Neighborhood Food Drive a Huge Success!
Stefanie's 9th Annual Studio City Food Drive Benefiting
North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry & Hope Rescue Mission
Wow! Studio City Footbridge Square really came together this year for my 9th annual Neighborhood Food Drive. I originally chose November as it's a great month to bring the community together and celebrate our gratitude and our ability to give to others. My car was literally filled with brown paper grocery bags stuffed with food for the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry and Hope Rescue Mission. For days on end, it was a steady stream of neighbors either dropping off food at my door or signing up for me to collect the donations at their door. There was joy and excitement in the air. I remember one neighbor in particular, who called just to tell me “thank you for uniting the neighborhood.” To be honest, all I did was provide an opportunity for neighbors to help neighbors. Everyone else did the uniting. You took a cause and rallied behind it and completely blew me out of the water. We thought we’d get a decent amount of food bags back, but we had no idea my car would be so filled I'd have to make additional trips. And it was inspiring!
“It was this food drive that really solidified the opportunity we have here at Pollack & Associates to be the launching pad for great causes. ”
It was this food drive that really solidified the opportunity we have here at Pollack & Associates to be the launching pad for great causes. Sure, I sell real estate and do a great job at it, but it’s being involved in our community that really gets my heart going.
We owe a huge thank you to Trader Joe's and Von's Studio City for donating the bags. My 8-year-old daughter and I gathered around our dinner table at home and began stapling away, after all those flyers don’t attach themselves. We enjoyed great conversation about the gratitude we have and how organizing these events we are helping those who are food insecure.
I had 500 bags and flyers hand delivered for the food drive over the course of three days. We were a little team of elves walking the streets of Vantage Ave, Bellingham, St Clair, Laurel Grove, Shadyglade, Rhodes and Wilkinson going door to door passing out bags. We met a lot of great neighbors who had been anxiously awaiting the delivery of the bags. And, being in the real estate business after all, we couldn’t help but fall in love all over again with the beautiful homes and architectural details. It’s amazing the detail you can see when you slow down and just walk.
Literally the first day we were out delivering bags, neighbors were signing up to participate and shop to fill the bags with canned goods, non-perishables, and hygiene items. By the time the scheduled pick-up dates rolled around we had 30+ neighbors signed up! Holy cow! We were elated! You should have seen the look on the volunteer's faces when he drove the donations over on Monday morning to the drop-off location at Temple Beth Hillel. The volunteers there were appreciative and so gracious. The North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry gives 3000 bags of food out a month, which is a 38% increase since last February. Wow! The NHIFP has ten participating congregations and hands out food at the First Christian Church 4390 Colfax Avenue (Corner of Moorpark) Studio City, California 91604 and also uses Door Dash to deliver bags of food to people in LA Housing and Seniors who do not have the ability to pick up.
Your neighborhood expert, Stefanie Pollack, has all you need to know about our wonderful community here in the Valley. Visit Stefanie’s Blog to learn more.
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