Chamber’s ‘Women in Business’ program announces Canned Food Drive

By Charlene Nishimura 

In the midst of a pandemic which has exacerbated food insecurity among so many families and their children, the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce’s ‘Women in Business’ program wanted to help in a tangible way.  Therefore, they are partnering with the Volunteer Center’s Food For Kids program for what is hoped will be an annual food drive to kick off the holidays!  Here is what you can do — shop for a few extra non-perishable items (list below) and do a quick and safe drop-off to help restock the shelves of the Volunteer Center which serves families in the South Bay, Harbor, and Long Beach areas.  The drive-by drop-off will be on Thursday, October 29, 2020, from 3:30pm until 6:00pm, at the Volunteer Center’s parking area, located at 1230 Cravens in Downtown Torrance.

Sara Myers is President/CEO of the Volunteer Center South Bay-Harbor-Long Beach and said, “The harsh realities of the COVID pandemic caused so many more families to need our Volunteer Center’s Food For Kids program.  While we would normally have taken a break during the summer to restock our pantry, over the past six months, we worked creatively with incredible volunteers, our partner schools and community peers like Harbor Interfaith Shelter and Pediatric Therapy Network to quickly pivot and delivered more than 50,000 meals to children and families.”

Sara added, “Now that the school year is starting up and unemployment has caused many more schools to join our waitlist, we are SO GRATEFUL that the Chamber and its Women in Business members have chosen to create a fun, safe Halloween event to restock our shelves!  In the Volunteer Center’s 57-year history, the Chamber has always been ‘at the heart of helping’ nonprofit members like us.  During the pandemic, they provided some of the first online opportunities for nonprofit members to share the impacts and struggles we were all facing, which really helped us not feel so alone.  They encouraged us to focus on the positives and the ways we could help each other.”

Women in Business is one of the core programs available to members of the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce and seeks to support the role of women in today’s workforce by providing a forum to engage with other members and build partnerships that not only increase business potential, but also create lasting professional and personal relationships.  Co-Director Jeanne Imbrogno said, “Our partnership with the Volunteer Center emphasizes the impact the pandemic has had on so many lives.  The opportunity to support the Food For Kids program is a wonderful way for the Women in Business program to give back to our community.  As we head into the holiday season, and find ourselves planning for less traditional ways to celebrate, a food drive, this food drive, is beneficial to so many and in a more healthful way than an expected Trick-or-Treat event this time of year.  We are honored for the chance to help and look forward to making it a new annual tradition.”

List of requested food items (note: no glass containers, bulk-size items or expired food please!)

Cereal

Oatmeal

Granola Bars

Canned Fruit

Raisins

Apple Sauce

Fruit Cups

Canned Vegetables

Canned Meat

Peanut Butter

Jelly

Macaroni Cheese

Pasta (dry or canned)

Pasta Sauce (no glass please)

Rice (1 or 2 lb. bags)

Soup