In 1988, a collaboration of Los Angeles area congregations founded Hope-Net to address hunger and homeless needs. First opening in the Wilshire Center area of Los Angeles, and now expanding its outreach to Koreatown, Hollywood, Los Feliz, and Silverlake, Hope-Net is an interfaith effort to eliminate hunger and homelessness in Los Angeles by providing food, shelter and self-help assistance to families and individuals.
Living among the great wealth of Los Angeles, many fail to see the mammoth and increasing needs of many in our midst. For the economically poor in our area, Hope-Net food pantries and meal programs are a primary source of emergency food. Since our inception, we have served over 2 million persons and last year alone we served over 250,000 persons.
In 1996, Hope-Net founded Hope West Apartments to provide excellent, 3-bedroom apartment units for 17 low income families. Because access to affordable housing is the single greatest need faced by the people Hope-Net serves, Hope-Net continues to look at ways to expand this part of its mission.
Guided by our dedicated Board of Directors and sustained through the tireless efforts of many dedicated volunteers at our 13 food pantries, Hope-Net touches lives daily and offers hope and opportunities to thousands of individuals and families.Hope-Net remains committed to our neighborhood so that "none of our neighbors should go hungry."
Starting in 1988 with one regularly scheduled food pantry and eight other sites offering "emergency food as available," Hope-Net now operates 13 food pantries in the metro Los Angeles area. Hope-Net food pantries are operated by dedicated volunteers who contribute more 16,000 hours of their time annually. The work of these generous volunteers is supported by Hope-Net’s professional staff.
Hope-Net gives out two different bags of food. One is for people that have cooking facilities. Along with fresh fruit like apples, they receive imperishable goods such as canned beans and boxes of rice. Clients walk through the line and volunteers fill their bags with each item. People can come once a week to get food. Hope-Net also distributes pre-prepared food bags for people who are either homeless or don't have cooking facilities. These bags contain cereal bars, granola bars, and other ready-to-eat items. The line for these bags is shorter. People come to the entrance of the food pantry, sign their name, and take a bag.
In 2007, Hope-Net served 110,000 people in the Mid-Wilshire, Hollywood and Koreatown areas. In 2008, that number went up to 150,000, and last year they served 250,000 people. This year, 2010, for the first quarter, they are on pace to serve 250,000 more again this year.
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Resource: http://www.hope-net.info/
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