LCPC Invites Community on May 19 for a Day of Service

LA CANADA FLINTRIDGE, Calif. - May 9, 2013 - PRLog -- La Cañada Flintridge, CA – On Sunday May 19, La Cañada Presbyterian Church will be hosting Serve Day 2013. On this one day, people will come from around the San Gabriel Valley to serve together on 8 family-friendly service projects.

There are two ways to serve—a food drive and seven other hands-on service projects. Between 9 AM – 2 PM, participants can come to the church to drop off canned foods and personal care items that will benefit the Los Angeles Food Bank. Those wanting to volunteer can join in projects such as serving meals to the homeless, putting on a play date for foster children, or beautifying the garden of a local school.

In its 40th year of service, the Los Angeles Food Bank distributes 1.1 million pounds of food a week and recently received the 2013 Excellence in Food Banking Award for Organizational Efficiency by Feeding America. “Most people don’t realize that 4000 children go to bed hungry every night in Los Angeles. When I learned this, I had to do something so I got involved,” said La Cañada resident and food drive coordinator, Gail Rodgers. In addition to the Food Bank, the organizations involved include Child S.H.A.R.E., Union Rescue Mission, the Harambee School and Door of Hope among others.

Amanda Bell, Director of Family Support at Child S.H.A.R.E. stated, “Child S.H.A.R.E. is honored to participate in LCPC's 2013 Serve Day as people come from around the San Gabriel Valley to care for foster and adoptive families in our community. The Parents' Afternoon Out event provides abused and abandoned children a safe place to run, play games and have fun, while providing their busy parents with a rare afternoon of rest.”

The idea for Serve Day 2013 came to LCPC Director of Outreach, Megan Katerjian, who was inspired after witnessing churches across the nation as they served together in their communities during the National Day of Service initiated by President Obama.

“Every time there’s a national crisis, we learn one thing about people: they are eager to help others in need – so why not in La Cañada?” said Katerjian. “Whenever I take a new volunteer out to serve, they are always surprised at how much they receive from the people they serve – joy, fun, friendships, a new way of looking at the world.  There’s no other experience quite like it,” added Katerjian.

For times, locations and register for one the 8 service projects, visit www.lacanadapc.org/serveday. To find out more about this or other ongoing volunteer opportunities, contact Megan Katerjian at megan@lacanadapc.org, 818-790-6708 x628.