Community Council organized a food drive for the SOVA Valley chapter of the Jewish Family Service Los Angeles (JFSLA), beginning Jan. 31. SOVA translates to “to eat and be satisfied” from Hebrew, and the JFSLA addresses issues of hunger, domestic violence, support for the elderly, inequity and mental health.

Students are encouraged to donate items such canned food and low sodium soups to cardboard bins set up under Chalmers for the food drive. JSFLA directs these donations to its two food shelters to deliver meals to elderly and disabled individuals as well as to houses providing dinner to underserved individuals.

Matthew Steiglitz ’22, who coordinated the event, said the Planning Committee partnered with JSFLA’s SOVA chapter to make donating more accessible for students. 

“Not everyone has time to drive up to the food pantry and give them donations,” Steiglitz said. “Hosting this food drive on campus provides the school community with an opportunity to help those in need that they might not otherwise have.”

Steiglitz said hosting food drives on campus helps raise awareness on the importance of food pantries.

“For those in need, purchasing food can often be a financial burden, and even when food is available, it is often lacking in nutritional value,” Steiglitz said. “Even though many are already aware of this problem, events like these raise awareness about this issue and how we can help those in need. I would also like to emphasize the importance of food pantries as a way to improve life outcomes in the long term as well as the short term, especially for underserved youth.”