Feeding Our Community's Most Vulnerable

Income inequality

San Gabriel Valley

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

Our Saviour Center has noticed a rise in clients visiting the Food Pantry this year. With the fires in January and the continued rise in prices, we have seen a 50% increase in individuals seeking food assistance compared to last year. Averaging over 900 clients a week, or 2,325 individuals, who received food assistance this year. 51.7% of our clients are older than 60, highlighting the limited income elderly individuals earn compared to the increasing standard of living. 20.3% of El Monte residents are currently living in poverty, with 18.1% of those residents being over 64 years of age, 34.9% being under 18 years old.
47.7% of El Monte residents are foreign-born, 50.2% of those residents are not U.S. citizens. We serve a large immigrant population, many of whom struggle to speak English and require help finding resources. 35.9% of clients who pick up food are Asian and 59.8% are Hispanic/Latino. Other than the 2.5% of Caucasian clients, we see less than 1% of every other demographic.

Since 1985, Our Saviour Center has been distributing food to the El Monte community with the help of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Through our partnership, we are able to make their resources accessible to El Monte and its surrounding communities. Our partnership with Seeds of Hope and Food Forward enables us to offer fresh produce including fruits and vegetables directly from farms to our clients. This partnership has allowed us to address additional client nutritional needs on top of what we were already providing.
Given the length of our service to El Monte and the years we have occupied our building, we have established ourselves as a reliable organization for our community. This has afforded us the trust of community members and organizations who consistently donate a variety of food items, both fresh and non-perishable, to our clients.
Our Food Pantry is open every Tuesday and Thursday of the week, and every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month from 9:00am to 12:00pm giving clients as many opportunities as we can to pick up food. Each household, or client, is permitted to pick up food once a week to ensure everyone has the chance to receive food. To ensure equitable access, we request a photo ID to confirm their identity and place of residency. We provide food regardless of whether they reside in El Monte.

By addressing food insecurity within our community, we tackle the basic need for food, empowering them to shift their focus on issues other than survival. They can focus on providing care for their children, getting to work and/or school, and allow them to financially invest in other needs for them or their family. An individual whose nutritional needs are met is capable of accomplishing more than one that has to worry about where their next meal will come from. They hold more potential to create change for their community by having their basic needs met. A Los Angeles County that is fed with nutritious food is one that prioritizes health and wellness and encourages success in every aspect of life.