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The Pasadena Community Job center officially opened its “Mano a Mano” food bank and pantry on Tuesday, at the Pasadena Community Job Center, 500 N. Lake Ave.
The project is a partnership between the Pasadena Covenant Church, All Saints Church, Epicenter, Lake Avenue Church, and Pasadenans Organizing for Progress. The food bank’s basic infrastructure can help at least 400 families mitigate the effects of the pandemic and the economic downturn.
“COVID-19 has caused widespread unemployment and poverty making it difficult for thousands of families in Pasadena to cover their most basic expenses, including food and rent,” the National Day Laborer Organizing Network said in a prepared statement.
“In the face of multiple crises that day laborers, domestic workers, restaurant workers and all low wage workers confront, the Pasadena Community Job Center came together with faith-based communities to establish Mano a Mano, a food basket distribution program to help local families in need.”
The city contributed $20,000 to the food bank. So far the group has raised enough to distribute enough food baskets to feed 2,222 families, at a cost of more than $156,000, with the help of 58 volunteers.
The food baskets included rice, lentils, beans, cooking oil, eggs, tuna, oatmeal, pasta, salt, sugar, chicken, meats, coffee, toothpaste, cheese, tomatoes sauce, chorizo, vegetables, and fruits (carrots, watermelons, cantaloupes, bananas, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, apples, peaches, squash, and lemons.
Mano a Mano has also become an affiliate of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
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