The Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Herbalife Family Foundation to support their Food for Kids program. (Photo courtesy of Herbalife Family Foundation)
Many children and families struggling with food insecurity in Long Beach and across the South Bay receive assistance from the Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach — and thanks to a recent grant award, the local nonprofit will be able to keep providing food for those in need.
The Volunteer Center was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF), a global nonprofit that supports transformative programs that enhance children’s well-being through nutrition and education, according to a press release.
For over 60 years, the Volunteer Center has been a vital and trusted presence in the South Bay, Harbor and Long Beach communities. Their mission is to empower the community to practice empathy, spread kindness and volunteer where care is needed most, according to its website.
Students from under-resourced neighborhoods often need access to healthy, affordable meals seven days a week, according to the Volunteer Center. In the South Bay alone, one in four children experiences food insecurity. The nonprofit learned about these students and their families who needed meals during the weekends while they weren’t in school and started their Food for Kids program to help fill that gap.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Herbalife Family Foundation for supporting our Food for Kids program at a moment when more families than ever are seeking reliable access to nutritious food,” Josh Gezahegn, executive director of the Volunteer Center, said in a statement, “and HFF’s partnership has allowed us to meet rising demand while expanding our reach to serve more students and families each week.”
The Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach was awarded a $40,000 grant from the Herbalife Family Foundation to support their Food for Kids program. (Photo courtesy of the Volunteer Center)
Food for Kids provides more than 6,000 weekend meals to students and families in need from their two public pantries in Long Beach and Torrance, and through volunteer-supported school deliveries, according to the nonprofit.
The Volunteer Center has also established partnerships with local schools and organizations to distribute food throughout the summer and into the fall.
This local nonprofit is part of HFF’s Herbalife Casa Program, which partners with nonprofits around the world to nourish lives and empower communities, according to a press release. This year, the Herbalife Casa Program awarded $5 million to over 165 nonprofits across 60 countries and territories, and is expected to benefit more than 200,000 children globally.
“We believe every person deserves the opportunity to thrive and build a better future,” Rob Levy, Herbalife president and HFF board member, said in a statement. “We are inspired by our distributor community and employees who come together year after year to act upon that belief and create lasting impact in communities around the world.”
As a local nonprofit, the Volunteer Center not only addresses food insecurity, but education inequality, youth wellness and restorative justice as well.
Through its Operation Teddy Bear program, it focuses on under-resourced first-graders at elementary schools with a high percentage of children eligible for the free and reduced lunch program and sets a goal to distribute literary school bags to children with books, coloring books, pencils, math flashcards and more.
If community members are interested in supporting the Volunteer Center’s fight against food insecurity, donations of shelf-stable items like cereal, canned goods, peanut butter, pasta, and more can be dropped off during business hours at the Long Beach and Torrance pantries.
The Long Beach pantry, located at 1407 E. Fourth St., is open on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to noon and Fridays from 10 a.m. to noon.
Individuals, groups, organizations, and businesses can also host a food drive to help keep the pantry shelves stocked. If you would like support in setting up a food drive, email programs@volcenter.org. For more information on how to volunteer, visit volunteer.volcenter.org.
