LoveSCV’s third Thanksgiving Food Drive for foster youth and families is underway ahead of distribution on Nov. 16, more than a week before the holiday.
“It’s great to see local businesses and faith organizations working together and tons of individuals from the community donating,” Christopher said.
The organization started collecting food items on Nov. 1 and will be until Nov. 13 near Grocery Outlet and Ralph’s on Soledad Canyon Road and at Canyon High School’s resource center. Meal packs will be given out via a drive-thru event three days later from 3-7p.m. Partly because of COVID-19, Love SCV decided to collect within neighboring schools for this year’s drives, according to LoveSCV executive director, Susan Christopher.
“[The] Canyon High family is just that – it is a family,” Christopher said. “Everyone showed up to help. We had donations from students, families and had student volunteers.”
Partnered with the Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), LoveSCV aims to hand out 300 meals this Thanksgiving to families that are “system-involved,” specifically either families in need, with foster children or those with a case filed with DCFS. Meal packs are composed of non-perishable food items donated by members of the community such as pre-packed mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce or green beans, as well as a $25 gift card to buy other Thanksgiving food items thanks to a grant received by the DCFS. Christopher also encouraged people to donate meal packs and look for donations for gift cards before the collection concludes.
She thanked one of their bigger partnerships and supporters of the Thanksgiving Food Drive, Santa Clarita Christian School. In the past LoveSCV has partnered with the Beth Ariel Messianic Congregation and Restoration Church Valencia, who were large supporters of the Newhall School District’s food drive.
“Our largest contributors are VIP Realty Group, Santa Clarita Christian School and several individuals from the community who have stepped up to donate,” Christopher added.
In addition to the Thanksgiving food drive for foster youth, LoveSCV is coordinating a food drive with the Newhall School District to provide meals for housing-insecure families, distributed through different schools.
In 2019, LoveSCV’s “Give a Turkey” event in Canyon Country handed out over 500 meals in partnership with the Hart School District, Sulphur Springs School District, Canyon Church and The Sanctuary Church.
Christopher said LoveSCV’s goal is to work to connect the needs of the community to the resources within the community.
To sign up to donate, head over to tinyurl.com/dcfsthanksgiving. For more information or to settle a time to drop off food, contact Christopher at (661) 904-1716 or at susan@lovescv.org.
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Julianna Lozada
Born in Danville, Illinois, and moving to Reims, France, for college, Julianna Lozada's lived in Valencia her entire life. She's currently a student with Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University pursuing a dual degree program specializing in politics and government, international relation, and human rights. During high school, she worked with political campaigns, sustainability, student-run activist groups and voting/elections which influenced her choosing to study politics. With a piano background, Julianna's also become interested in the ways in which politics and social movements intersect with music and how artistic mediums can enact change. After college, she hopes to get a Masters in political journalism and work internationally.
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