyone!
SMC Drive-Thru Pantry
Santa Monica College hosted its first drive-through style food pantry on Apr. 2, 2020 as an alternative to on-campus food resources that are currently inaccessible to students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the drive-through is held each Wednesday from 12:30-2:30 p.m. (or until supplies last). The requirements for receiving food include proof of current enrollment at SMC, a face covering and mandatory social distancing. The SMC food pantry is made possible through providers such as Sunrise Produce, Venice Family Clinic, Vicente Foods and many more.
Venice Family Clinic Food Market
The Venice Family Clinic, a nonprofit community health center, announced in August of 2020 that it would be further expanding its services by providing free food to the community twice a month at its Culver City location. The clinic distributes free, healthy food from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at Colen Health Centers, 4700 Inglewood Blvd., No.102, Culver City, CA 90230. The clinic receives food from Food Forward, an organization that rescues over 500,000 lbs of surplus produce and donates it to the Venice Family Clinic as well as other agencies working to combat food insecurity.
CPO UCLA Food Closet
UCLA’s Community Programs Office Food Closet was launched in 2009 as a result of the Great Recession. What initially began as a single cabinet of instant foods has now evolved into a fully stocked pantry of fresh produce, breads, organic canned foods, hygiene products and more. The closet can be found on 220 Westwood Plaza Unit 105 Los Angeles, CA, 90095 and is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m.-8 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
These easily accessible Santa Monica services are more than happy to welcome and provide for anyone who is struggling with food insecurity. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes!