Working together to feed our neighbors
Last month, one of our community organizations reached out to our Love Thy Neighbor mission team, to ask how we could partner to support our friends at the Van Nuys Labor Center. Los Angeles Community Fridges is a network of decentralized, independent refrigerators and pantries that provide food and vital supplies to our communities through mutual aid. From their webiste, “Our mission is to strengthen communities & redistribute existing resources by providing tools and frameworks to ensure people-supported, ongoing, equal access to healthy food. “ In discussions with Patty and Jon, our Mission Co-chairs, a program was developed to not only provide food for the day laborers at the Van Nuys Job Center, but to purchase the food from the vendors who have lost their liveliehoods due to the fear of ICE raids.
Money was donated and used to support Josselin and her family from Honduras. Josselin made 50 burritos with trimmings, distributed to our neighbors at the Job Center by a small group of loyal members of our team.
Meal 2 was Guatemalan tamales! Yenni, one of our loyal vendors, was taken by ICE in a raid in August and is currently fighting for a court date. Yenni's mom, Adelina, took over the booth and is taking care of her three children.
Meal 3 was Pupusas from Josselin. Due to the constant threat of ICE raids, she is too scared to set up her booth but is grateful for these opportunities.
Meal 4 was Pollo dorado de frioles de olla, rice and salad from our friend, El Salvadoran vendor Araceli .
These four meals were in addition to our regular monthly sack lunch distribution, a new volunteer opportunity to serve our neighbors at the LA Islamic Center and several “pop in” opportunities. Our “Love Thy Neighbor” Mission Team is amazingly dedicated to those who need a meal and to the mission to be the hands of feet of Christ to our day laborer neighbors. I am so blessed to be their pastor.