Thanksgiving Distribution serves more than 1,300 families
On Monday, November 19th from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Ayers Hall in the Los Angeles County Arboretum, Foothill Unity Center distributed more than 1,300 Thanksgiving Food Packages to “pre-qualified” low-income families. These families have incomes at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Line, and live in the communities of Altadena, Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, Monrovia, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena.
For many of these low-income families, hunger never takes a holiday, and being surrounded by the season’s festivities just makes the struggle for survival that much harder. Jobs continue to be scarce, as the unemployment rate in Los Angeles County remains in double digits, and the number of people needing the Center’s help with food has more than tripled during the last four years of the economic downturn. But at the Center’s Thanksgiving Distribution, each family was able to take home a food box, packed in accordance with the size of their household, containing all the essential ingredients for preparing a festive holiday dinner.
As with all the Center’s programs, this Thanksgiving event is a community effort, supported by generous donations of food, funds and volunteer help by local individuals, businesses and organizations. More than 200 volunteers were on hand from organizations such as: Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Simplicity Bank, Kaiser Permanente, many service clubs from the local high schools, and numerous Girl and Boy Scout troops, without whose help this event could not happen. The Center wants to give its heartfelt thanks to these dedicated volunteers.