The same students who need support with educational resources also need access to healthy, affordable meals seven days a week. Some years ago, staff from a local school approached the Volunteer Center about students who were coming to school hungry on Monday morning because there wasn’t enough food to eat at home on the weekends. These children struggled to pay attention in class and to perform well on assignments. The Volunteer Center’s action in response became our Food for Kids program, which now provides 6,000 weekend meals to students and families in 16 Title I schools throughout the South Bay community. 

We live in the midst of one of the highest food insecurity zones in our state – over three-fourths of the students in the schools we serve don’t have consistent access to healthy meals they need – yet every day, Los Angeles County generates more than 4,000 tons of food waste. With Food for Kids, we’re working to close that gap as our incredible volunteer families and local businesses donate and help distribute shelf-stable food to children and families in need.