Correction below in bold:
On March 20 the Glendale Moose Lodge #641 is hosting a food drive for two local food organizations that serve the community.
By Mary O’KEEFE
“A lot of people are hurting in this community,” said Don Thompson, Moose Lodge administrator.
The Lodge members know there are many people who are struggling during the pandemic and that many food banks are seeing an increase in demand. To address this need they will be collecting food for Sue’s Garden, which operates through the Community Life Church, formerly the La Crescenta Baptist Church, and the Bailey Center at Tujunga Methodist Church.
The Lodge is getting strong support from others in the community including the American Legion Post 288, Veterans of Foreign Wars 1614, the La Crescenta Woman’s Club and the Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce.
Sue’s Garden is a food ministry that feeds about 40 to 45 people each month.
“The program has been around for a long time,” said Debra Coffeen of Sue’s Garden. “We have [evolved] into a food ministry.”
When Sue’s Garden began its focus was on collecting backpacks and school supplies for local students, then it partnered with Trader Joe’s, which donated food to its program.
“That got us into food ministry,” Coffeen said.
Once a year Sue’s Garden benefits from a huge food donation drive by the Boy Scouts.
In the past Sue’s Garden volunteers would create an area where participants in the program could come into a store-like set up and choose items they wanted. Due to COVID-19, this has changed and now volunteers fill grocery bags for each person in need.
They are contacted by people who not only need food but other items as well.
“We are expanding during COVID; families need more things that go beyond food. We are trying to [provide] more cleaning and hygiene items,” she said. “We do have people approach us with special needs. A gentleman contacted us [recently] for a winter coat, and in December someone needed gas and we were able to get him gift cards.”
They were able to get a winter coat for the man who needed that as well.
Sue’s Garden is a small food ministry so as people are able to improve their situation they step back and another person who had been waiting is able to move up the line.
Coffeen said they have seen more need since the pandemic began.
“We are definitely seeing an increase in family need,” she said.
That increase in need is something Bailey Center has been noticing for a year now, ever since the first shutdown due to the pandemic. Its monthly distribution of food increased from about 500 per month prior to the pandemic to over 4,000 people per month. The Bailey Center is located in Tujunga and is part of the United Methodist Church ministry. It also has been around for many years and every Wednesday serves the community in need.
“[The numbers] have gone up so much and we are going non-stop,” said Maureen O’Keefe of Bailey Center. She added the people who have been coming for a while to the Bailey Center for help make up about one-fourth of those they serve; the rest are new to the Center, and many are new to needing food service.
“We have people who tell us they are not sure how this [food bank] works,” she said.
She added many never thought they would need this type of support. She’s heard stories of people who moved in with family members, increasing that family’s size by six or seven people.
The people come to the Bailey Center from all over … but the Center doesn’t deny anyone in need.
“[Those in need] are so grateful,” O’Keefe said of people who receive food. “People cry. We get a lot of tears; they are so grateful.”
O’Keefe travels to downtown Los Angeles to “shop” at regional food banks. She is able to get vegetables and fruit, though what she’s able to purchase is always dependent on what is available. She tries to get something that will last a week for those the Bailey Center serves.
“What we need is canned goods. [Regional food banks] don’t have things like cereal. We need spaghetti sauce because people donate [a lot] of pasta but no sauce. We could use [items like] canned tomatoes,” O’Keefe said.
They also need canned tuna and chicken.
O’Keefe added they have been able to get some diapers and baby wipes from the regional food bank but need more donations because there are so many families in need.
“And wipes are expensive,” she added.
Volunteers at the Bailey Center have seen not only an increase in need but the toll this pandemic has taken on people.
“People are exhausted and sad. Some of them are [telling] us about their health issues,” O’Keefe said. She added that a woman shared that her husband was in the hospital due to a stroke and said it “came out of nowhere.” As the Bailey Center volunteers see the stress that weighs heavily on so many they serve health issues are no surprise.
They do have help from youth volunteers with the Church of Latter-day Saints, who help a lot, but they still need strong volunteers on Wednesdays who are able to help lift the boxes of food.
She is grateful for the Moose Lodge’s efforts to help.
“We do need food,” she said.
That desperate – and simple – call for help is exactly why the members of the Moose Lodge organized the upcoming food drive.
Thompson explained that many of their members are lucky to be doing all right during this time but felt it was important to reach out to those who need help. The Moose Lodge has a tradition of helping others.
At the core of the Moose organization is the saying, “A burden heavy to one is borne lightly by many” found on its website. According to the website, the organization has a rich past and can trace its roots to 1888. As the organization expanded in numbers it expanded its outreach to serve local communities.
It is that core value that inspires members to help those in the community who are in need.
The food collection will be held on March 20 at the Lodge, which shares the American Legion Post 288 location at 4011 La Crescenta Ave, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those who would like to donate but are unable to make it on that day can contact Moose members at (818) 957-7133 or can drop off food at the CVW office at 3800 La Crescenta Ave. #206 during office hours. After arriving at the CVW office during office hours (M-F, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) call (818) 248-2740 and someone from the CVW office will collect the donation.