Long Beach, California – Hard times are getting harder for Long Beach hungry residents, as local non-profit, Help Me Help You, is reluctantly compelled to announce the upcoming closure of their Perry Lindsey Academy, Saturday food pantry that provides monthly free groceries and essential community services enrollment to 8th Council District residents in need. Due to food donation supply issues and a shortage of funding, this food pantry will close after the last service on December 21st, 2024.
In response to a needs survey of 2,000 clients and a growing demand for free food services, the Saturday monthly food pantry, known as the Lindsey Grocery Grab N Go, commenced in December 2021 outside of Perry Lindsey Academy. It marked the 6th school food pantry of 11 food pantries provided by Help Me Help You and it serviced over 730 residents in need each month. Hungry Long Beach residents can still receive free weekly nutritious groceries via their other 10 Long Beach schools and community locations. Seniors and Persons with Disabilities who cannot access the food pantries can receive free weekly groceries home-delivered for a delivery fee of $10. Lindsey Grocery Grab N Go clients will be informed of other Help Me Help You food pantry locations during November and December.
Years of tough economic times, growing inflation and food prices have taken a toll on all, resulting in a growing number of residents forced to rely on free food resources and essential community services to survive. Despite a continuous post pandemic decline in grant funding sources, food supply chain issues, and a reduction in public donations, Help Me Help You stood by their slogan to “serve the underserved” and provided free food and enrollment services to 8,000 more residents the previous year, with an anticipated growth by the end of 2024.
“It is heartbreaking to receive numerous daily pleas for help for free food especially from our most vulnerable residents. We are doing our best with the strained resources available, but our hope is we can continue to do more to service the growing needs of our community”, said Zina Washington, Help Me Help You Executive Director.
Help Me Help You would like to thank the Lindsey Academy administrators for encouraging the food pantry services to their students, families, and 8th Council District residents in need. Should more funding become available in the future, to also cover the Saturday permit costs, Help Me Help You can resume the free food services at the Perry Lindsay Academy location.
Established in 2002, HMHY is a community-based nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families in need by increasing access to food, public benefits, economic security, and social security benefits. HMHY provides essential services to more than 63,000 individuals annually, focusing on seniors; children; single mothers; disabled individuals; veterans; and the homeless. These services work to reduce hunger and poverty, improve nutrition and health, boost family economic security, as well as motivate and transition residents from lives of poverty to self-sufficiency.
For other Help Me Help You food pantry locations visit www.helpmehelpu.org/ggng. If you would like to ensure no one goes hungry in Long Beach and support Help Me Help You food pantries and essential services, please visit www.helpmehelpu.org/donate-now.
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