Pacific Palisades Rotary Club Donates $10,000 To Food Bank

PACIFIC PALISADES, CA — The Pacific Palisades Rotary Club recently donated $10,000 to the Westside Food Bank, continuing their efforts to fight food insecurity in Los Angeles. It's the largest donation in club history, according to Circling The News.

The check was presented during a February 26 ceremony, with several representatives from the Rotary Club and the Westside Food Bank on hand. Executive Director Bruce Rankin told CTN the gift would go towards buying fresh produce and other healthy items, rather than cheaper yet unhealthier options.

“Every day, we have trucks coming in with food loaded for us,” Rankin said, noting that the food given out has a high standard of nutrition, which also means it’s also more expensive to purchase. “We could buy lots of soda, because it’s cheap, but half of the food we distribute is fresh produce.”

The Westside Food Bank says they served 200,000 in 2020, delivering about 13,220,000 meals in the process. Founded in 1981, the Food Bank serves seaside neighborhoods including Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica and Venice, along with communities as far inland as Inglewood, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.

The Food Bank also offers limited direct food distribution, and offers catered programs for specific groups such as children, veterans, and college students. Each dollar donated provides four meals for a person in need.