The Pacoima based Khalsa Care Foundation (KCF) first set up a food pantry in 2012 providing food for 75 local families. Now, with so many people unable to work due to the COVID-19 shutdown, the food pantry is now providing goods to 400 families each week.
Seeing the urgent need one day to the next KCF also set up a hot meal drive-thru on Fridays, which has brought hundreds of cars — so many that the LAPD handles traffic control. As each driver pulls up, they let volunteers know how many meals are needed, and with no questions asked, they are provided. And, as the last car passes through, more people begin to arrive for the food pantry.
In the last seven weeks, KCF has provided 44,000 free meals and delivered more than 110,000 pounds of groceries to families, homeless shelters, hospitals and other nonprofit organizations.
Now KCF, with its strong belief for service, has stepped up even more to provide meals for the Department of Disability at the request of the LA Mayor’s office.
White LA City Ride Shuttle buses arrived this week to pick up the more than 1,000 meals for delivery to low-income people throughout Los Angeles and Antelope Valley.
Between May 18-31, Khalsa Care Foundation will be making 1,000 additional meals daily Monday-Friday. By June 1, KCF will increase the number of meals for the disability agency to 3,000 daily.
Volunteers Are Needed
A crew arrives during early morning hours; by 6 a.m., members of the Sikh community begin cooking healthful vegetarian food. Sometimes the meals are an Indian or Asian inspired dish or pasta. They’ve noticed that many of the same people have returned for the free drive-thru each week, so they’ve made an effort to provide a variety of meals.
By 9 a.m., another group of volunteers arrive to begin packaging and bagging the meals. It’s a steady focused assembly line.
Financial support for the cost of food has been donated by the Sikh community, but more volunteers are needed to handle the thousands of meals that they’ll be providing each day.
“Our volunteers are diverse and have ranged in age from 16-80 years old. If you are able to volunteer, you are welcome to just come, it’s not necessary to call,” said Jaspret Singh, who feels confident they can meet the need.
“We are thankful for this opportunity to serve our city and community,” he said.
“Khalsa Care Foundation, on behalf of the Sikh Community of Los Angeles, believes no individual or family should have to worry about putting food on the table for their loved ones and believes that “Seva” (Selfless Service) must be done at all times during all times of need,” Singh said.
Volunteers are needed to assist. Meals will be prepared and packed from 930 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Khalsa Care Foundation, located at 9989 Laurel Canyon Blvd, Pacoima, CA 91331 for pick up by Department of Transportation to be delivered by Access Services