Charitable organization helps Malibu in its time of need
With 610 homes lost in Malibu city limits alone and scores more in the Malibu postal code, hundreds of residents affectedby the Palisades Fire and are hurting in many ways. World Central Kitchen has been feeding first responders and the Malibu community through partnerships with Malibu Brewing Company and now Pita Bu restaurant. And now, even more caring and community service from the nonprofit that recently opened a free organic produce distribution for area residents with fresh fruit and produce to nourish the stomach and the soul.
The weekly initiative started on Feb. 26 in the parking lot of the Malibu Boys & Girls Club Disaster Recovery Center in the Malibu Village shopping center. The community market’s first day was a rousing success, featuring a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetables for those in need.
Suigen Constanza Malibu, Boys and Girls Club director of community affairs and outreach, was overwhelmed with the generosity the market offered with free healthy, organic, freshly grown food. “This is very helpful. That’s who they are,” Contanza commented on WCK. “They have all these amazing vegetables, strawberries and blueberries. I mean, all kinds of stuff that people can just come grab and fill a bag with healthy products. And they love it. A lot of people came. We posted on social media. We spread the word everywhere we could, and it was very successful.”
Constanza said those who came to the first organic produce distribution event were very happy and grateful to be able to choose their own produce. The variety was vast, from the mundane potatoes, lettuce, beets, and bananas to the exotic, offering guavas and blood oranges among the many offerings. “It was so fresh,” Constanza described. She was so busy working at the Disaster Recovery Center she barely had time for lunch so grabbed a pint of blueberries to eat during her shift. “They were delicious. I mean, that was my lunch for that day, but it was so nice.”
Constanza, a beloved BGCM staffer and Dolphin Award winner, described how helpful the market is. “People come here, they’re stressed. They are, overwhelmed. And then you see that beautiful setup there with vegetables, the fruits, and it’s so inviting and they’re very nice. Just take whatever you need and make sure to leave some for everybody, right? It was so amazing. I think people felt happy and excited that they can go and have fresh fruit and vegetables. And they told us they were very thankful. They were.”
“Community is everything right now,” commented Trish Engel, Community Outreach Manager at WCK, who is also the nonprofit’s Response Director for California Fires Response. WCK is committed to providing nourishing hot meals to families recovering from the wildfires. Since the Jan. 7 fires throughout the Los Angeles area, WCK has served more than one million meals so far. Its website states the service “is available to anyone who needs” it.
Engel confirmed WCK will be offering fresh produce each Wednesday throughout the month of March. The market hours are noon to 5 p.m. It’s uncertain if the initiative can continue beyond March due to changing conditions and need in different communities.
“It is really important for us to be sure we are supporting the whole chain of impacted. For the directly impacted, we have multiple hot meal distribution sites across LA, serving meals from local restaurants, as well as a potable water truck for recipients to pick up as much as they need. As of today, we have served over 1 million meals in Los Angeles for this response,” according to Engel.
The WCK program also benefit local organic farms. Engel explained they “have taken such a huge cut as a result ofdisplaced clients and market closures. So, by buying directly from these farms to supply our markets, we’re not only able to provide the highest nutrient produce at no cost to the recipient, but we can support the local economy by ensuring farmers can move their product. Right now, we have six active farmers’ markets in LA.
“Additionally, we are working on a gift card program where we buy a set number of cards from 50 local restaurants near both burn zones and distribute at our current sites to encourage eating local.”
BGCM Vice President of Philanthropy Molly Scott said, “Boys and Girls Club of Malibu is grateful to work alongside partners like WCK who are here to provide for the community in such a time of need.”
To support WCK, go to worldcentralkitchen.org
To support bcgmalibu.org
