Employees at Spark Networks®, owner and operator of JDate®, fed their souls while helping the hungry to kick off the holiday season. About 50 employees gathered at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank the day before Thanksgiving for a day of service.
The LA Food Bank is a nonprofit serving the community since 1973. Today, the Bank provides food for nearly 900 sites, including homes for abused and abandoned children, shelters for battered women, senior centers, local food pantries, AIDS hospices and more. Through these charities, more than one million people receive healthy meals each year.
The LA Food Bank distributes more than 50 million pounds of food annually and Spark employees were proud to contribute to the important cause of feeding the hungry.
“A few years ago, we participated in a food drive for the LA Food Bank around this time by collecting cans, so this year it was interesting to see the next step in the process,” says Jenny Chacon, Human Resources Manager of Spark Networks. “Not only was it a good experience volunteering in a place like the Food Bank, but it was also a great way for our employees to interact outside of the office environment.”
Since donations often need to be sorted, cleaned and repackaged before they can be distributed to the needy, Spark employees donated several hours of their time to assist with this process. Volunteers sorted and prepared hundreds of pounds of food in just one day, ensuring thousands of people will have access to nutritious and healthy food.
As you think about the leftovers from your Thanksgiving meal and look forward to more festive celebrations this coming holiday season, you may want to give a thought to those who are having trouble putting food on the table in their own homes. Consider making a difference in your community by donating food, cash or your time to a food bank near you.
Click here for a listing of local food banks around the United States: