The Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank desperately needs non-perishable food donations and is holding a food drive to collect them.

By Lynn SHER

The Salvation of Army of Glendale/Burbank is in a predicament. For the first time in decades, its one annual food drive, Stamp Out Hunger, had a historic drop in donations. Normally the food drive, hosted every May by the National Association of Letter Carriers, would collect 60,000 pounds of food – the equivalent of 30 tons. This year, it amassed only 10,000 pounds. Because of this, the Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank is having an additional food drive to make up that difference.

Captain Kelly Berggren, core officer, executive director and pastor of the Glendale/Burbank Salvation Army Church, said, “This is really a desperate situation for us.”

Four years ago, the Salvation Army of Burbank merged with the Salvation Army of Glendale. It now serves a huge area extending from Burbank to North Hollywood and from Glendale to Tujunga, La Crescenta and La Cañada.

The Salvation Army food pantry is open every week from noon to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and serves about 600 families per month. On its website, the Salvation Army estimates “one in five families go to bed hungry each night in the City of Glendale.” If the pantry runs out of food, people don’t eat.

“We didn’t expect this,” Kelly said.

It’s imperative that this food drive is a success so the Salvation Army can continue to feed those in need. The non-profit has been forced to buy groceries using money that was previously allocated for other important projects, putting them on a precarious trajectory.

On Saturday, Sept. 9 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., members of the Glendale/Burbank Salvation Army advisory board, some of whom are also Kiwanians and Rotarians, will be posted at four different Ralph’s supermarket locations spread out between Burbank, La Crescenta and Glendale (see exact locations below).

As shoppers enter the store, they will be offered a red shopping bag and a flyer for the event. Shoppers can then shop for themselves and the Salvation Army  congruently, putting the food drive groceries in the red bag, paying for it at check-out and simply handing it to volunteers on their way out of the store.

People can also drop off food directly to the Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank at 320 W. Windsor Road in Glendale.

While any non-perishable food is welcomed, they specifically are in need of dry cereal, dried and canned beans, peanut butter, canned tuna fish, oatmeal and pastas, and canned veggies, fruit and soups.

Brian Murphy, the advisory board president for the Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank, thinks that inflation could be a possible reason for the unprecedented decline in food donations this year.

“[It could be] a reflection of cost,” Murphy said. “Things have gotten so expensive.”

To those who just may be getting by and don’t think they have the funds to purchase food for the drive, he said, “No donation is too little. A box of cereal, a can of vegetables [makes a huge difference].”

Looking ahead, after the Sept. 9 food drive, the Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank is holding its Annual Red Kettle Kickoff Campaign. Held in November and December, this is the time of year when people from the Salvation Army are in front of supermarkets, collecting donations in little red buckets. Every red kettle season is started with a kickoff campaign.

This year a different type of event is being held to kick off this important season. A comedy show is scheduled for the evening of Nov. 9 and will feature comedians Christopher Titus, Rachel Bradley and Billy Gardel (from the “Mike & Molly” show). For the fundraiser, the El Portal Theater at 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood is donating its space for the event and the comedians are donating their time and talent.

The event’s seating and pricing chart has not been released yet. Of course, cash donations are always welcomed and can be made via the Salvation Army Glendale/Burbank website at https://give-cas.salvationarmy.org/give/203963#!/donation/checkout and at the four food drive locations on Sept. 9: Ralphs at 2600 Victory Blvd. in Burbank, Ralphs at 1100 San Fernando Road in Burbank, Ralphs at 1200 N. Central Ave. in Glendale and Ralphs at 2675 Foothill Blvd. in La Crescenta.