The OLG Hand ‘n’ Hand Ministry attends to the spiritual and physical needs of those in our midst who are less fortunate by collecting and distributing food items, clothing, and other goods. Contact Person: Eileen O’Brien (213) 505-4847.
Our Parish Food Drive is the 3rd Sunday of every month
We currently serve 66 people in 20 households, with recipients ranging in age from 6 months to 92 years. Our pantry is getting empty, so we would appreciate your donations of food. Our recipients especially need: protein, such as canned meat, canned tuna, chili, soup, beans and rice, and stew. They also appreciate household items, especially laundry detergent.
Given our limited storage area, please bring your food donations only on the weekend of the third Sunday, or the vigil Masses on Saturday night of that weekend. Donations can be dropped off on the third Sunday in the Parish Hall and there will be a collection box in the Church by the Massey St. Entrance. Thank you very much for supporting your neighbors in need.
Parish Food Drive Partnering with House of Yahweh / South Bay Outreach
Our Parish Food Drive provides food to those in need. House of Yahweh / South Bay Outreach, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and located in Lawndale, also provides clothes to people. If you would like to donate either food (to the food drive) or clothes (to HOY/SBO), please bring them to church only on third Sundays, or the previous Saturday nights. Given our limited storage space, we can only accept donations on the third Sunday of each month, including the previous Saturday night masses. For food, we are always in need of protein (beans and rice; soups; stews; chilis; peanut butter; canned meat). HOY/SBO will accept all clothes: infants, children, women, and men. Thank you for your generosity.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hand n Hand
When and where is the Food Drive? It is the third Sunday of each month, twelve months a year, and it is held in the Parish Hall.
Who receives this food? Parishioners registered for at least three months who are in need of food may make a request to the parish office. A member of the pastoral staff will call or visit them to see how / if we will be able to help them. We focus on children (infants up to age 13), senior citizens (ages 60 and over), and disabled people, although most recently our new recipients have been those who just lost their jobs. We currently serve 19 families with 74 recipients.
How do you run a Food Drive? Parishioners donate non-perishable food. (We also get special assistance from the Post Office Food Drive every May.) Any money donated is used to purchase additional groceries. We also have people who purchase milk, tortillas, and fruits and vegetables the morning of the Food drive. The food is sorted and bagged. Families pick up their groceries from 9:30 – 10:30 AM. Deliveries are made to the homebound.
How can I help? You can help by donating cash, checks (made out to Hand and Hand), grocery scrip, and non-perishable food. You can also help by donating your time to sort, bag, and deliver the food. Just come to the parish hall on Food Drive Sundays. There are no meetings to attend; just come and serve. We are happy to provide sheets documenting service hours for parents, Girl Scouts, Confirmation Program, etc.
What food do you need most? We always need protein. Examples include: beans (pinto beans, black beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, and garbanzo beans), soup (chicken noodle soup, split pea soup, lentil soup, and chicken rice soup), stew, chili, peanut butter, and canned meat (tuna, chicken, turkey, roast beef). We also collect toiletries, especially toilet paper, toothpaste, laundry detergent, and shampoo.
Do you do anything special for Thanksgiving and Christmas? Yes, we have parishioner groups or families, including the grade school, sponsor our recipient families and bring food for the recipient families. They can either bring food for a Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, or bring a variety of food.
Whom should I call for more information? If you are in need of food, please call the parish office at (310) 372-7077 . If you have any other questions about the food drive, please call Eileen O’Brien at (213) 505-4847.