Before volunteering at Friends In Deed, Lisa worked in public relations at the Huntington Library. After she retired, she felt that her ability with words could find a use at Friends In Deed – and they did! Lisa runs workshops with our guests in The Women’s Room in which she uses the mediums of art, […]
Lisa’s Story – Encouraging Self-Expression Read More »
Local realtor Jeff Salcido was initially introduced to FID through the Friends In Deed/Pasadena Jaycees Operation Gobbler Thanksgiving events – something he says he found very rewarding, especially when they were able to provide a full Thanksgiving meal to a family who likely would not have been able to have one otherwise. We are grateful
Jeff’s Story – Ongoing Commitment Read More »
Friends In Deed has been lucky enough to count many artists among its volunteers, but what has been a first for us is for an artist to use materials from the Food Pantry with which to create art! Along with her volunteering at Friends In Deed, Carolie was teaching a sculpture class with Art Division,
Carolie’s Story – Inspired by Trash Read More »
Gentle and soft spoken, Merl is a long-term and very much loved guest of The Women’s Room. She has continued to visit and get support from Friends In Deed during many years of housing insecurity and serious illness. Merl particularly enjoys the art activities that TWR provides. We have often said that art is as
Merl’s Story – A Good Samaritan Read More »
Photo credit – Frank Styduhar. From the collection of Lorenzo Hernandez. Lorenzo had realized his old friend Joe – a man in his nineties – was no longer mobile. Lorenzo began picking Joe up and taking him to Friends In Deed’s Food Pantry to get groceries. It was here that our then Food Pantry Manager,
Joe and Lorenzo’s Story – Old Friends Read More »
Merria is the youngest of seven children in an athletic family and much of her childhood was spent going from one sporting event to another, cheering on her older siblings. She decided she wanted a more official role – and Merria the cheerleader came into being! The spirit of cheerleading has never left her. In
Merria’s Story – Always a Cheerleader! Read More »
With a good job as a probation officer, Ransome had a stable life. Unfortunately, after taking sabbatical leave, he had problems getting his job back. Without an income, the challenges posed by the bureaucracy of the system became insurmountable and the inevitable homelessness that followed only made things worse. Ransome tried multiple agencies to try
Ransome’s Story – Being Community Minded Read More »
As happened with so many people during the stay-at-home order at the beginning of the pandemic, Julius found his primary relationships came under great strain. His girlfriend continued to work as a cosmetologist, and this meant a steady stream of clients visiting their home. Not only did the risk make Julius uncomfortable, but he also
Julius’s Story – Able to Contribute Again Read More »
We have a very diverse pantry community. The three main languages spoken by our pantry community are English, Spanish, and Mandarin. We will also regularly hear Armenian, Korean, and Arabic to list a few more. It is fun to watch our community as they wait for their turn to pick up food. As one would
A Pantry Story – Diversity and Community Read More »
Tim (Director of the Food Pantry) says: “One of the great things about the work I do is getting to help young people learn about hunger, poverty, and what Friends In Deed does every day. Over the ten years I’ve been in charge of the Food Pantry program, I’ve had countless opportunities to speak with
Friends Western School’s Story – Community Connections Read More »
