News release
The Santa Clarita Sprouts Farmers Market, on Magic Mountain Parkway, recently stepped forward to assist the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative Food Bank in providing food gift cards to be distributed to veterans and their families.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the collaborative has been limited in its ability to directly distribute food through its Veteran Center, located at 23222 Lyons Ave., in Newhall, as it has been doing for nearly two years. Jonathan Ahmadi, vice president of the veterans support group, in discussions with the local Sprouts manager, reviewed ways in which Sprouts could assist the veteran community. At the manager’s suggestion, Jonathan contacted a Sprouts corporate representative who generously donated gift cards totaling $1,500 to the collaborative.
“Taking care of our veterans is important and something that our community shoulders together,” says Lyndsey Waugh, executive director of the Sprouts Healthy Communities Foundation. “It’s our pleasure to support the Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative and their important mission of serving those who have given so significantly to our country.”
Said Ahmadi: “So many people are hurting and suffering from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the veteran community is no different. While these gift cards obviously will not solve all the challenges people are facing, our hope is that they will help ease the burden, if only by providing a healthy and tasty meal for a family in need. I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to Sprouts and all the essential workers serving this community. If you are a veteran in need, or know of a veteran that could use this support, please reach out to us and we will do everything we can to help you and connect you with services.”
These gift cards have been distributed to not only veterans and veteran families who regularly depended on the Veteran Center, but also to others who were found to be in need resulting from COVID-19 pandemic-related job losses, reductions in monthly income or medical issues.
The Santa Clarita Veteran Services Collaborative consists of a group of dedicated businessmen and women, nonprofit organizations and individuals who have pledged to care for the interests of local veterans and their families who have given and sacrificed so much for their country.
