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To Describe Joe as the human energizer bunny, would be an understatement. Most days, bright and early, you will find Joe at MEND’s Clothing Center drop-off area, helping unload donations, thanking donors, or working at other areas of the building. He is non-stop! Lifting, hauling, hurrying from one assignment to the next, he works like a man making up for lost time.
MARICELA NEVER IMAGINED herself to be in the situation she is in now. Last September, she lost her husband and her life has not been the same. Fighting back the tears, she shares, “To be honest, the first few months after my husband passed I didn’t feel the pressure. Now I feel anxious all the time. I never imagined I would be a single mother to 3 kids.”
Rosa
She came to the Family Support Program after she had increased her visits to the Foodbank. In meeting with Rosa and her family, we learned that her husband, the sole provider of the family, had tragically passed away. Rosa felt lost and didn’t know how to support her 3 children. We helped her create a plan to regain control, and she prioritized getting a job to support her family.
She was nervous to start her job search but we showed her the ropes and were there with guidance and encouragement whenever she needed it. Rosa has since found a job, and she loves it! Because of the increased income, Rosa no longer needs to visit the MEND Foodbank. She is especially proud about this. “This is the first time in a long time that my family hasn’t needed the MEND Foodbank,” she says, beaming. We too are proud of her accomplishment.
Vanessa
She was anxious, felt alone, and her family was struggling to make ends meet. Despite her anxiety, she trusted our team and shared struggles that she kept hidden from other people in her life. Her first priority was to find a good job. She was very nervous but she enrolled in a caregiver course. Not only was she able to complete the course but she also made friends along the way.
She told us that she was surprised that her new friends admired her dedication and courage because she didn’t see herself that way. With her new certification, Vanessa got a job as a caregiver. Her family is now able to put some money into savings, and is working towards a new long term goal of finding a new home.
Amelia
At the age of 32, Amelia, has known more pain and struggle than anyone deserves over a lifetime. She has lived through cruel abuse, rejection, homelessness, intense physical pain and persistent hunger. From a very young age, Amelia worked alongside her Mom, Elizabeth, selling whatever they could to make ends meet.
And, sadly, as she grew older, her mother developed what they later learned to be epilepsy. Caregiving became an important part of her growing list of duties. She says with some regret, “I never went to school because I had to be by my mother’s side.
Karla
Karla and her young family are one of many San Fernando Valley families that have relied on MEND for food assistance in the last year. She never has to worry about keeping her family fed thanks to the fresh produce and essentials that she receives from the food bank.
The stress of paying rent and utilities remains a constant, and sometimes keeps Karla up at night, which makes her thankful not to worry about food. She shares, “I have no idea what I would have done if MEND did not exist. I am so grateful for MEND and the people who support MEND.”
MEND serves the poorest families & individuals in the San Fernando Valley; meeting their most immediate basic needs and helping them build resources and skills to address and overcome long-term poverty.
MEND’s Community Nourishment Programs have long been a point of entry for a majority of clients. Clients utilizing the food bank include families struggling to make ends meet, and people who are homeless who—because of few options—sometimes rely on foraging from dumpsters to survive.
HEALTHY MEALS
POUND OF FOOD
PEOPLE BENEFITED
When COVID-19 cases began to spread in late 2020, we wanted to ensure that those most vulnerable in the San Fernando Valley recieved the resources they needed to stay safe. MEND sent out its Hope & Care team to offer support, information on COVID-19 testing, prevention, resources, masks and PPE for our community.
PEOPLE
BENEFITED
DIAPERS
DISTRIBUTED
Here We Thrive consolidates MEND’s burgeoning intensive case-management services and is our most exciting intervention in the lives of those we serve. With the goal of individual and community resiliency in mind, we are combining the former Family Support Program and Pathways to Wellness and adding a new employment component to better serve the community in one hub. Here We Thrive is staffed with professionals willing and able to support participants through a process of uncovering and overcoming their (in many cases, long-term) challenges.
SERVICES
PROVIDED
Our Homeless Care Services supported thousands of homeless men and women in 2020, providing them with the nutrition they needed during a pandemic - good food to go, fresh change of clothing, hygiene items, pet food and referrals to our partners in housing and mental health.
HOMELESS
SUPPORTED
Become a friend to vulnerable families, the homeless, and struggling seniors today. Your generosity is a precious gift that makes a difference.
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