It was a sign of the difficult economic times. Hundreds of struggling families lined up Saturday morning at our Neighborhood Youth Center to receive a box filled with nutritious foods.

People lined up as early as eight in the morning for the 10 o’clock distribution; within two hours, more than 500 boxes of food had been distributed and families had to be turned away.

“I’ve led dozens of food distributions over the years, and it’s never easy to tell a family, who has been patiently waiting, that we ran out of food,” says Gabriela Romero who coordinated the food distribution. “The number of individuals waiting in line for hours shows you how great the need is.”

Shawn Riggins, Director of our Local Conservation Corps, adds, “These are working families … men and women who have a job – sometimes even two jobs – and still can’t make ends meet. I’m glad we were able to provide them with a bit of relief.”

Food distribution participants were also able to learn about other Agency programs including Home Energy Assistance Program, Rural Tobacco Education, and Head Start.

The food distribution was made possible by the agency’s Crisis Relief Fund and over 50 dedicated volunteers including agency employees, LCC Corpsmembers, students from our YouthBuild California Charter School and School Of Unlimited Learning’s Heart & SOUL Club, and participants of King of Kings Men’s Recovery Home.