Mike Wolf brings us along for his weekly ritual – Sundays at JFS/SOVA. Mike and other volunteers collect, pack, and distribute food to families and individuals who don’t get enough to eat.

JFS/SOVA is a nonsectarian program of Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles dedicated to alleviating hunger and poverty in the community. The majority of JFS/SOVA clients have stable housing, but their monthly incomes are insufficient to meet their own and/or their family’s needs. JFS/SOVA pantries assist an average of 7,000 people each month.

Pantries are stocked with high quality, nutritious canned and packaged foods, bakery products and fresh produce. The pantry provides a 3-4 day supply of free groceries and personal hygiene products (when needed) for each family member. Sites are colorful, welcoming, and comfortable environments where priority is placed on respecting the dignity and individuality of all who seek help.

Within each food pantry facility is a Resource Center. The Resource Center’s professional staff and para-professional volunteers provide information and referral to other community services and help people find solutions to other challenges. Examples of referrals include shelter, free medical services and vision care, homeless services, clothing resources, employment, senior services and child care.

In addition, through the new Community Connections “one stop” project, community specialists provide services on-site on a regular basis. Currently those services include free legal counseling, job counseling, food stamp enrollment, and assistance with utility bills.

Each site also features a Children’s Corner, where children can enjoy books while waiting, and then select a few books to take home to create their own libraries.

Check out photos from our last Sunday @ Sova.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 13th, 2009 at 4:40 pm and is filed under Community Service. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.