Maryann BoosalisDana Sutherland

Yelena TkachenkoRuben Vargas

FCS 408Spring 2012

SOVA Community Food and Resource Program

Content:IntroductionAbout SOVALocationsSOVA ServicesDonationsVolunteeringPersonal Experiences

Conclusion

About SOVA

About SOVA

•SOVA is a community food and resource program run by Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles•SOVA serves almost 12,000 people in the Los Angeles area regardless of age, ethnicity, and religion. •Free groceries and support services are available to those who qualify.

According to SOVA’s website, the organization provides:

Sustenance: Free nutritious food that nourishes families, helps children perform better in school, and strengthens the elderly.

Opportunity: Free on-site services including legal advocacy, job counseling, nutrition counseling, food stamp enrollment, information and referrals, case management and counseling.

Volunteerism: Hundreds of people of all ages work together each week to support the program and the community.

Advocacy: We reach out to the community and legislators in support of vulnerable members of society in need of food, opportunity and social services.

SOVA Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kxKZTgxgLE&feature=player_embedded

Who Qualifies?

•Anyone, regardless of age, gender, or religious belief, can qualify to receive food, toiletries, and other services from SOVA.

•Income must be very low, at or below 200% of the federal poverty level, which is $44,7000 for a family of four.

•SOVA will take certain situations into consideration when determining eligibility, for example a family crisis and the high cost of living in Los Angeles.

•Most people are eligible to receive food once a month, although some people may qualify to receive food more often.

Locations

Locations

METRO- West Hollywood1140 N. La Brea Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90046.

WEST- West Los Angeles8846 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90035

VALLEY- San Fernando Valley16439 Vanowen St., Van Nuys, CA 91406

SOVA Services

SOVA Services

Provide qualifying families with 5 days of groceries:

• Clients may receive groceries once each calendar month.

• Homeless clients without refrigeration or cooking accessibility may receive groceries twice a month.

• Clients have the opportunity to sit with a volunteer and tell them what type of foods they like they like to eat in order to customize their groceries.

• Clients also have the opportunity to specify special diet requirements such as a low sodium diet, low sugar diet, Kosher diet, etc.

SOVA Services

Act as a resource center:

• Staff and volunteers refer clients to other community services in order to help them find solutions to other challenges.

• “Examples of referrals include shelter, free medical services, free vision care, homeless services, clothing resources, employment, senior services and child care.”

• The Community Connections “one-stop” program allows clients to see specialists in the community for “free legal counseling, job counseling, food stamp enrollment, Medi-Cal enrollment, and assistance with utility bills.”

Donations

Donations: from $1 to $25,000 (For every $1 you donate, JFS { SOVA can purchase $5 worth of groceries)

Four Easy Ways to Donate:1. Donate Online Now2. Visit Virtual Food Drive3. By Phone - Please contact Diane Linder at (818) 988-7682 (extension #110)4. By Mail

Ongoing food drives throughout the year placing donation barrels at key locations around the city. Also accept donations at any of our three pantry locations, except:•Prepared foods•Food from private donors’ refrigerators and freezers•Medicine and medical supplies•Used clothing•Furniture

RALPHS: When you register your Ralphs Reward Card for SOVA, each time you use your card, Ralphs donates up to 4% of your purchase amount to SOVA. (Community Rewards section: Edit Community Contributions Program Information)

Holiday Virtual Food Drive

Traditional Holiday Dinner fora Family of TenRetail Value: $500.00Your Price: $100.00

Oatmeal, 500 ServingsRetail Value: $112.25Your Price: $18.00

Two Bags of GroceriesRetail Value: $73.80Your Price: $25.00

Volunteering

Two primary types of volunteers in pantries:

Core (regularly-scheduled four-hour shift each week in one of our pantries)

Occasional (flexible schedule, students earning community service credits, large groups (schools, businesses, churches, synagogues, etc.), and individuals offering their time on an intermittent basis)

If you are interested in pursuing a volunteer opportunity with JFS { SOVA, please contact Felice Resnick at (818) 988-7682 x 118 or FResnick@jfsla.org.

Pantry Packing Room Volunteer (Core or Occasional):Package bread, produce and other bulk food items. Stock shelves and pack custom grocery orders according to items selected by the client. Distribute completed orders to the clients.

Pantry Registration Desk Volunteer (Core):Greet clients as they arrive. Monitor the sign-in process.Locate client record or create record for first-time clients. Assign a number. Prepare packet for intake volunteer.

Pantry Intake Interview Volunteer (Core): Interview new and continuing clients. Record new information and/or update information for the client database. Complete grocery order form and route to the packing room

Data Entry Volunteer (Core): Input, update and correct information in our client database.

Personal Experiences

1) Responsibilities: sorted through food donations, checked produce, distributed produce, distributed groceries.

2) Observations/Experiences: - volunteers are very energetic- many donors- variety of clients

3) Conclusion: SOVA offers wonderful service and is comprised of very selfless individuals and companies

MARYANN

YELENA

1) Responsibilities: -Stocking shelves, packing bags and sorting food donations, intake interview

2) Observations/Experiences: -Majority of clients homeless men in their late 30-early 40s-Unsanitary conditions-Intake interviews (multi-language pamphlets, candies, interpreted for Russian clients).-Majority of staff and volunteers are very helpful and nice

3)Conclusion: -Pantry needs more multilingual staff and management who would interview and observe volunteers for better work ethics

DANA

Conclusion

• A DIETITIAN/NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL CAN USE SOVA FOR CLIENT

• ANY CLIENT THAT MAKES BELOW 200% FEDERAL POVERTY LINE

• LIVES IN THREE AREAS

Conclusion Continued…

-HOW TO CONTRIBUTE AND BENEFIT THE REWARD OF VOLUNTEERING

- DONATE: FOOD OR MONEY

-GIVE OF YOUR TIME: VARIOUS DUTIES

- AS A NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL OPT TO GIVE NUTRITIONAL ADVICE TO CLIENTS FOR FREE