ROWLAND UNIFIED CELEBRATES ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF MONTHLY FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS AT VILLACORTA FOR THE COMMUNITY MARCH 11
LA PUENTE, CA – MARCH 8, 2019 – Committed to eliminating barriers for learning, the Rowland Unified School District’s Family Resource Center will celebrate the one year anniversary of its successful monthly food distribution program for the community on March 11. Seeing a vital need for the community, the District partnered with the LA Regional Food Bank and the Tzu Chi Foundation last year to provide a food distribution at Villacorta Elementary in La Puente the second Monday of each month from Noon to 1:30 p.m. (in August it is provided later in the month). Each month an estimated 250 families benefit and receive 25-30 pounds of food consisting of fresh produce, pantry items, and even some ‘luxury’ items such as Girl Scout Cookies.
“Parents report that this new source of food has helped their family stretch their food stamps for the entire month,” said Laurel Estrada, Coordinator of the Family Resource Center. “Before the distribution, families had to make difficult financial decisions at the end of the month, choosing between paying for food or other necessities such as gasoline.”
A huge outpouring of community support has helped the success of the monthly food distribution. Each month, individual volunteers and community groups help distribute food, such as the Rowland PTA Council, Rowland Heights Women's Club, New Millennium Lions' Club, Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon's Office, the GEM project, WIC, and more. In addition, several companies provide their employees the opportunity to volunteer at the food distribution during work time. These include Kaiser Permanente, Suburban Water, St. Jude Hospital, Options for Learning, Dairy Council of California, and East Valley Community Health Center.
“The monthly food distribution is a great example of organizations and individuals coming together to make a big difference for our community. On March 11, 2019 we are thrilled to celebrate one year of this robust community partnership,” said Estrada.
The Tzu Chi Mobile Food Pantry is held each month at Villacorta Elementary School, located at 17840 E. Villa Corta Street in La Puente, CA 91744. The next food distribution dates are March 11, April 8, and May 13 and take place from Noon to 1:30 p.m. where community members are asked to bring their own shopping bags or cart. For more information, please call (626)854-2228 or (909)447-7799 or visit www.familyresourcecenter-rowlandusd.org