Helping families cope with increased food insecurity, which has skyrocketed since the pandemic began. 

With a reported 2 million Angelenos challenged by food insecurity, the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce and has been reaching out to the greater Los Angeles community with a helping hand.

Wishing to bring their resources to as many people as possible and familiar with the hard-working Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology Los Angeles and their organizational skills, Chamber President Raphael Oscal asked the Church to partner in a food drive.

That’s why trucks started pulling into the Church of Scientology parking lot at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and L. Ron Hubbard Way early in the morning of Saturday, April 24. Volunteers helped unload and organize more than 3,000 boxes of fresh produce, milk, eggs, rice, baby food and other essential food items and placed them in family-size boxes. 

The Volunteer Ministers bright yellow tents set up in the Church parking lot made it easy to locate the food giveaway organized by the Guatemalan Chamber of Commerce, the LAUNDECO Foundation (Union of Communities). 

To keep everyone safe, those coming on foot were requested to wear a face mask, keep their distance from others, and bring a box, bag or trolley. Those coming by car were asked to pop open their trunks so the volunteers could simply place their boxes of food inside. 

By the end of the afternoon, some 1,000 families drove or walked through to pick up their food and a new tradition was born. As Mr. Oscal put it, “I am absolutely going to continue this partnership with the Volunteer Ministers of the Church of Scientology so we can continue to combat hunger in our city.”

The iconic headquarters of the Church of Scientology of Los Angeles is designed to provide the ideal facilities for Scientologists on their ascent to higher states of spiritual freedom and to serve as a home for the entire community and a meeting ground of cooperative effort to uplift people of all denominations.

The Church of Scientology Los Angeles was featured in the first episode of Inside Scientology in March 2018, when Scientology ecclesiastical leader Mr. David Miscavige launched the Scientology Network on DIRECTV channel 320. The Scientology Network can also be streamed at Scientology.tv and is available through mobile apps and via the Roku, Amazon Fire and Apple TV platforms.