Laguna Food Pantry receives grant from S.L. Gimbel Foundation
Laguna Food Pantry is pleased to announce it has received a $15,000 grant from the S.L. Gimbel Foundation Fund, which is administered by Inland Empire Community Foundation.
Based in Riverside, Inland Empire Community Foundation is a trusted steward of the region’s charitable resources. The Foundation brings together key collaborators to determine community needs and acts as a catalyst for positive change.
Laguna Food Pantry will use this generous grant exclusively for the Pantry’s food distribution program. Through a contract with Second Harvest Food Bank, the majority of the approximately 6,000 pounds of daily groceries received by the Pantry are donated by eight local grocery stores.
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Photo by Mary Hurlbut
Volunteers (L-R) Cecile Scott, Rebecca Washington-Lindsay, and Nancy Oughton
Pantry volunteer drivers rescue food seven days a week, food that would otherwise end up in landfills. In addition to food from local markets, the Pantry relies on other sources of donated or purchased food.
The Pantry buys in bulk at local food banks and wholesale and retail outlets. The most significant expenses are milk and additional produce to supplement the donated fruits and vegetables. The S.L. Gimbel Foundation’s grant will greatly offset the cost of these supplemental purchases.
“We are honored to be a recipient of this generous S.L. Gimbel Foundation grant and are grateful for the support of the Inland Empire Community Foundation,” said Anne Belyea, Executive Director of the Laguna Food Pantry. The grant will allow us to continue to purchase fresh produce and milk to supplement the food we rescue daily from local grocery stores,” Belyea added.
Now in its twenty-sixth year serving its neighbors in need, the Laguna Food Pantry collects approximately 6,000 pounds of groceries daily and distributes this food to approximately 110 families each weekday. Forty percent of these families have children.
Located at 20652 Laguna Canyon Rd in Laguna Beach, the Pantry is open from 8 to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday. The Pantry is run entirely by its three-person staff and 125+ volunteers.
For more information, contact the Pantry at (949) 497-7121 or visit www.lagunafoodpantry.org.