Resource center, food ministry schedule free distribution event

PALMDALE — Food baskets will be distributed free of charge, on Friday, as part of a monthly program by LA Care and Blue Shield Promise Community Resource Center and Trinity Harvest Food Ministry.

The walk-in event is from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Palmdale Community Resource Center, 2072 East Palmdale Blvd.

The event is open to all members of the public, Eric Gonzalez, community representative for the Center, said.

“Anyone can walk up and take part,” he said.

Bags of groceries with fruits, vegetables, non-perishable items and other food will be distributed on a first-come first-serve basis. The organization expects to hand out about 300 bags, Gonzalez said.

Along with food, participants will have access to information about resources and services available to them in the community.

Participants are required to wear face masks and social distancing will be practiced.

The organizations have been holding these food distribution events on the fourth Friday of each month since May.

“We’ve been pretty successful,” Gonzalez said.

The activity is one they have seen a need for within the community and wanted to do, and the COVID-19 pandemic just helped to kick start the effort, he said.

The organizations have given out around 300 bags each month since the program began, with

the exception of June, when the number was closer to 250, Gonzalez said.

While everyone is welcome to take part, the program so far has served mostly families and older adults, particularly those already familiar with the offering through the Center’s various programs, he said.

“We do get a lot of passers-by,” he said, especially given the outdoor site’s visibility on Palmdale Boulevard.

The next event will be held on Oct. 22.