Northwest Valley Teams Up To Help The Homeless

NORTHRIDGE, CA — As the number of unhoused people continues to swell in the San Fernando Valley – homelessness increased 16.1 percent in the city in the past year, according to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority – District 12 Councilmember John Lee is launching a pilot program to help residents serve them meal and care packages twice a month.

Lee partnered with the Rotary Club of Granada Hills and the nonprofit homeless outreach ministry About My Father’s Business to create the Lunches with Love meal delivery program, which aims to provide packages consisting of fresh meals, hygiene kits, and a personal message from the donor.

On Wednesday, representatives from participating community organizations brought kits prepared by their congregants and members to the Council District 12 Community Service Center, where they were sorted for distribution.

“I have always been impressed by the engagement and generosity shown by the Council District 12 community and this is but another example of my constituents stepping up to serve in a time of great need,” said Lee. “I am grateful to Laine Caspi with the Rotary Club of Granada Hills and Pastor Kathy Huck with About My Father’s Business for their passion to serve our most vulnerable population, and their willingness to partner with my office to bring this program to fruition.”

Supplies and participation were given by The Church at Rocky Peak, United Methodist Church of Chatsworth, Shepherd Church, Shomrei Torah Synagogue, Temple Ahavat Shalom, North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chatsworth Kiwanis, Northridge Kiwanis, Get Together Foundation, and Granada Hills Woman's Club. The program also received a $5,000 community grant from the Southern California Gas Company, which will be used to purchase coolers and wagons to transport the meals to unhoused residents.

“For the last 20 years, About My Father’s Business has been conducting outreach and assisting the unsheltered in our community,” said Founder and Executive Director Pastor Kathy Huck. “I’m thrilled to partner with Councilmember Lee to launch this meal program and not only create a way for more in our community to get involved and make an impact on this crisis, but also bring dignity and hope to our community’s unhoused residents.”

“The Rotary Club of Granada Hills has worked with Councilmember Lee throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to provide a helping hand and relief to those who are struggling,” said board member Laine Caspi. “And we are proud to partner once again on an initiative that will bring people together to make a difference and show care for our neighbors experiencing homelessness.”

“We hear numbers about our homelessness crisis all the time and it’s easy to forget that those numbers represent real people who have fallen on hard times,” said Lee. “The purpose of Lunches with Love is to show our unhoused neighbors that we see them, and that they matter.”