Local HOPE charity serving food to Canyon Lake

Many have seen the videotapes and news reports of how food pantries across the nation are deluged by new clients as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. These clients can no longer meet their food and personal hygiene needs due to illness and/or loss of their jobs. The nation’s pantries are struggling to keep up with the growing needs.

Although faced with the same challenges as other food pantries, The HOPE (Helping Our People Elsinore) Food Pantry, which serves the communities of Lake Elsinore, Canyon Lake and Wildomar, has been able to make ends meet.

“We are blessed to still be able to meet the needs of the community with a stable volunteer base,” Pantry Director Patti Londot said. However, with the demands growing each week because of the pandemic, Patti said she is concerned about being able to continue to do so.

The pantry is asking for additional support from the community in three key areas: food donations, financial donations and volunteer hours.

HOPE now serves well over 2,000 clients per month with produce, dairy, meat, non-perishable foods and basic hygiene products. The current caseload is up over 86% compared to the average number of clients served in 2019. At the same time, periodic food drives from churches, schools and public donation events are down due to shelter-in-place policies. Individual donations have also dropped off while dedicated senior volunteers are restricted as an at-risk population.

Fortunately, Patti said a group of local grocery stores such as Grocery Outlet, Albertsons, Costco and others contribute food weekly through the Fresh Rescue program. The Lake Elsinore School District also contributes food and allows HOPE to utilize its freezer space during the school shutdown. Also making major food donations recently are Centerpoint Church and Keller Williams Realty, she said.

A new USDA program called “Food to Families” provides local pantries with boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods would normally be sold by farmers to restaurants and other bulk producers. However, during the national COVID-19 emergency, this unused food is now routed through local food distributors to food pantries, churches and qualified non-profits.

Several individuals and groups have stepped up to assist in packing the food into family portions each week and then distributing it to clients. These groups include students at the Cal Baptist nursing program as well as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Help is still needed for HOPE, which is owned and operated by the Dream Center Lake Elsinore charity. It needs both food and financial donations. Donated items can be dropped off at the HOPE Food Pantry located at 506 W. Minthorn Street, Lake Elsinore, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. through noon.

The most needed items are non-perishable food such as canned soup, ravioli, chili and pasta and hygiene items such as personal soap, shampoo and laundry detergent.

Those who wish to give a financial donation can visit the group’s website, select the “Donate” option and the HOPE Food Pantry as the recipient of the online donation.

Volunteers are always needed at HOPE. A packing team works every Monday except holidays, from 9:00 a.m. through noon at the pantry on Minthorn Street. The distribution team works on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. through noon. Driver volunteers are also utilized to deliver food to homebound clients in the area monthly. Volunteers can call 951-751-5828 to confirm a volunteer spot.

For more information on donations, upcoming food drives or becoming a volunteer visit www.DreamCenterLE.org.