Volunteers of the Week

I have greatly enjoyed my afternoons working with Food
on Foot and I look forward to spending more Sundays in
Hollywood with Jay and his wonderful team. I am
grateful to Food on Foot for providing me with an
opportunity to give back to the community I live in.

I actually feel most alive and happiest when I am
helping those in need. Talking with the men and women
in line for food I have been strongly reminded that
those of us who are lucky enough to have "safety nets"
(ie: families with the resources to help us
financially and emotionally), need to act as the
safety nets for those without.

I thank Food on Foot for reminding me that I do have a purpose here on
earth other than helping women dress for the red
carpet and I hope to one day inspire others as the
Food on Foot team has inspired me.

-Mary Ellen

Food on Foot offers me an opportunity to give something back to our community. Both locally and globally we are confronted with a magnitude of problems that plague us. Surrounded by so many problems, my volunteer work with Food on Foot allows me to be part of a solution. A small part of a solution, however, the sum of the parts is indeed a powerful antidote that brings hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

What I LOVE about Food on Foot is that individuals who suffer the tragic consequences of homeless are offered an opportunity to give something back to our community. This is definitely a win/win situation whose benefits are far reaching. I also LOVE to see and hear about the many successes shared by many of the participants of the program. This creates a ripple effect that will continue to be a positive influence on the lives of so many individuals needing such positive reinforcement in their lives.


I am humbled by the recognition I’ve received from Food on Foot. I believe the ones who deserve the recognition are the staff, and most importantly the homeless who participate in this program and who are an inspiration to me.

-Jim

A BIG Thank You to the team from LTN (Local Television Network) for sponsoring the feeding on Sunday December 18th.

A BIG Thank You to Miller Brewing Company for sponsoring the December 11th Hollywood feeding.

Food on Foot means caring enough to help others.
I like the organization's insistence on teaching the value of taking responsibility.

-Joe

A BIG thank you to the team from Fox Entertainment for their sponsorship of our November 20th feeding. The 50++ volunteers were brought by Darmar Smith from the Diversity Development program at Fox.

Food on Foot gives me a chance to participate in hands-on community service. I see exactly where the donations go and the lives that this service affects.



I admire Food on Foot's philosophy of "Teach a Man to Fish". This is truly a hand up for most. He helps people make the connection of cause and effect and apply it in a more positive way. Food on Foot rebuilds the confidence and self-esteem necessary to help people re-enter society.

It is heartwarming to see the gratitude in the eyes of all involved, from giving to receiving. I think we are all doing a little of both.


-Luka

Food on Foot to me is a way of connecting with the souls that go unmentioned and sometimes unforgotten. I found myself feeling pity and turning my back on those who needed help. Well, I got tired of walking backwards and decided to do something about it. Through Food on Foot, I have been given the opportunity to help those in need.





I love the fact that Food on Foot is ran like a business. It not only feeds but guides the homeless with the essentials needed for getting back on their feet. It's a reminder to me that, in this game of life we must all work together as one.




I've been volunteering with Food on Foot for about six weeks now and my second week I met Sandra. Sandra's story was a heartfelt story of hopelessness and tragedy. But her will and drive to rise above and become something is so inspirational. Now she is moving into her own place and possibly has a job. I enjoy stories like Sandra and look forward to seeing more graduate the program.


-Monique

Food on Foot provides an opportunity for me to give back. I have been fortunate in my life, much more so than many others and it is for that reason I feel a desire, an obligation a calling as it were to funnel some of my fortunate existence to others.

Food on Foot is multi-faceted. It not only provides a Sunday afternoon meal for 100's of the homeless in Hollywood, but it also provides an opportunity for someone, through the work program to re-invigorate themselves back into a safer, healthier and fulfilling life.

The very first feeding I attended was on January 2nd of this year. It was drizzly and rainy. I realized just how needy and hungry these people were when you could see them waiting in the drizzle for their meal. However, the big shock to me was the homeless are not just adults, there are children as well. I was serving bananas that day and I had bent over to retrieve a few and when I squatted down and looked up there was a small child, maybe 4 years old...snotty nose, dirty face, matted hair, filthy clothes...holding out his bag. He had such sadness and fear and vacancy in his eyes. EVEN at that writing it makes my eyes well up...because it is especially the children that are in a situation they did not create. It is that moment that makes me come back.

-Barry

Food on Foot is the only organization that provides a program of self-rehabilitation. While supporting any effort to help the less fortunate is noble, supporting the Food on Foot program is to be part of a miracle. The miracle of changing peoples lives from total despair to total self-sufficiency. I must admit that I was unprepared for my first feeding experience. Yes, it was an assembly line of society's forgotten but there was so much more going on. These folks are dedicated to the program. They were courteous and grateful. Where I expected to see hopelessness I found people committed to change. I left the feeding with more than a sense of accomplishment, I left with a nurtured soul.


-Steve

Mercedes Benz Credit group sponsored feeding on Sunday October 16th.

After only a short time volunteering with Food on Foot, my life has already been impacted greatly by the stories shared by the graduates each week.

I believe the most effective element of Food on Foot is ironically, not the weekly feedings. It is the Work for Food Program that truly changes lives and benefits our community. The Work for Food program allows the homeless to work towards a new beginning. Working hard and being accountable for your contribution, no matter where you are in life, gives you dignity and self-confidence. This organization provides the opportunity for that critical step, and that is what sets it apart.

In celebration of Food on Foot’s 500th week, we heard stories from four graduates of the Work for Food program. Each spoke of their gratitude for the opportunities provided by Food On Foot. Ultimately though, their success was due to their own willingness to step up when the opportunity presented itself. As in all aspects of life, no matter how many opportunities come your way, it is up to each of us to meet the opportunity half way. The great thing about the Work for Food program is that it allows anyone willing, to do so.
Daniel, now the crew supervisor, commented that he comes back week after week to help with the feedings because he feels it is his responsibility to help those who follow behind him, just as he was helped out in his life by FOF and those that went through the Work for Food program before him. -- If only everyone could embrace that attitude.

-Karen

What Food on Foot means to us is having the opportunity to help others in our society who need the assistance the most.

What we like most about Food on Foot are the people. The volunteers are committed, dedicated individuals who care about the community around them.

One experience that sticks out occurred at our first feeding. Erin is seven years old and had never done volunteer work before. When she saw the children who attended the feeding she felt a connection and suddenly what she was doing had real meaning for her. On the way home she asked if we could volunteer at Food on Foot every week "I really like helping" she said "and they need our help."

-Matt

Food on Foot is a great concept that enables me to truly help the needy. It's not just a handout, but a way to truly help the homeless get on their own feet and be responsible for themselves. While there are many charities and volunteer organizations, Food on Foot brings me extra satisfaction knowing that I'm not just helping, but that I'm helping others to help themselves.

Food on Foot is fast, efficient, and packs the most punch for your volunteer time. It doesn't take much time, so I have no excuse not to do it. I also like the personal interaction with the workers.

Most people probably think of the homeless as miserable, joyless people, but seeing them on the feeding line, most are full of smiles, gratitude, and hope.
It's nice to know that I'm doing such a small thing on my end that registers as such a big thing on their end.

-Josh

A few months back was the first time I volunteered at a Food on Foot feeding. It was there I met a gentleman named Charles, who was searching through all of the clothing that our church and others had donated looking for towels or blankets. He told me that the police had cited him for squatting and had taken everything that he and the others with him had. Last weekend at the Sunday feeding, Charles spoke to our group of volunteers and shared that he now has a job and a studio apartment thanks to his hard work in the Work for Food program.

What I like most about Food on Foot is the opportunity that it provides individuals such as Charles, to get back on their feet through hard work and accountability. I like seeing first hand at the feedings the gratitude on the faces and in the voices of those that this program has helped. And I love that this opportunity is available to all that are willing to do whatever it takes. The Food on Foot program goes a long way in restoring the confidence these individuals have in themselves and that is something that I value being a part of.

-Amanda

Food on Foot is an opportunity for me to be of service and the thought of feeding someone that is hungry is an incredible feeling. The idea of an organization giving a homeless person the opportunity to get themselves back on their feet is another reason why I love Food on Foot. It’s a gift for us that the homeless are willing to give us the opportunity to help them. WE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GETTING THE GIFT!!!!

-Barry

Thank you for this opportunity to get the word out. For me, Food on Foot is an opportunity to get out of myself and see the bigger picture. It is also an opportunity for me to teach my 9 year old son what it is to give back to the world.

With so much pain and tragedy in the world, it is hard to know were to begin. Food on Foot represents that beginning for both myself and my son. After seeing a piece on television about famine in Africa my son was drawn to tears and he pleaded with me that we had to help. What I told him that night was that we could give money to an organization that sent aid to Africa but we could also go one step better and make the opportunity to help others more personal.

A REAL life lesson. That was how I came to Food on Foot. What I have found is not just an organization that feeds the homeless, but also a group of people with a vision, who give the homeless an opportunity to make a choice and change the circumstances of their lives. A deeply inspirational quality!

-CeCe

I am a journalist from the Netherlands and have been here for almost 3 years. Through my profession, I talk to people from all walks of life. Sometimes I walk away thinking: I wish I could do something to help them instead of just writing their story. Food on Foot gives me that opportunity.


It's easy to become cynical in Los Angeles. Not only by seeing the difference between Beverly Hills in one part of town and Skid Row in the other, but also because it's hard to establish some sort of human contact with people. Volunteering for Food on Foot is important to me because it makes me less cynical. I actually see a smile on people's faces when I hand them their food; there's a genuine connection.



I appreciate the no-nonsense, businesslike approach of Food on Foot. The attitude is not: we give you food because you are a victim of society, but: we give you food and we actually give you the opportunity to get back into society. I think in the end, you help people more by showing them respect than by showing them pity.


At today's feeding, we heard the story of Charles, who just landed a job as a security guard at a parking lot he had been cleaning with the Work for Food crew. It was great to hear him tell about it; he was beaming with pride. Food on Foot gave him the second chance that society wouldn't have given him.

Maartje

Food on Foot means to a lot
to me. I like how they go out directly to those in
need and gives them the opportunity to lead a
successful and productive life, to be part of society.

I love the fact that the volunteers are in direct
contact with each and every person, talking to them,
seeing them grow, and trying to help them succeed in
life. I love that we get to interact with each and
every person and that I thank God that there are
organizations like this that works directly with the
people to help them and their growth.

Bernard

The greatest boss I've ever worked for said to me on one of my first days, "Welcome to the family. Stay as long as you like, learn as much as you can, and then leave -- and use what you've learned here." It was odd to hear my boss encouraging me to leave. It was a great job and it took almost five years for me to follow her advice. I realize now, that she knew there was something better out there waiting for me. Her words continually remind me to use every experience as a chance to learn something, and then to use that knowledge to move on.


Food on Foot is more than a feeding. Food on Foot means giving people the experience, the knowledge, and the confidence to move forward. In a sense, Food on Foot is also encouraging people to leave -- to move on to better things -- and that's what they do.


It's very gratifying to see and talk to the people at a feeding. They are truly thankful. It's even more gratifying to see the eagerness of the workers. Food on Foot is helping everyone, the volunteers and the homeless, to be responsible, accountable, eager, and grateful.

-- Suzy

Food On Foot is about feeding the homeless, getting them into housing and training them for jobs. It is a real straightforward, no-nonsense approach to a very real and destructive problem. Given ample resources and support of the city, Food on Foot could go a long way toward resolving the homeless problem in Los Angeles.


We like the training program which allows people to prepare for and earn the right to work. Without this training, many of these folks would have little or no chance of getting and holding down work.


What made such an impression on us were the numbers of families with children on the street. That really hit us hard.


-Tommy

Food on Foot means helping people by giving them the opportunity to help themselves.

What we like about Food on Foot is knowing that 100% of what you give--be it monetary or volunteer time--goes toward those who need it and not to adminstative overhead.

It's amazing to see entire families and people of all ages reaching out for support from FOF. It makes us appreciate the everyday things in life we take for granted.

-Glick Family

We have been married for five years and have been looking for a way to get involved in the community. Food on Foot has provided us the perfect opportunity to help address the growing problem of homelessness in our city. We really appreciate that FOF gives people confidence to work through the work for food program. It was great to hear about the success stories of work crew members being placed in jobs at the last feeding we attended, especially when Daniel told us about the job he now has at the local car dealership washing cars and, most importantly, the fact that there is potential for further advancement. We really feel that we can make a difference with FOF. We're really happy to be involved with the program.

-Dean and Kathy

We're not really the religious type, but Food on Foot is kind of like
church for us. (Unfortunately, we don't attend as regularly as we
should.) Food on Foot is an expression of our belief that charity is
the most important of all the virtues. It's very easy to forget how
very privileged most of us are when we surround ourselves with people
so much like ourselves. Food on Foot is a sort of Thanksgiving, a
remembrance that we may not always be as fortunate as we now are and
that with privilege comes responsibility, and it's an affirmation of
the kindness in people.

We like that rain or shine FOF is something that folks can count on. We
like the Work for Food program, and the idea that it not only helps
with immediate hunger, but gives the opportunity for people who are
able to do for themselves. We like that it's direct contact with the
homeless. You look them in the face, give them a hello when often
people avert attention from them.

We remember the first feeding we ever went to. It was in Hollywood in
January 1999. We were helping out with the clothes and were struck by
the masses of people there, and particularly by the number of whole
families. But what we remember most was a mother who toted two young
children with her. Before she picked anything out, she handed us some
clothes her children had grown out of. It was humbling to see that
even this woman who had so little could find a way to contribute.

Another great experience happened just last Sunday. After the feeding
was over and the food certificates and other prizes were distributed
we walked down the street to where we had parked our car. I recognized
the man who had won the award of worker for the quarter. He had a big
grin on his face and was still shaking his head in disbelief at the
bus pass he had won. This was obviously a great achievement and a
fantastic boost to his self-confidence!

-Mila and Ben

Food on Foot means hands-On help in my community. I like that it stresses accountability and that the program gives
people real opportunities to make real changes in their lives. Every feeding has a rewarding experience. I like connecting with other members of our community who share this desire to help in common.

-Lorena

Food On Foot to us is a reminder of what our children are constantly told at school: One person can make a difference. In this case, it's the founder of FOF. Food On Foot is a great answer to all the cynicism in our culture.


What we like the most about Food on Foot is the hands on giving. Aside from feeding the homeless it gives us a chance to interact with them and most importantly, humanize them. For one hour a week, they're no longer the faceless person you see on the corner.

It's difficult to single out one experience from the many we've had with Food On Foot, but what always sticks with me is when someone looks me in the eye as I give them the chicken and hear them say "Thank You."
-Mark

As a not-for-profit, Food on Foot is outstanding in its ability to offer its participants variable levels of support to meet the type of involvement they choose for themselves. I value that it conforms to its program members' own initiatives, from providing them with a reliable source of food in a friendly environment to the possibility of helping them find steady jobs or permanent housing. By recognizing the inherent potential in each person to improve their circumstances, Food on Foot allows for the individual to use its services in a manner that is truly empowering.

The social aspect of Food on Foot allows me to welcome people into a space created to help meet the needs of people who may be accustomed to a lot of projections and stigmatization in the larger culture. Within this space, I am given the opportunity to be present with people on an individual basis. However brief our interaction may be, I attune to people who may appreciate the care and interest: honoring their silence, smiling, engaging in a short conversation. I in turn may receive them, what they choose to share with me.
after I have spent a few hours volunteering with Food on Foot, I experience that satisfaction and hope that some people take that away with them, too, along with the critical tangible nourishment Food on Foot provides. The problems in our society and internationally are so huge yet I feel I am being an effective member of a team, striving to make a genuine impact, in part through this involvement within the structure of Food on Foot.

-Allison